National parks around the country continue to release proposals to increase fees in an effort to help fund their operations. Among the latest proposals is one for a $20 day pass at Rocky Mountain National Park.

“A sizable portion of Rocky Mountain National Park’s visitation is one day in length,” said Superintendent Vaughn Baker in a release. “Currently, all visitors who do not opt for an annual pass purchase a single-entry pass that is valid for seven days. As an alternative to the seven-day pass, we are proposing to add a single day pass to the park’s option of fees.”

Currently, it costs $20 to enter Rocky Mountain National Park and stay for seven days. Under the proposal now up for public comment, the park would charge $20 for a single-day pass, while the weekly pass would bump up to $30, a 50 percent increase.

Other fee proposals released this week include one from Joshua Tree National Park, where officials are proposing to increase the current $15 week-long pass to $25, and one from Yosemite National Park, which is seeking a 50 percent increase in the week-long park pass, from $20 to $30. Joshua Tree also is proposing a $5 per night increase in nightly front-country camping fees, and an $8 fee for backcountry camping, which so far has been free. Yosemite officials are considering increases in front-country camping fees, which currently range between $5 per night to $20 per night for family sites and $40 per night for group sites.  The park is proposing to raise camping fees with fees ranging from $6 per night to $24 per night for family sites and $48 per night for group sites.

Some parks, such as Rocky Mountain, are being creative in seeking new revenues. Officials at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have proposed a $5 feet for visitors who want to explore the "ice caves" that form on the Lake Superior shores in bitterly cold winters, and Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk has indicated some interest in shortening the seven-day pass to, perhaps, a three-day pass since the average visitor spends 2.8 days in his park.

The creativity is needed in a National Park System that is underfunded, according to park officials across the country.

“The idea of increasing fees on our public lands is always troubling, especially at times when we are trying to make our parks accessible to all Americans,” said Joshua Tree Superintendent David Smith. “But the fact of the matter is, we now depend on those fees to provide the basic services that people expect. Our annual appropriation is insufficient to serve the 1.5 million visitors who will enter the park this year while also protecting their parklands.”

At Rocky Mountain, where a 50 percent boost in the week-long pass to $30 is also being proposed, officials say they need the extra dollars to provide for various enhancements to visitor services and facilities.  

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) is the legislation under which parks currently collect entrance and amenity fees. This law allows parks to retain 80 percent of the fees collected for use on projects that directly benefit visitors. The remaining 20 percent is distributed throughout the National Park System.

Since the beginning of FLREA and its predecessor program Fee Demo, more than $66 million has been spent in Rocky Mountain on repairs, renovations, improvements and resource restoration, according to park officials.

Along with the proposed increase in entrance fees, Rocky Mountain staff is proposing that campground fees increase from $20 a night to $26 a night in 2016.

“We are committed to keeping Rocky Mountain National Park affordable and we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience,” said Superintendent Baker. “We feel that our proposed fee changes are still an incredible value when considering other family and recreational experiences one can enjoy. Plus, 80 percent of those funds stay right here in Rocky to benefit visitors. As we celebrate Rocky’s Centennial, these funds are critical as we move forward into the next one hundred years.”