Crater Lake & Lava Beds Entrance Fees to Increase
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Submitted Photo
Fees will increase across National Parks this season and the majestic Crater Lake National Park & mysterious Lava Beds National Monument will not be immune. Starting May 12, 2018 fees will increase to $25 per vehicle for both Crater Lake and the Lava Beds.
Revenue from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service and helps offset maintenance costs of buildings, trails, roads and more. 80% of entrance fees collected by each park stay inside that particular park.
We want to provide visitors with the best possible experience when they come to the park,” said Crater Lake National Park Superintendent, Craig Ackerman. “The money from entrance fees is used to support deferred maintenance and a variety of projects that directly benefit park visitors such as improving park trails and expanding parking at the popular Cleetwood Trailhead.”
A press release from Crater Lake and Lava Beds are below.
Crater Lake National Park Changes Entrance Fee to Address Infrastructure Needs & Improve Visitor Experience
The National Park Service announced on Thursday Crater Lake National Park will modify its entrance fees to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs to enhance the visitor experience. The park fees will be increased incrementally. Effective May 13, 2018 the entrance fees to the park will be $25 per vehicle and $20 per motorcycle. An annual park pass will cost $50. Then effective January 1, 2020 the entrance fees to the park will be $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, and the annual park pass will cost $55. All of the money received from entrance fees remains with the National Park Service.
Revenue from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service and helps ensure a quality experience for all who visit. In Crater Lake National Park, at least 80 percent of entrance fees stay in the park and are devoted to spending that supports the visitor. We share the other 20 percent of entry fee income with other national parks for their projects.
In response to public comments on a fee proposal released in October 2017, there will be a modest increase for all entrance fee-charging parks, rather than the higher peak-season fees initially proposed only for 17 highly-visited national parks.
“We want to provide visitors with the best possible experience when they come to the park,” said Crater Lake National Park Superintendent, Craig Ackerman. “The money from entrance fees is used to support deferred maintenance and a variety of projects that directly benefit park visitors such as improving park trails and expanding parking at the popular Cleetwood Trailhead.”
National parks have experienced record breaking visitation, with more than 1.5 billion visitors in the last five years. Throughout the country, the combination of an aging infrastructure and increased visitation has put a strain on park roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services and led to a $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog nationwide.
The additional revenue from the fee increase at Crater Lake National Park will be used to enhance visitor services, including repair and maintenance of park facilities, restoration and rehabilitation of visitor service buildings, implementation of additional park programs, production of interpretive media, and increase of resource protection. Examples of some of the projects undertaken over the last year include trail improvements on the Pumice Flat Trail, Annie Creek
Loop Trail, Lady of the Woods Trail, and others; improvements to the Cleetwood Cove Parking Lot; control of invasive plants in popular visitor areas; and replacement of snow poles along Highway 62. In store for 2018 are several important trail projects including accessibility improvements to the Godfrey Glen Trail, work towards replacement of the failed bulkhead at Cleetwood Cove and replacement of the historic entrance signs at the western and southern park boundaries.
Entrance fees collected by the National Park Service totaled $199.9 million in Fiscal Year 2016. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.
Crater Lake National Park has had an entrance fee since the early 1900s. At that time the rate was $2 per vehicle. The current rate of $15 per vehicle or $10 per motorcycle has been in effect since 2015. The park is one of 117 National Park Service site that charges an entrance fee, the other 300 national parks will remain free to enter.
The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.
The National Park Service has a standardized entrance fee structure, composed of four groups based on park size and type. Crater Lake National Park is one of the park sites in group 3. Some parks, such as Crater Lake, not yet aligned with the other parks in their category will raise their fees incrementally and fully incorporate the new entrance fee schedule by January 1, 2020.
