Tomorrow (November 11) admission to US national parks will be free: this is the last such day of the year

For one day only this week, national parks that usually have an entrance fee will be free to visit. Writes about this The Hill.

Photo: IStock

November 11, Veterans Day, is the last of five days the National Park Service is waiving park admission fees this year.

We have already seen that on January 16th, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, April 22nd, the first day of National Parks Week, August 4th, the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, and September 23rd, National Public Lands Day, admission was free. .

All 109 sites that require entry will be free of charge on Saturday, September 11th. Fees still apply for overnight camping, hut rentals, transportation and use of designated areas.

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Last year, there were about 395 million recreational visits across the 312 national parks where visitation is recorded, up 15 million from 2021. The most visited park was the Blue Ridge Parkway, with 15,7 million visitors last year. It beat out the Golden Gate National Recreation Area by just over 72 visits.

Why do national parks charge entry fees?

Although federal income taxes fund the National Park Service (NPS) to a certain extent, your contributions are relatively small compared to the agency's needs. According to the latest budget, NPS received about $2023 billion for 3,475 and requested $2024 billion in funding for 3,764. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the roughly $21,8 billion the agency estimates it will cost to maintain and repair all parks.

Thus, while national parks receive funding from Congress and additional funds earmarked for the parks, other parks use admission fees to support certain projects.

Under the current Federal Lands Recreation Improvement Act, the National Park Service has the authority to collect fees. However, fee revenues must be used to “improve the visitor experience.”

“At least 80% of fee revenues remain in the park where they are collected, and the remaining 20% ​​is used to benefit parks that do not charge fees or those that generate only a small amount of revenue,” the National Park Service explained.

The fee is set based on a structure used by the agency that "simplifies and standardizes entry fees for similar types of parks." For example, in the large and popular Rocky Mountain and Zion parks, the cost of an annual pass is $70, the fee for car travel is $35, entry for one person is $20, and motorcycle travel is $30.

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In addition to protecting and preserving America's stunning natural resources, it is also clear how national parks can impact their surrounding areas. National Park Service tourism generated a total of $2022 billion in 60 for communities within 96,5 miles of a national park, the highest visitor spending recorded by the National Park Service, surpassing the previous year. a record set in 23,9 of almost $2019 billion.

So while park entry fees can be annoying at times, you'll soon see your money put to good use as you walk through the park, use the facilities, or enter the visitor center.

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