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MIDDLESBORO, Kentucky — The National Park Service is seeking public comment on proposed changes to recreation fees for guided tours, picnic shelter rentals, and front country camping at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Fees for guided tours and shelter rentals have not changed in at least 15 years. Camping fees were increased in 2022 but remain well below area rates.
Entrance into the park will continue to be free. Proposed fee changes are for recreational fees only. Recreational fees collected at Cumberland Gap are reinvested directly back into the park. They provide a vital source of revenue for needed maintenance of picnic shelters, tour vehicles and equipment, and campground facilities; future projects to improve campground amenities; and increasing costs associated with program operations.
The park offers two fee-based guided tours. Guided tours of Gap Cave are typically offered from late April through August each year. Guided tours of Hensley Settlement, a remote and historic Appalachian settlement atop Brush Mountain, are typically offered from mid-May through October each year. Both tours are popular among visitors and in local communities. In 2023, the park completed a comparability study that included research on guided tours of other caves, historical sites, and similar locations. The study found that current park tour fees are far less than fees charged by others for similar services. The park proposes to increase the fees for both guided tours.
Six picnic shelters in the park are available for rent. These shelters are often used by visitors for family reunions, graduation parties, and other special occasions. The 2023 comparability study included research on area rates for rental of similar facilities and showed current rental fees are substantially lower than rental fees charged by others in the area for comparable services. The park proposes to increase picnic shelter rental fees to a range of rates based on the specific features of each shelter. The park also proposes to include an option of renting a picnic shelter for a half-day, at a reduced cost, in addition to the full-day option currently available.
Prior to 2022, fees at Wilderness Road Campground had not increased since 2013. The 2023 comparability study included research on local campground rates and services provided outside the park. This study found that even after the 2022 increase, the park’s camping fees are lower than area rates for similar services. The park proposes to increase these fees.
Additionally, the park proposes to move reservations for picnic shelter rentals and fee-based guided tours onto Recreation.gov. Reservations for front country camping at Wilderness Road Campground have been available on Recreation.gov since 2022. Recreation.gov is the government's trip planning and reservation service for 14 federal agencies, including the National Park Service.
The park proposes to implement fee increases incrementally over the next 3 years as outlined in the table below:
| Guided Tours | Current (2024) | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
| Gap Cave Tour – Adult | $ 8.00 | $ 12.00 | $ 18.00 | $ 24.00 |
| Gap Cave Tour – Child (5-12) | $ 4.00 | $ 6.00 | $ 9.00 | $ 12.00 |
| Gap Cave Tour – Interagency Senior/Access Pass | $ 4.00 | $ 6.00 | $ 9.00 | $ 12.00 |
| Hensley Tour – Adult | $ 10.00 | $ 20.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 40.00 |
| Hensley Tour – Child | $ 5.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 15.00 | $ 20.00 |
| Hensley Tour – Interagency Senior/Access Pass | $ 5.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 15.00 | $ 20.00 |
| Picnic Shelter Rentals | Current (2024) | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
| Old Bartlett Park – half day | N/A | $ 25.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 35.00 |
| Old Bartlett Park – all day | $ 30.00 | $ 50.00 | $ 60.00 | $ 70.00 |
| Sugar Run – half day | N/A | $ 24.00 | $ 33.00 | $ 42.00 |
| Sugar Run – all day | $ 30.00 | $ 48.00 | $ 66.00 | $ 84.00 |
| Lewis Hollow – half day | N/A | $ 24.00 | $ 33.00 | $ 42.00 |
| Lewis Hollow – all day | $ 30.00 | $ 48.00 | $ 66.00 | $ 84.00 |
| Campground O4 – half day | N/A | $ 24.00 | $ 33.00 | $ 42.00 |
| Campground O4 – all day | $ 30.00 | $ 48.00 | $ 66.00 | $ 84.00 |
| New Bartlett Park – half day | N/A | $ 30.00 | $ 40.00 | $ 50.00 |
| New Bartlett Park – all day | $ 30.00 | $ 60.00 | $ 80.00 | $ 100.00 |
| Civic Park – half day | N/A | $ 30.00 | $ 45.00 | $ 60.00 |
| Civic Park – all day | $ 30.00 | $ 60.00 | $ 90.00 | $ 120.00 |
| Wilderness Road Campground | Current (2024) | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
| Non-electric Campsite | $ 18.00 | $ 24.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 30.00 |
| Non-electric Campsite – Interagency Senior/Access Pass | $ 9.00 | $ 12.00 | $ 15.00 | $ 15.00 |
| Electric Campsite | $ 24.00 | $ 30.00 | $ 36.00 | $ 46.00 |
| Electric Campsite – Interagency Senior/Access Pass | $ 12.00 | $ 15.00 | $ 18.00 | $ 23.00 |
| Group Campsite | $ 39.00 | $ 48.00 | $ 58.00 | $ 68.00 |
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act requires that recreational fees are appropriate to the benefits and services provided. Fees charged by the National Park Service must be comparable to fees charged by others in the local area for similar benefits and services. Current park fees do not meet these requirements.
Public engagement is an important part of the park’s planning process. Park leadership is accepting public comments on the proposed fee increases for a period of 30 days, beginning August 5 and closing on September 4, 2024. Following public engagement and National Park Service approval, new fees up to the amounts outlined above could be implemented as soon as October 2024.
Comments may be submitted by email to cuga_interpretation@nps.gov or by mail to:
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
91 Bartlett Park Road
Middlesboro, KY 40965
Re: Fee Increase Comment
Last updated: August 5, 2024