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Proposed Fee Changes


Death Valley National Park is proposing to raise entrance and camping fees and to have the option to charge for a temporary tour to Scotty's Castle while it is closed for restoration after a flash flood. Comments are due June 29, 2016.

Park fees are used to fund projects that benefit park visitors. In the next few years, projects that are planned to be funded from park fees include: flood recovery at Scotty's Castle, education programs, emergency medical services, and campground custodial work.

Death Valley National Park proposes the following new/changed fees starting October 1, 2016. Interagency passes will continue to be honored.

Death Valley National Park entrance fee (good for up to 7 days):
$25/vehicle (currently $20)
$12/person (currently $10)
$20/motorcycle (currently charged $10/person)

Death Valley National Park annual pass (good for 12 months):
$50 (currently $40)

Commercial groups arriving in small vehicles (capacity for up to 6 people) will be charged $25, plus $12/person (currently $25, plus $10/person).

Furnace Creek Campground:
Winter, no hookups: $22 (currently$18)
Summer, no hookups: $16 (currently $12)
Year-round, full hookups: $36 (currently$30)
Texas Spring Campground: $16 (currently $14)
Sunset Campground: $14 (currently $12)
Mesquite Spring Campground: $14 (currently $12)
Stovepipe Wells Campground: $14 (currently $12)
Emigrant, Wildrose, Thorndike and Mahogany Flat Campgrounds: free

Holders of the Interagency Access Pass or Interagency Senior Pass receive a 50% discount on camping fees, but no discount on the utility fee portion of the full hookup sites.

A massive flash flood damaged utilities, the road, walkways, and some historic structures at Scotty's Castle in October 2015. Scotty's Castle and the surrounding Grapevine Canyon are closed to all public entry due to safety and resource protection concerns. Before the flood, park rangers offered hour-long guided tours through the interior of Scotty's Castle for $15/person. The park anticipates that repairs will take a few years, and hopes to resume regular tours of the interior of Scotty's Castle in 2019.

The proposed Scotty's Castle Flood Tour would allow the park to provide limited, ranger-guided opportunities to visit the district before repairs are completed. Tours will last two hours, beginning and ending at Grapevine Ranger Station, three miles from Scotty's Castle. Visitors will either board a ranger-driven passenger van or drive themselves in an escorted vehicle caravan past dramatic flood damage in Grapevine Canyon to Scotty's Castle.

A uniformed park ranger will describe the flood event and recovery efforts. A second ranger will be wearing 1930s living history period clothing and will present the history of the site's occupation by Scotty and the Johnsons.

Scotty's Castle Flood Tours would be offered on a limited basis, most likely Fridays through Sundays, from late fall through early spring. It is anticipated that not more than two tours would be offered per day, and each tour would be limited to a small number of participants, probably 15.

The tours will focus on the grounds of the historic district, and may or may not include brief entry into the Powerhouse, Scotty's Castle (Main House and/or Annex), and/or the Garage (modern Visitor Center). The tour route taken, and which buildings (if any) are entered will adjust based on changing conditions and associated visitor safety and historic resource protection concerns. This tour will involve walking over uneven surfaces, and will not be wheelchair accessible.

The proposed tour fee is $32. Individuals with an Interagency Senior Pass or Interagency Access Pass would pay $16. Tickets for children ages 6-15 would be $16. As planning for this tour progresses, a minimum age may be established for safety reasons.
 
Comment Period: Closed        May 27, 2016 - Jun 29, 2016
Topic Questions:
1. Vehicle Entrance Fee: Proposal to change the Death Valley National Park entrance fee (good for 7 days) from $20 to $25.
2. Proposed motorcycle entrance fee: Currently Death Valley National Park is charging motorcycles based on the number of riders on the motorcycle, either $10 or $20. This would establish a motorcycle rate of $20/motorcycle, regardless of the number of riders.
3. Per Person Entrance Fee: Proposal to change the Death Valley National Park per person entrance fee (good for 7 days) for $10 to $12. This rate applies to visitors walking or bicycling into the park and to the rate that commercial tour operators will pay for small groups.
4. Death Valley National Park annual pass: Proposal to raise the annual pass fee from $40 to $50.
5. Camping: Rates for Stovepipe Wells, Mesquite Springs, and Sunset Campgrounds would increase from $12 to $14. Rates for Texas Springs Campground would increase from $14 to $16. Non-utility sites at Furnace Creek Campground would change from $18 to $22 in winter and $12 to $16 in summer. Emigrant, Wildrose, Thorndike, and Mahagony Flat Campground would remain free. Do you have comments on these proposed fees?
6. Furnace Creek utility sites: Furnace Creek Campground's sites with electric hookups increase from $30 to $36 year-round to cover the cost the NPS is currently paying for electric bills. This $36 fee includes $22 camping fee (50% discount for Interagency Senior or Access Passes) and $14 utility fee (no discounts available). Do you have comments on this proposed fee?
7. Scotty's Castle Flood Tour: The park proposes a temporary ranger-guided tour from Grapevine Ranger Station to Scotty's Castle. This would only happen until Scotty's Castle if fully repaired and reopened (anticipated for 2019). The program would provide an opportunity for the public to enter the closed area, learn about the Castle's history, and learn about this powerful 3,200 cubic foot per second flash flood event. The tours might or might not be able to enter any of the historic buildings. Do you have comments on this proposed interpretive program?
8. Scotty's Castle Flood Tour: The proposed tour fee is $32/person. The fee for children, Senior Passholders, and Access Passholders would be $16. All money collected would be used to defray the cost of providing this ranger-guided program. Do you have comments on the proposed fee?
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