Park Service Wins Legal Battle Over Cashless Payment Policy

Above, Yosemite entrance gate in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Being a holder of the National Park Senior Pass, this doesn't affect me. But others are bothered by the National Park Service's cashless policy for paying entrance fees at national park entrance gates. 

A federal judge tossed a lawsuit by three people over this policy.

According to RV Travel:

It was a case that really stirred up RVtravel.com readers. Three people filed suit against the National Park Service for its “cashless payment” policy rolled out at some Park Service sites. Now a judge has tossed their cashless payment suit out—but left the plaintiffs a little bit of wiggle room.

Cashless payment suit claimed violation of “legal tender” law

Last March, Esther van der Werf of Ojai, California, Toby Stover of High Falls, New York, and Elizabeth Dasburg of Darien, Georgia, filed suit in U.S. District Court. The suit asked the court for a declaratory judgment. It claimed the Park Service violates U.S. law that “legal tender”—U.S. currency—is suitable “for all public charges.” If their suit was successful, it would have forced the Park Service to accept cash for any fees charged to visitors.

To read more, go here. 

Save Money On Your Next National Park Trip

Above, a view of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In these days of high inflation, saving money is number one for travelers. That includes visiting our national park.

Fortunately, traveling to and visiting a national park needn't break the bank and Mental Floss has seven tips to save one's hard-earned cash.

They begin with:

National parks are a fantastic way to explore the great outdoors, whether you’re into leaf-peeping or stargazing. Although most are free to enter, some destinations charge fees, which can cost up to $35 per vehicle or $20 per person. Here are some ways to save money if you plan on visiting a National Park Service (NPS) property with an entrance fee this year.

To read more, go here. 

Senior-Aged People Need To Visit These National Parks

Above, Yosemite National Park's Tenaya Creek. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My great uncle used to say, "Growing old isn't so bad when you consider the alternative."

Indeed, now that I have reached 70, I can appreciate that folks in my age group need to keep active. One way to do so is visiting national parks.

There are some national parks more senior-friendly than others. Sports Illustrated has posted a list of national parks that seniors need to visit.

They begin with:

Visiting and exploring national parks is something that everyone, regardless of age, should be able to enjoy. Alas, there are some people who believe that the older they get, the tougher it will be to get out there.

While there may be some intimidation conquering some regions of the United States at an advanced age, there is still plenty for seniors to take in. Some parks even have trails designed specifically to ease the difficulty of the trip.

Jacqueline Kehoe, a Yahoo Creator, put together a list of the best national parks in the country for seniors to visit. 

Before starting your journey, it is highly recommended they take advantage of the American the Beautiful Senior Pass, which provides access to the parks for life at a one-time fee. Also, grab a national parks passport to document all of your adventures.

To see what national parks that are senior-friendly, go here. 

National Park Service Sued Over Cashless Policies

Above, the South Entrance gate to Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What part of the U.S. dollar's being "legal tender" does the National Park Service not understand? 

Apparently, several parks (maybe all of them) under the National Park Service are refusing cash from visitors and are only accepting credit or debit cards. This has led to three lawsuits (at this time).

National Parks Traveler reported:

The National Park Service's increasing move to only accept credit cards for entrance to parks has driven three visitors to sue the agency, saying its policy is unreasonable and an abuse of discretion and that federal law states that legal tender is suitable "for all public charges."

Esther van der Werf of Ojai, California, Toby Stover, of High Falls, New York, and Elizabeth Dasburg, of Darien, Georgia, brought the lawsuit [attached below] earlier this month after being told their U.S. currency would not be accepted for entry into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Saguaro National Park, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site, and Fort Pulaski National Monument.

"NPS’s violation of federal law cannot be overlooked in favor of any purported benefit NPS cashless could hope to achieve, such as reducing logistics of handling cash collected," reads a section of the lawsuit. "Moreover, there is an increased cost to the NPS in going cashless, such as additional processing fees that will be borne by NPS and by visitors who ultimately fund the federal government through taxes, in addition to personal surcharges and bank fees visitors may incur under NPS cashless policy.

"However, plaintiffs do not ask the court to prohibit NPS from accepting credit cards, debit cards, or digital payment methods (such as ApplePay) should visitors to NPS sites prefer to use them. Rather, plaintiffs ask the court to restore entrance to NPS sites to those who cannot access non-cash payment methods (and those who choose not to) by declaring NPS cashless to be unlawful."

Us "geezers" don't have to worry about this as our national park Senior Pass gets us in without having to pay anything. Still, I agree that the NPS should also accept cash for entry fees.

To read more, go here. 

Why Do Some National Parks Charge An Entrance Fee?

Above, Yellowstone National Park's South Entrance Gate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yahoo! News has posted an article on, "Why do some national parks charge an entrance fee?" 

Frankly, I think the better question would be, "Why do some national parks don't charge an entrance fee?"

Regardless, the article is informative as it explains where the money generated goes to and what for.

This has not been an issue for me, especially after I turned 62 and got the Senior Lifetime Pass. I got it for $10, before the cost went up to $80. Still, even at $80, it is well worth having. Visiting three national parks in one trip would essentially make the Pass pay for itself.

The article begins with:

(NEXSTAR) — There is no question that the more than 400 national parks, monuments, seashores, historic sites, recreation areas, and other sites overseen by the National Park Service are stunning.

But before you can visit some, you may have to pay.

Across the entire National Park Service, which includes 425 units, only 109 charge an entrance fee.

Nearly all have a park-specific annual pass, ranging from $35 to $70. Many also have fees per vehicle, person or motorcycle that vary from $5 to $35. If you’re a frequent visitor to many national parks or federal recreational lands, you may want the America The Beautiful annual pass worth $80.

