2018- Fee-free days diminishing at National Parks/Monuments

[hikeaz]

After waiving fees for 16 days in 2016 and 10 days in 2017, the National Park Service announced it will have just four no-cost days in 2018. They will be Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15), the first day of National Park Week (April 21), National Public Lands Day (Sept. 22) and Veterans Day (Nov. 11).

Coconino, however seems to have added a few in '18; including most holidays ....https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino ... eprd528421

[chumley]

Annual Fee-Free Days:
2 (2003-2008)
17 (2009-2012) *Thanks Obama! (enacted to provide low-cost vacation opportunities to families during the economic downturn)
11 (2013)
9 (2014-2015)
16 (2016) * Increased for NPS Centennial celebration
10 (2017)
4 (2018)

I did not immediately find data on fee-free days prior to 2003.

Interestingly, a larger number of fee-free days did not increase visitation, but did result in a loss of revenue of as much as $1 million per day.

Despite the government's goodwill gesture, the program has yielded no noticeable uptick in visitors, according to 2009 Park Service data. Less than a quarter of parks surveyed reported higher visitor rates and two-thirds of concession and lodging operators asked reported no attributable change in sales on a fee-waiver weekend that summer.

The free weekends cost the agency about $750,000 to $1 million in lost revenue each day, officials said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 05243.html

So the larger number of fee-free days are from an Obama-era program (less than 10 years old) enacted during the great recession. The program cost the NPS millions of dollars and results show that it didn't help the people it intended to help. As far as government programs go, this one seems like a perfect candidate for elimination!

[Jim]

Perhaps the reason it didn't bring in additional visitors in the struggling bracket is the same so called mythical rational some have proposed, which was that the cost of the entry fee for a week was a nominal part of a trip to a park? The cost to get to the park, stay and eat for that week cost enough to keep people who can't afford to enter, away?

[hikeaz]

I contacted TNF and received a reply...
"There should be a news release coming out about the dates in the next couple of days which you can find on the Tonto National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.
The dates will be January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; February 19 - President's Day; June 9 - National Get Outdoors Day; September 22 - National Public Lands Day; and November 11 - Veterans Day. The Tonto National Forest will also offer a fee-free day on Friday, November 23 - Opt Outside Day."

Interesting....it seems each NF (even within the same state/region) has some autonomy to choose 'their' fee-free dates; and the National Forests from National Parks/Monuments.

[chumley]

I wish every day on the Tonto was Tonto-Pass free!

[hikeaz]

Fee free this W/E in CNF is for 13th through the 15th inclusive.

[Photosmith]

I wish every day on the Tonto was Tonto-Pass free!

I'm a little confused here; the few times I've been in the TNF area I've seen signs saying they honor the inter-agency passes like the annual "America The Beautiful" national parks pass. That is the pass I've always hung from my mirror when in the Salt Lake part of the TNF. The national parks pass gets you in any national park in the country for no additional charge and it's only $80. Meanwhile it appears a Tonto pass is $80 and only gets you in Tonto National Forest. Can anyone more familiar with the topic tell me why anyone would buy the Tonto annual pass instead of the America The Beautiful national parks pass?

[Dschur]

@Photosmith
From Tonto National forest website.. " In addition, you may purchase your national interagency passes at Tonto National Forest offices, but they will only be valid in Picnic sites. They will not cover Boat Launches, Campgrounds, or Shoreline sites. " And if you click on some of the hiking trails only Tonto Passes are accepted..