Grand Canyon National Park Fee Increase

Grand Canyon, AZ- The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that Grand Canyon National Park will modify its entrance fees beginning June 1, 2018 to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs that enhance the visitor experience.

Effective June 1, 2018 the park entrance fee will be $35 per vehicle or $30 per motorcycle, for a seven day pass. An annual park pass will cost $70.

The NPS last October proposed a plan to adopt seasonal pricing at Grand Canyon and 16 other national parks to raise additional revenue for infrastructure and maintenance needs. The fee structure announced today addresses many concerns and ideas provided by the public on how best to address fee revenue for parks.

Revenue from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service and helps ensure a quality experience for all who visit. Here in Grand Canyon National Park, 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.

"Grand Canyon National Park welcomed over 6 million visitors last year and we are committed to ensuring that all visitors have a memorable experience. Infrastructure improvements- similar to renovations at Mather Point and the Grand Canyon Visitor Center several years ago- will contribute to one-of-a-kind visits," said Grand Canyon Superintendent Chris Lehnertz.

The additional revenue from entrance fees at Grand Canyon will be applied towards funding the replacement of the Transcanyon Waterline and associated water and wastewater utility systems. Other deferred maintenance projects include trails, road and historic building maintenance.

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 aging infrastructure and increased visitation affects park roads, bridges, buildings, campgrounds, water systems, bathrooms, and other facilities. Maintenance deferred

on these facilities amounts to $11.6 billion nationwide backlog.

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.

Grand Canyon National Park has had an entrance fee since 1926. The current rate of $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle has been in effect since 2015. The park is one of 117 in the National Park System that charges an entrance fee. The remaining 300 sites are 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. Grand Canyon National Park is in group 4.

The complete fee schedule will change according to the following:

Grand Canyon National Park

Seven Day Per

Vehicle

Seven Day Per

Motorcycle

Seven Day Per

Person

Park Specific Annual Pass

Current

$30

$25

$15

$60

June 1, 2018

$35

$30

$20

$70

Jan 1, 2019

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Jan 1, 2020

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

What the market will bear.