Senior Pass Price Hike

I'm not so sure the discounts reduce revenue for national parks either, come to think of it. We camp more often in national parks and forests because we save a bit on each night, we then stay longer. If that makes sense ??

But when we travel, we always looks for the national parks or forests or COE before anything else. So, national parks, forests, and COE get first shot at our camping money, then state parks, then private when necessary. We never camp at "resort" style CG's, because that's not why we camp. Occasionally, we hit a private CG for an overnight when en route somewhere, but not often.

Missed it by "that" much.

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
Anyone know 'why' the increase? Did they gov cut funding for it when we weren't looking?

The increase is part of a large group of "corrections" for several things about the National Parks.

Introduced in March 2016, one small part of the law "equalizes" the fee charged for the Senior Pass to be the same as the fee charged those under age 62 for the Annual Pass. The set dollar figure for the Senior Pass was eliminated.

The full bill is available . Here

EDIT

Here is a discussion from when the increase was first proposed Senior Pass Price Increase

A part of the discussion is that the National Parks need more money. Costs of running the parks have gone up, like everything else. Setting the Senior Pass cost the same as the regular access pass enables the parks to deal with increased costs.

Seniors still get a huge break in the revised law in that we do not have to buy our pass again each year. It is still s lifetime pass. Also we get discounted camping and other fees, most of which do not apply to the Annual pass

Thank you for the info. :C

DW and I each bought our pass 10 years ago, one of the best buys we have ever made. Overs the years we have saved hundreds of $. Is this a great country or what?!

The feds need to increase revenue in the parks - it's been $10 forever, and now it's still a huge bargain ... a few nights in a park with park admission and it pays for itself.

Regards the COE parks, we're been all over the USA in COE whenever they are available. WE've never been to one that did not discount with the pass. I do know that some of the sub-contractors that operate the parks continuously push for NO Discount - which we hope never happens.

Not that we mind even paying full price for camping as long as the extra money GOES TO THE PARK. But, those parks that don't honor the discount, just keep the extra $$$ - which is the unfair part of it, well, unfair to the campers and unfair to the federal budget - which is its citizens.

RollandB make sure your wife reads your post, Im sure she will appreciate you.

rockhillmanor wrote:
Anyone know 'why' the increase? Did they gov cut funding for it when we weren't looking?

The increase is part of a large group of "corrections" for several things about the National Parks.

Introduced in March 2016, one small part of the law "equalizes" the fee charged for the Senior Pass to be the same as the fee charged those under age 62 for the Annual Pass. The set dollar figure for the Senior Pass was eliminated.

The full bill is available . Here

EDIT

Here is a discussion from when the increase was first proposed Senior Pass Price Increase

A part of the discussion is that the National Parks need more money. Costs of running the parks have gone up, like everything else. Setting the Senior Pass cost the same as the regular access pass enables the parks to deal with increased costs.

Seniors still get a huge break in the revised law in that we do not have to buy our pass again each year. It is still s lifetime pass. Also we get discounted camping and other fees, most of which do not apply to the Annual pass

rockhillmanor wrote:
Anyone know 'why' the increase? Did they gov cut funding for it when we weren't looking?

You're way behind, the fee was increased by Congress last December.

Anyone know 'why' the increase? Did they gov cut funding for it when we weren't looking?