News Release

2018 Fee Increase

Date: April 17, 2018
Contact: Ken Woody, 406-638-2621

The National Park Service (NPS) announced today Little Bighorn Battlefield NM will modify its entrance fees to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs to enhance the visitor experience. Effective June 1^st, 2018 the entrance fees to the park will be $25 per vehicle and $20 per motorcycle. An annual park pass will cost $80.

Revenue from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service and helps ensure a quality experience for all who visit. At Little Bighorn Battlefield NM, at least 80 percent of entrance fees stay in the park and are devoted to spending that supports the visitor experience. We share the other 20 percent of the entry fee income with other national parks for their projects.

In response to public comments on a fee proposal released in October 2017, there will be a modest increase for all parks charging an entrance fee, rather than the increased-season fees initially proposed for the 17 highly-visited national parks.

Superintendent of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Wayne Challoner, said, “The National Park Service is committed to a quality experience for the visiting public” he went on to add “at Little Bighorn Battlefield recent projects from fees include, preservation and treatment of headstones, corrective foundation repair of the Reno-Benteen Battlefield obilisk and the completed deferred maintenance of the parks entrance road kiosk.”

National parks have experienced record breaking visitation, with more than 1.5 billion visitors in the last five years. Throughout the country, the combination of an aging infrastructure and increased visitation has put a strain on park roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services and led to a $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog nationwide.

Entrance fees collected by the National Park Service totaled $199.9 million in Fiscal Year 2016. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million. 

Little Bighorn Battlefield NM has charged an entrance fee since the mid 1980’s. The current rate of $20 per vehicle or $15 per motorcycle has been in effect since June 1^st, 2015. The park is one of 117 National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee, the other 300 national parks will remain free to enter.

The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80. 

The complete fee schedule will change according to the following:
 

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
	Per Vehicle	Per Person	Per Motorcycle	Park Specific Annual Pass
Current	$20	$10	$15	$80
June 1, 2018	$25	$15	$20	$80

- nps.gov -

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