NPS Senior Pass price increase

gophergrad

Heads up!  If you are eligible for one of these $10 Senior Passes, or will be soon, be sure you get it ASAP.  The bill increasing the price to $80 passed.  No word on when NPS will change the price, but it is on the way.  http://bit.ly/2jzhfcU

Nomad

What's with these people - Gradual increases over years should be the thing - If you went to the store and your Cherrios increased 800% overnight one would be outraged. What a bunch of dips.

jdargis

Because of extreme cuts from the Federal Government, the National Park Service has to try to self fund itself.  It is a one time fee, rather than an ongoing rising fees.  We used to have a onetime senior fee in WI state parks, but now we have a reduced rate, but is yearly.  What, I hate to see, is the cost increases on the normal National Park Fees, making it difficult for lower income families,
to visit "our National Parks".    

PXLated, think how your inexpensive camping would be effected, if they charge for BLM use.

If we want the Parks, we have to pick up the tab. 

Nomad

Well, they do charge for BLM "campgrounds", it's just boondocking where they don't
National Park campgrounds doubled their fees last year - Of course the popular places are still busy but there's some I visited this year where they were less than half full, way down from the year before. The head rangers blamed it on the fee increases. If you dbl the fees and cut your business in half you haven't gained a thing.
I don't care if they need to self fund, fine, but get a "marketing" clue.

jdargis

What happens when they charge you for boondocking on public lands?  Also, at what point, do we decide through "marketing" what parks we close and continue to deteriorate.  I am also surprised that there were rangers there to talk to, with the staff cuts.  Government is backing out of the picture, do we want the nice Park facilities, staff and roads?  The cuts have been going for years, with the promise of money being released to the Parks, didn't happen, now they are in dire straits.  If your business was funded by another source, with the promise of money to appear and doesn't, in the meantime your facilities are deteriorating, do you raise rates to attempt to try to keep things running, or do you close?  
Just saying, I love our National Parks!

Nomad

I'm not against fee increases but they should plan better - Shock-n-Awe fee increases is not a good strategy.

Verna

Please remember no politics are allowed.....please watch your comments. 

rfuss928

PXLated  Please read the link in the OP. 

What congress has approved is an increase.  How and when the NPS chooses to implement it has not been determined.

From the link:

While published reports have predicted the $80 senior pass will begin later this year, or sometime in 2018, Olson said the National Park Service has not set a date for raising the price.

“We have administrative work to do before it can go into effect,” Olson said. “In any case, it’s not going to be $10 one day and $80 the next.”

NPS officials have said they recognize that $80 can still be a significant amount to people on fixed incomes, and are planning on offering an alternative that will allow seniors to, effectively, make payments of $20 a year for four years.

That will be done by letting seniors buy single-year senior passes, good for entrance to all national parks and federal lands, for $20.

“Once they buy four in a row, they can turn them in for a lifetime pass,” Olson said.

FWIW   We purchased an annual pass every year for many years until we finally were eligible for the "forever" senior pass.  IMO - Every pass we purchased was a bargain on so many levels.  I rarely begrudge fees at state or federal parks - better there than any other bureaucratic agency!  

Nomad

Verna - This is not politics.
rfuss928 - In spite of the statement, it is $10 one day and $80 the next, it's just they will in effect offer a multiyear payment plan. And even at $20 it's a doubling.

Here's another example... Stopped at Lake Roosevelt (AZ) on my way down. Even though it's FS, they require a different pass (Tonto) and they doubled their fees last year and are going to raise them again either late this year or the beginning of next. While waiting to buy a couple of passes, listened to the gal explain the fees and when they would rise again. Out of the eight people there, only I and one other bought, everyone else passed because the fees were so much higher than when they were there the year before. When I got to the south campground, there was virtually nobody there. Out of the five subsections, I was the only one in mine, the host was the only one in theirs, the third had none, the fourth had one and the last had four. All because of sticker shock.
I'm not arguing that they shouldn't raise fees, just that they're being stupid about it. As one of the campground gals put it, beaurocratic boneheads. Incremental increases people expect. A doubling, tripling, quadrupling, nope. It won't affect the main attractions but will and has the others from my observation. 

ericnliz

National Parks are something that should be cherished, not used for price gouging. I would have to agree wholeheartedly with PXL on this one. I am first, a Veteran, second, disabled. Although not a disabled veteran per the restrictions set forth for obtaining a pass as such, the red tape I had to go through to obtain a disabled pass was, at best, frustrating. It seems the more restrictive your lifestyle, ie: low income, disabled, veteran, or senior citizen, the harder it seems to me it is to obtain some of the benefits allowed. Our forefathers would be quaking in their boots if they could see some of the things going on with our National Parks. They were set up to not only preserve, but to be enjoyed by all. Seems those that have the authority have lost perspective of the original intent for these lands that were set aside for future generations to enjoy. Setting a substantially higher price is not going to "fix" the problem, rather going to make it worse in many aspects. Just my opinion.

Michigan_Mike

I did get the senior pass when I was eligible and would have to say that even at $100 for a lifetime pass it is still a deal, given that camp fees are half price, etc.  I may be in the minority here but $10 for a lifetime pass is a drop in the bucket and had my lifetime renewal come up today I would gladly pay $100 for the pass as it is still a bargain if you travel and camp.  I'd hate to see people priced out of existence but agree, the parks do need to be funded, preserved and passed along to future generations.  

Nomad

Not arguing about "value" Mike.

ChanW

Thanks for the heads up! Just turned 'eligible'!

Note that you can get it online if you're willing to pay double ($20) here:  link to National Park Senior Pass

Still a great price. Though we should use this as an excuse for a winter trip to the nearest National Park...

gophergrad said:

Heads up!  If you are eligible for one of these $10 Senior Passes, or will be soon, be sure you get it ASAP.  The bill increasing the price to $80 passed.  No word on when NPS will change the price, but it is on the way.  http://bit.ly/2jzhfcU

Photomom

I submit that the size of the price increase should not affect anyone. 

If you already have your pass it doesn't affect you. If you're eligible now, you have some time to get your pass at $10. You aren't affected either.  

If you don't have a pass and aren't eligible, you decide whether the price is reasonable at the time you become eligible. What has gone before does not affect you. 

JohnDanielsCPA

I think the price increase is a non-issue.  At $80 for a lifetime pass, if people are going to go to the parks for more than a few outings for the remainder of their life, the discounts offered more than offset the cost of the pass.  So, ultimately, this is just a cash flow issue.  Set aside $5 a month for a year, add $20, and you just bought the pass.

HellFish

I appreciate Verna's friendly reminder to keep politics out of the discussion...not because politics had entered the discussion, but because it would be pretty easy to have it slip into the conversation.  Once that happens things generally go South pretty quick.  Her reminder is welcome, and applicable to any post on any forum topic I'd say.

gbhaney

For those who are interested in the cost of these passes, we got our $10 lifetime passes on July 1, 2017 at Morristown (NJ) National Historical Park. The ranger said it's possible the fee increase will take place in Sept. and that the word is that online orders of senior pass ($10 plus $10 processing fee) are taking up to 3 mos. right now.

broderius

I just picked up my free Access America the Beautiful pass. If you qualify for it. That is the way to go.