It's going to cost a bit more next year to hike through Muir Woods National Monument/Kurt Repanshek

Fees to visit Muir Woods National Monument in California will double on January 1, moving from $5 per person to $10, with other fee increases coming to Alcatraz Island and the paid parking area at the Presidio in San Francisco.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area officials say children under 16 visiting Muir Woods will continue to gain free entrance. 

Parking fees at Battery East and West Bluff parking areas in Golden Gate National Recreation Area increased on June 1 by 20 cents an hour, with a maximum increase of $1 per day. This increase is to bring the cost of parking to a maximum of $7 a day or $1.20 an hour, which is consistent with parking fees in the Presidio.

On October 1, a $1 increase to the Expanded Amenity Fee for Alcatraz Island will take effect.

The last federal fee increase at Muir Woods was in 2007 and there have been no prior increases to the expanded amenity fees at Alcatraz or at the fee parking areas. 

'œThis increase in fees will allow us to continue to protect, preserve and share the special places here at Golden Gate National Recreation Area with current visitors and future generations,' said Golden Gate Superintendent Chris Lehnertz. 'œAfter carefully considering the impact of fee increases on visitors and community members, we came to the conclusion that this is the right course of action to help improve facilities and services important to visitors.'

Fees support a wide range of projects that improve the park and visitor experiences, including rehabilitating trails and trailheads, developing and exhibits, improving park infrastructure, and improving accessibility. This additional revenue will allow us to continue to invest in the improvements necessary to provide the best possible park experience for our visitors including enhancement of visitor facilities and services.

In the fall of 2014, the National Park Service conducted a nationwide review of entrance fees. To solicit public input, Golden Gate launched a civic engagement campaign with approximately a two month comment period in November of 2014. The comments generally supported an increase in these fees.

Location

Current Fee

Approved Fee Increase

Date of Implementation

 Muir Woods

$5 Entrance Fee           

$20 Annual Pass

$10 Entrance Fee  

$40 Annual Pass

January 1, 2016

Alcatraz

$1Expanded Amenity Fee

$2 Expanded Amenity Fee

October 1, 2015

Presidio Paid Parking

·   West Bluff Lot

·   Battery East Lot

$1 per hour

$6 per day    

Expanded Amenity Fee

$1.20 per hour

$7 per day    

Expanded Amenity Fee

June 1, 2015