At this point, you may have had a common realization: we pay federal taxes, which can be used to fund the National Park Service, so why do I need to pay to get into a national park at all?

To read more, go here.

RV Travel Poll: Some National Parks No Longer Take Cash To Enter

Above, an entrance gate to Yosemite National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some are saying that we have an over-reliance on credit and debit cards. Some are also saying that "digital currency" is the wave of the future. 

Both are lousy ideas as the corrupt government can control and spy on people through such transactions.

This doesn't affect me since I have my lifetime national park Senior Pass, so I don't have to pay anything.

RV Travel has noticed that some national parks are no longer accepting cash at entrance stations. They have a poll posted asking if this is a good or bad idea. 

They begin it with:

We’ve been noticing that more and more places aren’t accepting cash anymore. Are you finding this true where you are, too? Even some National Parks have said goodbye to cash and are only accepting payments in the form of credit or debit cards.

If you pulled up to an NP booth wanting to pay your entrance fee in cash but they turned you away, how would you feel about this? Is it a good idea or a bad idea? As always, please feel free to leave a comment after you vote. Thanks!

To participate in the poll, go here. 

How Much Would You Pay To Visit Yellowstone National Park?

Above, formations at Yellowstone's Mammoth Hot Springs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, a backlog of national parks maintenance and other projects of around $11 billion was in the news quite frequently.

A bill was proposed to address this backlog, which was signed by President Donald Trump in 2020.  It dedicated $1.3 billion per year for five years to deferred maintenance projects in the National Park Service's nearly $12 billion.

One of the things done was to increase the cost to purchase the Senior Lifetime Pass from $10 to $80. It may sound like a lot, but if used, it is still a bargain. Luckily, before the price was hiked, I got mine at the $10 price.

Apparently, more is needed to address the maintenance backlog. National Parks Traveler asks, How much would you pay to visit Yellowstone National Park?

They begin with:

A new video (below) on how best to fund national parks, built around the maintenance backlog at Yellowstone National Park, wonders how much you would be willing to pay to visit the park, watch Old Faithful steam and bellow and spurt, and perhaps catch sight of a grizzly bear?

It's not a new question. From time to time over the years Op-Eds appear, either arguing for higher -- much higher in some cases -- entrance fees, others saying the National Park System should be free to enter.

Back in 2017 a poll was released with a claim that higher entrance fees would hurt park gateway towns because, at the time, 64 percent of those surveyed said they would be less likely to visit a national park if entrance fees increased. 

 To read more, go here.

Your National Park Vacation Has Gotten More Expensive

Above, Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Remember when the senior national parks lifetime pass jumped from $10 to $80 four years ago? Well, that's not the only thing connected with the National Park Service that has jumped in price. Luckily, I got my senior pass a year before at $10. Still, even at $80, it is still a bargain, provided that it is used.

Entry fees and other things have risen in cost and National Parks Traveler has posted an article on what has risen in price and where.

They begin it with:

You’re not mistaken. A national park vacation is more expensive than it was 20 years ago. Considerably more expensive in some costs once you get to the entrance gate.

Not all units within the National Park System collect admission fees, but for those that do the cost to visit the taxpayers’ treasures has outpaced inflation – as much as sixfold - over the past two decades. But entrance fees weren’t alone in their increases, as the cost of camping, climbing lighthouse stairs, and even paddling a boat is also more expensive (see table below).

Based on data provided by the National Park Service and using the Consumer Price Index at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to account for inflation, we reviewed park admission rates for individuals, vehicles, and annual passes from 2000 through today (see PDF attached below). Of the 126 park units surveyed, entrance fees increased above the rate of inflation (2.07 percent/year) at 83 parks.

The largest increase occurred at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Utah and northern Arizona, where the vehicle entrance fee jumped 500 percent from $3 in 2000 to $30 today. During the same time period, the cost of an annual pass at Glen Canyon rose about 244 percent – from $10 to $55.

Records show a 400 percent uptick in entrance fees from $2 in 2000 to $15 in 2021 for individuals visiting Adams National Historical Park in Massachusetts, Colorado and Oregon Pipe Cactus national monuments in Colorado and Arizona, respectively, and Pinnacles National Park in California.

Slightly less, but still high, is the 316 percent price surge from $4 in 2020 to $25 today for automobile entrance fees at Lava Beds National Monument in California and the Wright Brothers National Memorial on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Fees increased 200 percent or more since 2000 at about 27 parks surveyed, including Golden Spike and Harpers Ferry national historic parks, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Saguaro National Park.

A survey of Traveler’s Facebook audience found a variety of opinions on the costs of a national park visit, from those who considered things getting too expensive to those who thought higher fees should be charged. Most thought entrance fees were reasonable, but a few took issue with the cost of lodging and quality of dining in the parks.

To read more, go here. 

Lifetime Senior National Park Pass

Above, one of the entrances into Yosemite National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On August 28, 2017, the lifetime senior national parks pass price was hiked from $10 to $80. I was lucky to get mine at the $10 price.

The lifetime senior national parks pass is for senior Americans from age 62 and up. 

Some of the benefits includes free access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by six federal agencies:

• National Park Service
• US Fish & Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• US Forest Service
• US Army Corps of Engineers

Even though the lifetime senior national parks pass price was hiked to $80, it is still a great deal if it gets a lot of usage. 

This link shows the various entrance fees of each national park. As you can see, visiting just three national parks who charge $30 per carload in one summer season would more than pay for the pass.

For more information on the lifetime senior national parks pass, go here.