SOUTH COUNTY — Pinnacles National Park proposes to increase entrance fees in 2018 in order to fund services and maintenance that will directly benefit park visitors.
The proposed entrance fee increase for Pinnacles is derived from a standard pricing model developed for all parks.
A seven-day entrance pass for single vehicles would increase from $15 to a proposed fee of $25, while the seven-day motorcycle pass would be $20, up from $15. A seven-day individual pass would go from $10 to now $12, and the Pinnacles Annual Pass would double in price, from $25 to a proposed $50 fee.
Entrance fees are not charged to anyone under 16 years of age or holders of the America the Beautiful, National Parks and Federal Recreational Annual, Senior, Access, Military or Volunteer passes. These passes may be obtained at the park.
Additional revenue generated by this fee increase would be used to enhance visitor services by funding projects such as the rehabilitation of the Bear Valley School, the construction of vault toilets to replace portable facilities and the building of a new entrance station on the east side of the park.
A 30-day public comment period opened Aug. 29 and will close Thursday, Sept. 28.
Interested parties are encouraged to make comments electronically via the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/pinn. Click on: 2018 Proposed Fee Increase.
To submit written comments by letter, send them by U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery service, or hand-deliver comments to Superintendent, Pinnacles National Park, Attn: Proposed Fee Increase, 5000 Highway 146, Paicines, CA 95043. Comments submitted by e-mail and anonymous comments will not be accepted.
