Grand Canyon entrance fees increase June 1

Get ready to reach a little deeper into the wallet if you're planning a visit to Grand Canyon National Park starting June 1.

On that date, the park will increase its entrance fees and the cost of overnight backcountry permits and eliminate the frequent-hiker program. The moves are expected to generate $4 million in annual revenue, according to park officials.

Effective June 1:

- A seven-day pass for a car will cost $30, up from $25.

- A seven-day pass for a motorcycle will cost $25, up from $12.

- Individual passes — for those entering the park on Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, on a park shuttle bus, as part of a private rafting trip or by walking or riding a bicycle — will cost $15, up from $12.

- A Grand Canyon annual pass will cost $60, up from $50.

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The increases do not affect current holders of America the Beautiful, senior or military passes. The price of the America the Beautiful pass will remain $80 per year. It covers admission to land administered by the U.S. Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

"The entrance-fee revenue goes to various projects, such as rehabilitating buildings such as the visitor center, maintaining the shuttle-bus system, and 80 percent of the revenue stays at Grand Canyon National Park," said Emily Davis, a park ranger and spokesperson.

"An example of past use of entrance-fee dollars is the Bright Angel Trailhead renovations. That cost $4.7 million, and access there is much easier now. It also is acceptable for people with mobility issues. Some of the fees went to Mather Point as well, where there have been great improvements to the parking areas and access from the visitor center to the viewpoint."

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Backcountry users will pay a little more as well. For permits with start dates on or after Oct. 1, the charge of $10 per permit will remain the same, but each individual or stock animal camping in the backcountry will pay $8 per night, up from $5 per night.

There is no increase in camping fees at Mather Point, Desert View or North Rim campgrounds.

The frequent-hiker program ends June 1. Current members who have not achieved $25 in savings through the program will be given credit to make up the difference.

The increase in permit fees and elimination of the frequent-hiker program will not increase revenue. Rather, they will allow the park to cover the cost of managing the backcountry program without dipping into entrance-gate revenue.

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"We get about 37,000 people hiking in the Grand Canyon annually," said Steve Sullivan, the park's permits program manager. "And 100 percent of the fees go to cover the cost of the backcountry information center operation.

"The last time the fees changed was in 2000, and this is making up for losses. Basically, entrance-gate money has subsidized this for a while, so this will bring it back into balance again."

Davis said that during a 60-day public-comment period during, many people supported the increase.

The Park Service has estimated that as much as $11.5 billion is needed to repair and maintain roads, trails and buildings in parks nationwide.

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"We report roughly $21 million in annual revenue," said Marlon Avantyr, Grand Canyon's fee program manager. "It varies. A five to 10 percent change in visitation can translate into big differences in that number.

"We've been experiencing an increase in visitation the past several years, but the revenue hasn't matched that percentage. That has to do with annual passes, senior passes and all of those things that get people into the park for free."