Yosemite entrance fee increase

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
markskor
Founding Member - RIP
Posts: 2442
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:41 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Crowley Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by markskor »

Taken from Yosemitenews/info...
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,77461" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hi everyone,

Yosemite officials today announced plans to raise the park entrance fee to $30 per car from the current $20 per car. That fee, which the park says would help it keep pace with inflation, also would give Yosemite the highest entrance fee of any of America's 401 national parks. Yosemite officials also announced plans today to increase camping fees.

I'm writing a story about this for the San Jose Mercury News and would be interested in hearing the thoughts of folks who post on this board.

Please email or call me today if you have thoughts at progers@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5045.

Thanks very much,

Paul Rogers
San Jose Mercury News
Environment & Natural Resources Writer
Mountainman who swims with trout
User avatar
markskor
Founding Member - RIP
Posts: 2442
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:41 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Crowley Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by markskor »

Update:

The fee increase is part of a national plan. The Obama administration is proposing raising entrance fees at Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and other marquee parks to $30, and raising fees at about 130 other units.

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_2 ... e=infinite" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mountainman who swims with trout
User avatar
seanr
Topix Regular
Posts: 285
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:46 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by seanr »

Here is the Mercury News article: http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_2 ... 50-percent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SEKI could also see a $30 entrance fee. Several parks in CA could have fee increases.

The annual passes that give unlimited access to all the national parks look even better to me now as they are still expected to cost $80.
Last edited by seanr on Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
gary c.
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1479
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:56 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Lancaster, CA

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by gary c. »

I'm one of those that believe our national parks and forests belong to everyone and that access should be free to the public. At the same time I understand that heavily used parks also have exceptionally high maintenance costs. Why shouldn't the people that actually use them pay something extra to visit? I know that everything does not run perfect in Yosemite but every time I go there I am impressed with the care, organization, and services that the park service provides considering the amount of people that visit there. Lets face it, there are a lot of people with out any care, consideration or respect abusing our national parks. If it takes an extra $10 for the parks dept. to continue to protect and provide I'll pay without complaint. If it's just another way for the politicians to squeeze more money out of me to use somewhere else that is something different.
"On this proud and beautiful mountain we have lived hours of fraternal, warm and exalting nobility. Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. It is hard to return to servitude."
-- Lionel Terray
User avatar
sparky
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1029
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:01 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by sparky »

I'll continue to do how I do ...when money is tight I just go through the secret free entrance. When money's plenty, I will grudgingly hand over 30$. That is quite an increase. Assholes!
User avatar
kpeter
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1449
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by kpeter »

I learned in an earlier topic that this board has a very politically diverse community, and nearly anything someone says about taxes will inspire heat.

So I will say only this: we must take care not to degrade the parks through neglect and overuse.

I want the park service to maintain trails, repair damage from human overuse, hire rangers to patrol the backcountry, prevent traffic jams on access roads, and much more. I have my preferences on how the funds to do these things should be obtained, and entrance fees are not my preferred method. But some method to fund the Parks is necessary.
theodore-roosevelt-yosemite.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
austex
Topix Expert
Posts: 552
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 11:51 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Austin, Texas

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by austex »

kpeter wrote:I learned in an earlier topic that this board has a very politically diverse community, and nearly anything someone says about taxes will inspire heat.

So I will say only this: we must take care not to degrade the parks through neglect and overuse.

I want the park service to maintain trails, repair damage from human overuse, hire rangers to patrol the backcountry, prevent traffic jams on access roads, and much more. I have my preferences on how the funds to do these things should be obtained, and entrance fees are not my preferred method. But some method to fund the Parks is necessary.
theodore-roosevelt-yosemite.jpg
Teddy had it right.
It should not be SOLELY reliant upon entrance fees; but upon the government which owns the land . Then upon users... 1> sum! :nod:= what I feel is justice. :nod: You the tax payers make up the difference. small potatoes compared to the "world's problems" in foreign lands. :snipe:
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by AlmostThere »

I get a pass once a year - it's more than worthwhile at the current fee, and even if it goes up a little I'm perfectly happy to get it.

They now need to ramp up the cost to idiots - fines need to go up significantly to be more effective. Fund more backcountry rangers to keep the knotheads from burning half the park down or defacing the wilderness with the axe they lugged to 10,000 feet.
User avatar
dave54
Founding Member
Posts: 1327
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:24 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: where the Sierras, Cascades, and Great Basin meet.

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by dave54 »

One of the advantages to getting older is the lifetime geezer pass.

I wonder how much of the increase is due to free admittance of the lifetime passes.
=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~
Log off and get outdoors!
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
Cross Country
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1328
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 11:16 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by Cross Country »

I have a ¨geezer¨pass that I haven´t used in a while. I plan on using it with my wife in summer 2015.
I seem to remember that I still had to pay a fee (reduced) to enter the park. Am I remembering correctly?
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot], Harlen, Rutrho and 138 guests