News Release

Fee Increase Proposed At Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Date: October 18, 2017
Contact: Raukisha Talley, 678-538-1284

Sandy Springs, GA - Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) is seeking comments on a proposal that would raise the price of the CRNRA Annual Pass from $35 to $40 and the CRNRA Daily Pass from $3 to $5.

A CRNRA Daily Pass is not required for persons under 16 years of age or holders of an America the Beautiful Pass - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series which includes the following passes: Annual Pass, U.S. Military Annual Pass, 4th Grade Annual Pass, Senior Pass, Access Pass, or Volunteer Pass. These passes may be obtained at the park visitor center.

“We are committed to keeping the park affordable but we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience,” said Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Superintendent Bill Cox. “The revenue from recreation fees is used to improve facilities, infrastructure, visitor services, and interpretative programs.”

Some of the parks most recent accomplishments with recreation fee revenue include wayside signage on the trails, interpretive exhibits in the visitor center, and a renovated restroom facility on the west side of the river near Sandy Point in the Palisades unit. Additional revenue raised by a fee increase would help with trail maintenance along the 83 miles of trails in the park and a new boat launch on Powers Island in the Cochran Shoals unit.

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is a strong economic engine for the surrounding area. Over the last 5 years, the park has averaged nearly 3 million visitors annually who contribute to the local economy. In 2016, visitor spending contributed over $128 million to the local economy and supported over 2,000 tourism related jobs.

The park welcomes your comments. Please submit comments to Chat­­[e-mail] now through November 8, 2017.

Following the civic engagement, feedback will determine how, or if, a fee increase will be implemented. For more information on how Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area spends your fee dollars, please visit the Your Dollars at Work page on the park web site.

www.nps.gov