OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — New fee structures went into effect last Monday, June 1, at Olympic National Park.
The National Park Service is increasing fees at the 131 parks throughout the nation that charge entrance fees.
The new fee structure is the first increase at Olympic National Park since 2006.
The day use fee will be $20 for cars, trucks or RVs, or $10 for motorcycles.
Annual passes cost $40 per vehicle.
The annual wilderness pass is now $35 per person.
Day fees were increased by $5, while annual fees were increased by $10.
Camping fees increase from $15 to $22 and from $10 to $18.
An $5 overnight wilderness-use permit is discontinued, but the nightly wilderness fees are increased from $2 to $5.
Recreational vehicle sewage dump fees doubled, from $5 to $10.
In the 2015-16 winter, the park will charge $7 for adults and $3 for youths ages 6-15 for ranger-led snowshoe hikes.
The park offers free or discounted access to children 15 and younger, people 62 and older, and members of the military.
The new fees are expected to generate revenue to fund a backlog of projects and spruce up parks before the National Park Service’s 2016 centennial celebration.
Park officials expect to receive about 30 percent more annually from fees after the increase.
In 2014, the park took in $2.6 million in fee revenue. Thirty percent of that would be $780,000; however, “every year, fee revenue fluctuates a little bit,” Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said.
The park retains 80 percent of fee revenues; the remaining 20 percent supports projects in parks that do not charge fees, including the Lincoln Memorial and National Mall.
Park officials have said the fee increases must be used in areas that have direct connection to park visitors, such as visitor center exhibits, roadway work or work on the park’s six sewage treatment plants.
Additional fee increases will take place in 2016 and 2017.
Olympic National Park has $23 million in “critical deferred maintenance” projects as part of a total of $200 million in maintenance projects identified, officials have said.
