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The National Park Service proposes a fee increase for Pinnacles National Monument. Beginning January 1, 2008 entrance fees will increase from $5.00 to $10.00 per vehicle and from $3.00 to $5.00 per individual entering on bicycle, by foot, motorcycle or other individual means. Both are valid for a period of 7 days. Pinnacles Annual Pass will change from $15.00 to $20.00. The monument is one of the National Park Service (NPS) areas selected to participate in a program which returns fees collected directly to the park in which they are collected. “Eighty percent of the user fees collected are being returned to the parks where they are collected and they provide direct benefits to our visitors” said Superintendent Eric Brunnemann. “The proposed user fee increase will provide needed revenue which will be applied to our highest priority visitor needs” added Brunnemann. In recent years at Pinnacles, user fee dollars have replace picnic tables, improve trail accessibility, upgrade restrooms, and provide educational displays. Sixty percent of the user fees, returned to the park, are required to go directly into deferred maintenance projects or to remove accessibility barriers and all must have a direct visitor connection. Some of the projects are: installing lower counter tops in the Bear Gulch Visitor Center; installing grab bars and lever type door hardware; harden sections of the Bench Trail tread to meet ADA standards for wheel chair accessibility; replace the deteriorated drinking fountains and surrounding walkways; repair 1930’s CCC constructed roof on the Bear Gulch Visitor Center, a severely deteriorated culvert, and the historic walls along the lower section of the High Peaks Trail; replace damaged picnic tables & fire rings & rehabilitate camp sites in newly acquired campground; and rehabilitate, and bring into compliance, the waste disposal system for the Bear Gulch area; construction and maintenance of trails; reintroduce California condors to the park; maintain and improve the park’s transportation system. ### |
Last updated: February 28, 2015