Yosemite entrance fee may rise by 50%
By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News
Yosemite National Park is known for its waterfalls, huge granite walls and stunning peaks.
The views may be priceless, but the cost of getting in could be going up.
On Monday, Yosemite officials announced plans to raise the park entrance fee from $20 to $30 per car, saying they need the money to pay for restoration and maintenance projects in the park. The 50 percent increase, which would take effect Jan. 1, is part of a new Obama administration proposal to raise fees at 130 of America’s 401 national parks.
Yosemite would join Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier and six other high-profile parks as the most expensive in the United States. The last time Yosemite’s entrance fee was raised was in 1997, when it jumped from $5 per car to $20. Adjusted for inflation, that $20 today is equal to $29.64, Yosemite officials note, adding that each entrance fee is good for seven days.