Last year, the National Park Service (NPS) announced a plan to introduce a five-month peak season entrance fee for 17 of the most visited national parks. But it turns out the change to the entrance fee won’t be as drastic after all.
Under the original proposal, it would cost $70 to enter Yellowstone National Park during the peak season. The NPS said they needed that huge increase because of the park’s aging infrastructure and rising maintenance costs.
But Morgan Warthin, Yellowstone’s public affair specialist, said the overwhelmingly negative response from the public stopped the plan from moving forward. She said the new plan will still help with the park’s infrastructure.
“Visitors will benefit. For instance, when park roads, trails and boardwalks are maintained,” Warthin said.
The latest plan is that the park entrance fee will be $35 per vehicle and $30 per motorcycle. That's only a $5 increase. And the annual park pass will increase by $10. Currently, there are no changes for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks’ combined seven-day entrance pass. The changes will start on June 1.
