Cavechat.org

The National Park Service is proposing to increase the cost of park entry at 131 National Parks by 67%. They want to raise the cost of a carload entry from $15 to $25 at parks like Mount Rainier, according to USA TODAY (how many climbers plus gear can you stuff into one vehicle?!?). The fee for a one-park annual pass will go from $30 to $50 and the charge for a single person to visit a National Park to cave, hike, climb or sightsee will more than double from $5 to $12. Note that this still is in the proposal stage so there is time for comment to the NPS, your local park superintendent, or the regional office for your area.

To be fair, I have family that works in the system and costs to maintain the parks are rising. Particularly because some people who come have no interest in conservation and feel like their fee entitles them to do whatever the hell they want. Examples include people who will toss trash on the trail while standing within sight of a trash can because they can't be bothered and their money should pay for someone to clean up the trash. My cousin who lives and works in a shack without power faces customers daily who want to use her power outlet to charge their cell phones or tablets. And these same customers get upset that she must be lying when she tells them she lives in a shack without power in the woods.

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My cousin who lives and works in a shack without power faces customers daily who want to use her power outlet to charge their cell phones or tablets. And these same customers get upset that she must be lying when she tells them she lives in a shack without power in the woods.
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Seems reasonable to me that she could just go to Home Depot , buy a 110 v receptacle, mount it on the wall outside, and tell those folks " sure, just plug it into the wall socket outside "

Tell 'em what they wanna hear.

Mwuahaha! Add a lamp with a battery inside it so she can "prove" the outlet works by plugging in the lamp and having it light up.

Honestly, I don't have a problem with this. The value I derive from our National Parks, for caving and non-caving activities, is far greater than the fee I pay. The entrance fee is a relatively small portion of the cost of a trip to a park. Cost for a tent site in tent city is greater than the entrance fee. Cost of gas to get to the park is at least comparable, if not greater than the cost of the entrance fee. I'd much rather help fund the park system to ensure it remains available to us.

$25 for a carload to enter a premier National Park ???

Try to take your family to a movie for $25. Good luck !!! Checked the price to go in Disney World lately ??? Probably $400 to $600 for a carload.

National Parks are a great treasure and certainly a bargain, even if the prices go up.

Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F