The complete fee schedule will change according to the following:
| Crater Lake National Park | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Vehicle |
Per Person |
Per Motorcycle |
Park Specific Annual Pass |
|
| Current | $15 | $10 | $10 | $40 |
| May 13, 2018 | $25 | $12 | $20 | $50 |
| Janurary 1, 2020 | $30 | $15 | $25 | $55 |
National Park Service Announces Plan to Address Infrastructure Needs & Improve Visitor Experience
Modified fee structure addresses feedback from public on original fee proposal
WASHINGTON – As part of its ongoing efforts to address aging park infrastructure and improve the visitor experience, the National Park Service (NPS) announced today changes to the entrance fees charged at national parks. The changes, which come in response to public comments on a fee proposal released in October 2017, will modestly increase entrance fees to raise additional revenue to address the $11.6 billion in deferred maintenance across the system of 417 parks, historic and cultural sites, and monuments.
Most seven-day vehicle passes to enter national parks will be increased by $5 and will be implemented in many parks beginning June 1, 2018. Lava Beds National Monument will increase the price of a seven-day vehicle pass to the park from $20 to $25, on January 1, 2019. More than two-thirds of national parks will remain free to enter.
A complete list of park entrance fees may be found here.
All of the revenue from the fee increases will remain in the National Park Service with at least 80 percent of the money staying in the park where it is collected. 100% of fees collected at Lava Beds National Monument stay within the park. The funds will be used for projects and activities to improve the experience for visitors who continue to visit parks at unprecedented levels. Increased attendance at parks, 1.5 billion visits in the last five years, means aging park facilities incurring further wear and tear.
“An investment in our parks is an investment in America,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “Every dollar spent to rebuild our parks will help bolster the gateway communities that rely on park visitation for economic vitality. I want to thank the American people who made their voices heard through the public comment process on the original fee proposal. Your input has helped us develop a balanced plan that focuses on modest increases at the 117 fee-charging parks as opposed to larger increases proposed for 17 highly-visited national parks. The $11.6 billion maintenance backlog isn’t going to be solved overnight and will require a multi-tiered approach as we work to provide badly needed revenue to repair infrastructure. This is just one of the ways we are carrying out our commitment to ensure that national parks remain world class destinations that
provide an excellent value for families from all income levels.”
The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.
“Repairing infrastructure is also about access for all Americans,” Secretary Zinke said. “Not all
visitors to our parks have the ability to hike with a 30-pound pack and camp in the wilderness miles
away from utilities. In order for families with young kids, elderly grandparents, or persons with
disabilities to enjoy the parks, we need to rebuild basic infrastructure like roads, trails, lodges, restrooms and visitors centers.”
Fees to enter national parks predate the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916. For example, Mount Rainier National Park began charging an entrance fee in 1908. Factoring in inflation, the $5 entrance fee the park charged in 1914 would be the equivalent of a $123 entrance fee today—more than four times the price of the new seven-day $30 vehicle pass.
Entrance fees collected by the National Park Service totaled $199 million in Fiscal Year 2016. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.
In addition to implementing modest fee increases and enhancing public-private partnerships aimed at rebuilding national parks, Secretary Zinke is working closely with Congress on proposed bipartisan legislation to use revenue derived from energy produced on federal lands and waters to establish a special fund within the Treasury specifically for “National Park Restoration”. The bill follows the blueprint outlined in Secretary Zinke and President Trump's budget proposal, the Public Lands Infrastructure Fund.
The National Park Service has a standardized entrance fee structure, composed of four groups based on park size and type. Lava Beds National Monument is a group 2 park. Some parks not yet
aligned with the other parks in their category will raise their fees incrementally and fully incorporate the new entrance fee schedule by January 1, 2020.
The complete fee schedule will change according to the following:
| Fee Structure Adjustment - Lava Beds National Monument | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven-Day Vehicle Pass |
Person Pass |
Motorcycle Pass |
Park Specific Annual Pass |
|||||
| Current | New | Current | New | Current | New | Current | New | |
| Group 1 | $15 | $20 | $7 | $10 | $10 | $15 | $30 | $35 |
| Group 2* |
$20 | $25 | $10 | $15 | $15 | $20 | $40 | $45 |
| Group 3 | $25 | $30 | $12 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $50 | $55 |
| Group 4 | $30 | $35 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $30 | $60 | $70 |
| * Lava Beds National Monument | ||||||||
Press release provided from Crater Lake National Park and Lava Beds National Monument