List of fee areas in the United States National Park System

Fee areas of the National Park System comprise a minority of the areas of the United States National Park System administered by the National Park Service.[1][2] A majority of sites are fee-free areas.

The list below includes all areas that charge an entrance or standard amenity fee; generally not included are sites that only charge expanded amenity fees such as those for camping, boat launching, and parking. Sites where nearly all visitors purchase these additional amenities, such as areas with caves that require fee-based guided tours for cave access, are also generally not included. Many areas listed have parts where fees do not apply. Each year, there are a handful of free entrance days when entrance fees are waived at these areas.[3]

Fees are given on a per-vehicle or per-person basis. Per-vehicle fees admit all occupants of a private passenger vehicle, generally for 7-days (unless otherwise noted). Most per-vehicle sites also offer passes for individuals arriving on foot, bicycle, or motorcycle; these are not listed. Fees do not apply to children age 15 or younger unless otherwise noted. All sites accept America the Beautiful Passes to waive entrance fees, which have been described as one of the best deals in recreation.[4][5][6][7] Most fee areas also offer an annual area-specific pass for those who visit the same area often.

List[edit]

Bold indicates national parks.

Name Location Typical fee Fee type Website Notes
Little River Canyon National Preserve Alabama $15 per-vehicle [1]
Denali National Park and Preserve Alaska $15 per-person [2]
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Arizona $30 per-vehicle [3]
Utah
Grand Canyon National Park Arizona $35 per-vehicle [4]
Montezuma Castle National Monument Arizona $10 per-person [5] passes valid at Tuzigoot National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona $25 per-vehicle [6]
Petrified Forest National Park Arizona $25 per-vehicle [7]
Pipe Spring National Monument Arizona $10 per-person [8]
Saguaro National Park Arizona $25 per-vehicle [9]
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Arizona $25 per-vehicle [10] passes valid at Wupatki National Monument
Tonto National Monument Arizona $10 per-person [11]
Tumacacori National Historical Park Arizona $10 per-person [12]
Tuzigoot National Monument Arizona $10 per-person [13] passes valid at Montezuma Castle National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument Arizona $15 per-person [14]
Wupatki National Monument Arizona $25 per-vehicle [15] passes valid at Sunset Crater National Monument
Fort Smith National Historic Site Arkansas $10 per-person [16]
Cabrillo National Monument California $20 per-vehicle [17]
Death Valley National Park California $30 per-vehicle [18]
Nevada
Devils Postpile National Monument California $8 per-person [19] fee for daily use of shuttle; other types of passes and limited vehicle access exist
Joshua Tree National Park California $30 per-vehicle [20]
Kings Canyon National Park California $35 per-vehicle [21] passes valid at Sequoia National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park California $30 per-vehicle [22]
Lava Beds National Monument California $25 per-vehicle [23]
Muir Woods National Monument California $15 per-person [24]
Pinnacles National Park California $30 per-vehicle [25]
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park California $15 per-person [26]
Sequoia National Park California $35 per-vehicle [27] passes valid at Kings Canyon National Park
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area California $25 per-vehicle [28]
Yosemite National Park California $35 per-vehicle [29]
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Colorado $10 per-person [30]
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado $25 per-vehicle [31]
Colorado National Monument Colorado $25 per-vehicle [32]
Dinosaur National Monument Colorado $25 per-vehicle [33]
Utah
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Colorado $10 per-person [34]
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Colorado $25 per-vehicle [35]
Mesa Verde National Park Colorado $30 per-vehicle [36] fees are reduced during the winter season
Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado $25 per-vehicle [37]
Canaveral National Seashore Florida $20 per-vehicle [38]
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Florida $15 per-person [39]
Dry Tortugas National Park Florida $15 per-person [40]
Everglades National Park Florida $30 per-vehicle [41]
Gulf Islands National Seashore Florida $25 per-vehicle [42]
Mississippi
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Georgia $5 per-vehicle [43]
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Georgia $10 per-person [44] fees only required for visiting Point Park at Lookout Mountain battlefield
Tennessee
Cumberland Island National Seashore Georgia $10 per-person [45]
Fort Pulaski National Monument Georgia $10 per-person [46]
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Georgia $5 per-vehicle [47] daily fee
Haleakala National Park Hawaii $30 per-vehicle [48]
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii $30 per-vehicle [49]
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park Hawaii $20 per-vehicle [50]
Craters of the Moon National Monument Idaho $20 per-vehicle [51]
Poverty Point National Monument Louisiana $4 per-person [52] daily fee; monument and fees administered by Louisiana state parks
Acadia National Park Maine $30 per-vehicle [53]
Antietam National Battlefield Maryland $10 per-person [54] 3-day pass; $20 per-vehicle pass available (3-day pass)
