Fee Increases

Date: May 20, 2015
Contact: David Elkowitz, 432-477-1108

Big Bend National Park, TX. –Starting on June 1, 2015, Big Bend National Park will increase entrance fees for visitors in order to fund important maintenance and improvement projects within the park.

Big Bend National Park	Current Fee	New Fee
Entrance Fee:
Annual Pass	$40	$50 (effective January 2016 )
Per Vehicle	$20	$25
Per Person	$10	$12
Per Motorcycle	$10	$20
Backcountry Fee:
Backcountry Fee (14 nights)	$10	$12

"This modest increase in fees will allow us to continue to protect, preserve, and share the special places here at Big Bend National Park with current visitors and future generations," said Big Bend National Park Superintendent Cindy Ott-Jones. " After carefully considering the impact of a fee increase on visitors and community members, we came to the conclusion that this is the right course of action to improve facilities and services important to visitors."

Entrance fees have supported a wide range of projects that improve the park and visitor experiences, including rehabilitating trails and trailhead signs, developing and installing exhibits in visitor centers, improving park water systems, providing ranger-led programs, and improving ADA accessibility. Additional revenue from this fee increase will support improvements such as park roads and facilities as Big Bend National park approaches the National Park Service Centennial in 2016 and beyond.

In the fall of 2014, the National Park Service conducted a nationwide review of entrance fees. To solicit public input, Big Bend National Park launched a civic engagement campaign in December, 2014. During the public comment period, the park received fifteen formal comments. Fourteen of the comments supported an increase;one comment opposed any fee increases throughout the National Park Service. 

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