News Release

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Changes Entrance Fee to Address Infrastructure Needs and Improve Visitor Experience

Date: April 16, 2018
Contact: Eileen Andes, 701 623 4466

MEDORA, ND: The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that Theodore Roosevelt National Park will modify its entrance fees to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs to enhance the visitor experience. Effective June 1, 2018 entrance fees to the park will be $30 per car or $25 per motorcycle. An annual park pass will cost $55. The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80. 

Entrance fee revenue remains in the National Park Service ensuring a quality experience for all who visit. In Theodore Roosevelt National Park, at least 80 per cent of entrance fees stay in the park and are devoted to spending that supports our visitors. We share the other 20 percent of entrance fee revenue with other national parks which do not collect fees. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site near Williston and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site near Stanton are among the parks that do not charge entrance fees, but may fund projects from the 20 percent fees that come from other fee collecting parks.  

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

“We are committed to providing a high quality visitor experience,” said Wendy Hart Ross, superintendent of the North Dakota National Parks. “Fee monies have enabled us to acquire a temporary visitor contact station in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, install roadside interpretive exhibits in all units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, improve audio visual accessibility for the park film at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, and provide an all-weather access road to Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. Without recreational fee funds, we would not be able to provide these and other improvements for our visitors.”

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

Entrance fees collected in fiscal year 2016 by the National Park Service totaled $199.9 million The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.
The additional entrance fee revenue at Theodore Roosevelt National Park will fund the rehabilitation of the historic Peaceful Valley Ranch, campground restroom upgrades, and new signs for the entire park. 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park has had an entrance fee since its establishment in 1947. The current rate of $25 per vehicle or $20 per motorcycle has been in effect since 2017. 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 following table shows the new fee schedule that will change beginning June 1.
 

	Per Vehicle	Per Person	Per Motorcycle	Park Specific Annual Pass
Current	$25	$12	$20	$50
June 1, 2018	$30	$15	$25	$55