This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
People planning visits to national parks this summer should make sure their budgets include a little more green.
Higher national park fees are scheduled to go into effect just in time for family vacations. Rates for everything from entrance fees to wilderness permits will be going up in Utah and across the country this season.
Starting June 1, the scenic drive entrance fee at Capitol Reef National Park will go from $5 to $10, and camping fees at Fruita Campground will climb from $10 to $20.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area will raise its vehicle entrance fees from $15 to $20 on June 1 and another $5 on Jan. 1, 2016. Seven-day boating permit fees at Glen Canyon will go from $16 to $20, and eventually up to $30 on Jan. 1, 2017.
Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks will tack an extra $5 onto vehicle entrance fees — from a current $25, to $30 — July 1. Camping fees in Bryce also will go up on July 1, while campers in Zion won't pay more until Jan. 1.
"This modest increase in fees will allow us to continue to improve facilities and services important to visitors," Zion National Park superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said in a prepared release.
The increases were developed after National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis encouraged park officials last August to gauge public interest in possible fee changes. Jarvis said he wanted to achieve a standard rate system across the park service.
"After carefully considering the impact of a fee increase on visitors and community members, we came to the conclusion that this is the right course of action to help us protect, preserve and share these special places with current visitors and future generations."
Entrance fees at Cedar Breaks National Monument already went up $1 to $5 per person, and camping increased from $14 a night to $18.
Other Utah park managers are expected to make announcements on fee increases in the coming months.