Assateague Island National Seashore Maryland $25 per-vehicle [55] 7-day pass; daily $10 per-vehicle pass available for Virginia district. Passes valid for entrance to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Virginia
C & O Canal National Historical Park Maryland $20 per-vehicle [56] passes required only for Great Falls Tavern area; passes valid at Great Falls Park
Washington D.C.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Maryland $15 per-person [57]
Adams National Historical Park Massachusetts $15 per-person [58]
Cape Cod National Seashore Massachusetts $25 per-vehicle [59]
Isle Royale National Park Michigan $7 per-person [60] daily fee
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Michigan $25 per-vehicle [61]
Vicksburg National Military Park Mississippi $20 per-vehicle [62]
Louisiana
Gateway Arch National Park Missouri $3 per-person [63] daily pass; tickets for tram to top of arch separate
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Missouri $20 per-vehicle [64] fees currently waived and some venues closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Glacier National Park Montana $35 per-vehicle [65] reduced fees during the winter season
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Montana $25 per-vehicle [66]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada $25 per-vehicle [67]
Arizona
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park New Hampshire $10 per-person [68] fees currently waived and some venues closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Thomas Edison National Historical Park New Jersey $15 per-person [69]
Bandelier National Monument New Mexico $25 per-vehicle [70]
Capulin Volcano National Monument New Mexico $20 per-vehicle [71]
Carlsbad Caverns National Park New Mexico $15 per-person [72] 3-day pass
Chaco Culture National Historical Park New Mexico $25 per-vehicle [73]
Valles Caldera National Preserve New Mexico $25 per-vehicle [74] fees currently waived
White Sands National Park New Mexico $25 per-vehicle [75]
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site New York $20 per-person [76] 2-day pass; passes required only for the house and presidential library. Top Cottage requires a separate $10 fee per-person.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site New York $10 per-person [77] fee applies only for Theodore Roosevelt Home tour
Statue of Liberty National Monument New York $19.25 per-person [78] children 4–12 years, $9; seniors 62+ years $14; fee includes ferry ticket and pedestal access, crown tickets additional fee and require reservation
New Jersey
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site New York $12 per-person [79] youth 6-18, $7; seniors 62+, college students, and veterans, $9
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site New York $10 per-person [80] fee for mansion entry only, gardens and grounds free
Wright Brothers National Memorial North Carolina $10 per-person [81]
Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota $30 per-vehicle [82]
First Ladies National Historic Site Ohio $7 per-person [83] children under 18, $5; seniors, $6; America the Beautiful Pass holders, $4
James A. Garfield National Historic Site Ohio $10 per-person [84]
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial Ohio $10 per-person [85] fees for memorial and observation deck only; these are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crater Lake National Park Oregon $30 per-vehicle [86] reduced fees during the winter season
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Oregon $10 per-person [87] fee applies only to Fort Clatsop, separate fees apply to state park units
Washington
San Juan National Historic Site Puerto Rico $10 per-person [88] daily fee
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park South Carolina $10 per-person [89] fees for Fort Moultrie only; Fort Sumter is free to enter but generally requires a paid ferry fare to reach
Badlands National Park South Dakota $30 per-vehicle [90]
Big Bend National Park Texas $30 per-vehicle [91]
Fort Davis National Historic Site Texas $20 per-vehicle [92]
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Texas $10 per-person [93]
Padre Island National Seashore Texas $10 per-vehicle [94] daily pass; 7-day vehicle pass available for $25
Arches National Park Utah $30 per-vehicle [95]
Bryce Canyon National Park Utah $35 per-vehicle [96]
Canyonlands National Park Utah $30 per-vehicle [97]
Capitol Reef National Park Utah $20 per-vehicle [98]
Cedar Breaks National Monument Utah $10 per-person [99]
Golden Spike National Historical Park Utah $20 per-vehicle [100]
Natural Bridges National Monument Utah $20 per-vehicle [101]
Zion National Park Utah $35 per-vehicle [102]
Christiansted National Historic Site Virgin Islands $7 per-person [103]
Great Falls Park Virginia $20 per-vehicle [104] passes valid at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Prince William Forest Park Virginia $20 per-vehicle [105]
Shenandoah National Park Virginia $30 per-vehicle [106]
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Washington $10 per-person [107] fee only for entry to reconstructed fort, free access to rest of grounds
Oregon
Mount Rainier National Park Washington $30 per-vehicle [108]
Olympic National Park Washington $30 per-vehicle [109]
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park West Virginia $20 per-vehicle [110]
Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming $25 per-vehicle [111]
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming $35 per-vehicle [112] no fee stations at the north entrance, which is only accessible through Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park Wyoming $35 per-vehicle [113]
Idaho
Montana

