Entrance fees at Saguaro National Park will increase by $5 on Jan. 1, park officials announced.
Fees for private vehicles will go up from $15 to $20 and fees for motorcycles will increase from $10 to $15.
Entrance passes for pedestrians and bicyclists will go up from $5 to $10 while the price for an annual pass will increase from $35 to $40.
Fees in each category are expected to increase by another $5 on Jan. 1, 2020, according to a Saguaro Park news release.
The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, along with the Lifetime Senior Pass, will remain at $80. The free annual pass for active duty military personnel and free lifetime passes for people with disabilities are also available.
Officials at the park, with units east and west of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, said the fee increases are going into effect to deal with infrastructure needs and improve the visitor experience.
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“Federal law requires that recreational fees charged on public lands be used for direct visitor benefits,†said Leah McGinnis, superintendent of the park. “Every fee dollar collected in Saguaro National Park stays in Saguaro National Park and is invested back into improving visitor facilities and services here.â€
Visitors who are unable to pay park entrance fees can take advantage of the following “fee free days†for all visitors offered by the National Park Service in 2019:
- Monday, Jan. 21 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Saturday, April 20 – First Day of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger Day.
- Sunday, Aug. 25 – National Park Service Anniversary.
- Saturday, Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day.
- Monday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day.