National Parks

[Taylor]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/25/560118955/fees-to-enter-popular-national-parks-would-skyrocket-under-interior-department-p

It will cost $75 to enter the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and 15 other national parks under this new plan. It's currently $25-30 at most of the popular national parks. I understand that there is a $12 billion backlog for maintenance of the parks, but by making them that expensive, it will probably prevent people from visiting those parks. So I wonder if the revenue would balance out.

[gotbeer]

Yosemite needs to increase it's costs.  It's too crowded as is.  Plus it might keep @Homebrewer out.  

[Homebrewer]

I have my $10 golden age pass that gets me into every national park for free for the rest of my natural life.

[Blarg]

That's now $80 for lifetime access after age 62.

[Jason]

10 hours ago, calscuf said:

Awesome.

National Parks will be less crowded and no poor people!

Just smelly Europeans

[mtangelsfan]

Racist!

[Thomas]

9 hours ago, calscuf said:

So if you're from a group of people who are well known for being able to pack your cars full of people, it's still a good deal. 

Clowns?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 10/25/2017 at 6:45 PM, calscuf said:

Awesome.

National Parks will be less crowded and no poor people!

Maybe, but there will be plenty of old people. In August I bought my lifetime park pass for $10. I met the age requirement by seven months before it went up to $80 (which is still a bargain for lifetime access).

[Tank]

the last time i went to a national park was 1978. this is not going to affect me.

[Taylor]

On 10/27/2017 at 1:54 PM, Tank said:

the last time i went to a national park was 1978. this is not going to affect me.

That's too bad. National Parks are awesome. 

[Tank]

3 hours ago, Taylor said:

That's too bad. National Parks are awesome. 

no doubt, but i'm not a fan of camping. maybe that'll change when i retire but for now, meh.

[Tank]

and for the record, i think jacking fees up so much is ridiculous.

[red321]

Times had an article about crowds at some of the national parks (and other tourists areas). People circling lots for hours.

crazy. 

Talking about reservations to visit places like Zion. 

I blame Ken Burns

[Taylor]

2 hours ago, Tank said:

no doubt, but i'm not a fan of camping. maybe that'll change when i retire but for now, meh.

You can experience a National Park without camping. My wife and I have been to several, but only once did we actually camp in one. They can also make for really fun and interesting day trips.

[Lhalo]

The prices probably wouldn't be so high if that damn bear would quit stealing pic-a-nic baskets. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 10/25/2017 at 8:45 PM, Homebrewer said:

I have my $10 golden age pass that gets me into every national park for free for the rest of my natural life.

Same here, dude. Same here.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

3 hours ago, Tank said:

and for the record, i think jacking fees up so much is ridiculous.

An increase I can see. Tripling it? Not so much.

[red321]

If the money is used towards improving services and infrastructure, you have to look at it. $70 a car for some places is tough, but geez, Yosemite in the summer can be insane. The downside I see though is the national parks shouldn’t be like disneyland, you shouldn’t have to be rich to visit. 

Reservation system might be an idea. Maybe prioritize for US visitors. Damn Germans and French just screw things up anyways. 

They should also be pushing some of the lesser parks as well. 

[Lhalo]

1 hour ago, red321 said:

If the money is used towards improving services and infrastructure, you have to look at it. $70 a car for some places is tough, but geez, Yosemite in the summer can be insane. The downside I see though is the national parks shouldn’t be like disneyland, you shouldn’t have to be rich to visit. 

Reservation system might be an idea. Maybe prioritize for US visitors. Damn Germans and French just screw things up anyways. 

They should also be pushing some of the lesser parks as well. 

LMAO! Have you been to Disneyland in the past 10 years? If the crowd there is considered rich we are in deep shit. 

[red321]

Just now, LHalo said:

LMAO! Have you been to Disneyland in the past 10 years? If the crowd there is considered rich we are in deep shit. 

Have you paid for tickets to go and spent the day there? Family of four is probably spending close to a grand a day just inside the park. 

[Lhalo]

2 minutes ago, red321 said:

Have you paid for tickets to go and spent the day there? Family of four is probably spending close to a grand a day just inside the park. 

You can finance annual passes. I know this because I make monthly payments.

Many of the people there aren't "rich".

[Lhalo]

All bets are off after "Star Wars Land" opens though. They might get rid of annual passes all together from what I'm hearing. 

[red321]

21 minutes ago, LHalo said:

You can finance annual passes. I know this because I make monthly payments.

Many of the people there aren't "rich".

We do the same thing. It’s still $1500 or so for a family of four, and your local. 

Don’t take it so literally. The point being the national parks shouldn’t be like an amusement park...unless it’s Bryce and the disaster the surrounding town is. 

[Lhalo]

I've spent a lot of time in Bryce. The surrounding towns are... interesting 

[red321]

It’s horrible. Like a rundown Buena park.