History[edit]

On October 24, 2017, Secretary of the Interior Zinke proposed large fee hikes at seventeen of the most visited national parks in order to address a backlog of maintenance at all national parks.[8] The NPS considered that these changes, which would increase entrance fees from $25 to $75, were appropriate because they only targeted the most popular parks, which already have entrance fees.[8] However, there was a nearly unanimous public backlash against this proposal; many families felt this would prohibit them from being able to visit the parks.[9]

Further, there was concern that this hike would disproportionately affect low-income families, who are already underrepresented in visitation to national parks.[10] Additionally, many organizations working to increase access to nature for families of color, such as Latino Outdoors and African American Nature and Parks Experience, spoke out against these proposed fee hikes.[10]

Altogether, more than 110,000 comments were posted on the NPS website, with 98% of them protesting this change.[11] Representative Raul Grijalva commented, “This is a prime example that activism works.”[11] In response to this strong public reaction, on April 12, 2018, Secretary Zinke released a statement replacing this plan with a more moderate proposal to raise prices incrementally across all parks with entrance fees.[12]

Cashless[edit]

In an effort to save on cash processing and hand handling fees, 22 national parks have gone cashless as of 2023. In September 2023, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) proposed the "Protecting Access to Recreation with Cash Act" (PARC) which would require national parks to accept cash as a form of payment for entrance fee.[13]In April 2024, several NPS visitors sued seeking to restore cash as a payment form noting how cash is legal tender suitable "for all public charges" and that the "additional processing fees that will be borne by NPS and by visitors who ultimately fund the federal government through taxes, in addition to personal surcharges and bank fees visitors may incur under NPS cashless policy."[14][15][16]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Your Fee Dollars at Work". nps.gov. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  2. ^ David, Mark. "New fee-free day designated for national parks, federal lands". powelltribune.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Free Entrance Days in the National Parks". nps.gov. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  4. ^ Elliot, Christopher. "National Parks Pass: The best $80 you'll ever spend". usatoday.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  5. ^ Scott, Douglas (12 November 2017). "Seven Reasons Why You Should Buy an America the Beautiful Pass". outdoor-society.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  6. ^ "America the Beautiful Passes". parksandpoints.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  7. ^ Webb, Ted. "5 Benefits of an America The Beautiful Pass". nationalparkwanderlust.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "National Park Service Proposes Targeted Fee Increases at Parks to Address Maintenance Backlog 2 - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  9. ^ "Americans tell Interior to take a hike over proposed National Park fee increase". The Know. April 2, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "More Expensive National Parks May Threaten Access to Nature". October 25, 2017. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Fears, Darryl (April 12, 2018). "Public outrage forces Interior to scrap massive increase in park entry fees". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  12. ^ "National Park Service Announces Plan to Address Infrastructure Needs & Improve Visitor Experience - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  13. ^ "Lummis Introduces Bill to Require National Parks to Accept Cash » Senator Cynthia Lummis". Senator Cynthia Lummis. September 21, 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  14. ^ Hauser, Christine (March 21, 2024). "U.S. Park Service Says to Leave Your Cash at Home, but Some Object". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  15. ^ Lin, Summer (20 March 2024). "The National Park Service will only take plastic at its parks. Three visitors are suing to use cash". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  16. ^ Golder, Dave (18 March 2024). "Irate visitors sue National Park Service over cashless entrance fees". Yahoo Life. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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