With just under five million people from both the United States and other parts of the world visiting the Grand Canyon per year, there are a lot of different ways one can experience the national park.
Some fly over the area on a helicopter tour from Las Vegas while others camp in the canyon or hike the much more dififcult-to-get-to North Rim. Still, others take a rafting tour along the Colorado River — while short tours are more popular, the truly adventurous embark on a 225-mile floating journey with night stops at different points over nearly three weeks. Such an itinerary typically begins at Lees Ferry on the Arizona-Utah border to Diamond Creek near Lake Mead at the park’s western end.
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Steep increase justified because prices have not changed since 1998, NPS says
To embark on such a journey without an organized tour, adventurers must pay $25 to apply for a limited number of slots assigned by lottery. That’s in addition to $90 for the permit if they’re awarded one.
At the end of last month, however, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it is considering raising the permit price to $310. It may also begin charging $55 for permits to sail the shorter Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry route (it is currently free).
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“The National Park Service last adjusted these fees in November 1998,” the government agency in charge of public lands wrote in a statement. “The funds from this proposed increase will help cover expenses related to protecting the Colorado River corridor, mitigating impacts, and monitoring resources affected by recreational use.”
A group of tourists watch the view from the Desert View Watchtower on the East Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Don’t want to pay more to raft on the Colorado River? Now is your chance to weigh in
Similar price hikes have been proposed and implemented at parks such as Yellowstone, Zion, Glacier and Joshua Tree — in all cases, the justification was that the costs of managing the park were rising while higher visitor numbers are straining resources to do so. Some of the most resource-intensive needs are the search-and-rescue efforts required to locate visitors in emergency situations.
In Grand Canyon’s case, the proposed fee hike would apply solely to non-commercial boat tours as those running tourist or other types of boat tours need to apply for a commercial license that is incorporated into the price of one’s ticket.
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For those who have strong feelings about the fee increase, the NPS is holding a period of public consultation during which one can write in with whether the license fee should or shouldn’t be increased. Feedback can be submitted through an online form up until January 30.
If passed (and, as past experience with other national parks shows, it almost always is regardless of what the public says), it would come into effect on March 1, 2025.
While there has already been significant visitor outcry over such a steep increase, the local Grand Canyon Private Boaters’ Association released a statement expressing its support.
“Obviously, we’re not happy about $220 per person increase but realize the necessity of funding the Park’s operation to support the private boating community,” President John Vrymoed said.
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