The National Park Service is proposing a jump in the fee to backpack in Grand Canyon National Park.
Under the proposal open for public comment, the fee to backpack below the rim would increase from $15 per person per night to $24. The existing $10 application fee would remain unchanged. Backpacking above the rim would go from $4 to $6 per person per night.
You can find additional details on the proposal, and leave your thoughts, at this Park Service site. Comments are being taken through October 12.
In an FAQ document on the website, the Park Service said the proposed $9 increase in the below-the-rim fee would bring in about $750,000 per year, and that the money would be used for unspecified "backcountry activities and park projects that enhance the visitor experience."
"[P]ast projects have included backcountry impact mitigation and restoration work, trail maintenance, standby emergency response services (e.g., park dispatch, Search and Rescue shifts, and helicopter standby), Canyon Rangers, and more," the FAQ page said.
The fees were adjusted this past April in what the Park Service described as a move to better cover the costs of operating the Backcountry Information Center. The agency said it's proposing another increase so soon because it has used millions of dollars in funding unrelated to backpacking to improve the backcountry experience.
"With the park proactively addressing essential longstanding needs, less funding remains available for supplementing backcountry fees and providing critical support to the backcountry. Increased funding is needed now, and backcountry hikers are therefore being asked to pay a bit more towards these backcountry related costs," the agency said on the FAQ page.
For information about permits and overnight hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, visit the park’s website or contact the Backcountry Information Center via e-mail or 1-928-638-7875. Phones are answered 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays.
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