The perfect calendar for your American visit
The National Park Service reduced the days of free access from ten to four, so make sure you plan ahead on your American roadtrip.
Visiting America's national parks will get a little more complicated next year. The National Park Service revealed in October that fees for visitors to its most popular parks will be doubled as of May 2018 in all 118 parks and monuments (of 417 total parks) that charge admission.
And now the service has shortened its days of free access from ten in 2017 to four in 2018 . In other words? Generosity has decreased since 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016, when there were a total of 16 days of free access to the parks.
While tourists are generally charged between $25-$30 for non-commercial vehicle admission, and $10-15 if traveling by bike or on foot , prices will skyrocket in parks like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Joshua Tree National Park , a $70 for private vehicles and $30 for bicycle or foot travelers.
The price increase is estimated to generate some Additional $70 million per year , which will help the National Park Service renovate roads, bridges and campgrounds that are currently underfunded in the wake of a recent federal budget reduction proposal. In addition, the 'America the Beautiful Pass' , which provides entry to all federal lands (including parks) for one year, will stay at $80 , which means that if you are going to visit one park, you better get an annual pass to visit them all.
If you really want to start off with a bang this year, mark your 2018 calendar for your next trip to one of America's national parks (when they're free):
January 15, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
April 21, the first day of National Park Week
September 22, National Public Lands Day
November 11, Veterans Day
If your children are between 9 and 10 years old (more or less, third grade), admission to all national parks is free for one year and applies to the whole family, thanks to 'Every Kid in a Park ' , all you have to do is register on the website . Active duty military and citizens with a permanent disability can also get free passes throughout the year.
***** Report originally published in Condé Nast Traveler USA
Joshua Tree