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Bent's Old Fort Fee Schedule Change
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site » Bent's Old Fort Fee Schedule Change » Document List
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site's fee program has been in place since 1987. The current fee program is based upon living history fees. Since 1997, the living history fees have remained unchanged and, therefore, not kept pace with inflation.
To align with National Park Service policy and for administrative purposes, the most appropriate fee to charge at Bent's Old Fort NHS is a park entrance fee, not living history fees. The authority to charge recreational fees at national parks stems from the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA).
There are many benefits with changing to entrance fees.
1. Because living history fee programs cannot honor nationwide park passes, Bent's Old Fort NHS currently does not honor the following passes that provide for free admission into the fort:
a. Annual or Lifetime Interagency Senior Passes for visitors over 62
b. Interagency Annual Military Passes for military members and their dependents
c. Interagency Access Passes for visitors with disabilities
d. Interagency Annual Passes (America the Beautiful Pass) that allow free access to all National Park sites
e. Annual 4th Grader Passes that allow families to enter the park for free
f. Interagency Volunteer Annual Passes that allow free admission to park volunteers with more than 250 hours of volunteer time.
2. By switching to the more appropriate entrance fee system, however, all the above park passes will be honored. In addition, park passes allow the card holder and up to three within their party to also enter for free.
3. The entrance fee system also honors National Fee-Free Days, which are established annually and typically include an average of five days of free entrance per year.
4. With living history fee programs, annual park passes to Bent's Old Fort NHS are not possible. With an entrance fee program, annual park passes are available for repeat visitors. For those who frequent the park four times or more, annual park passes can save park visitors quite a bit of money.
5. The entrance fee system allows for free entry for Visitors under 16 years old. The established Bent's Old Fort living history fees apply to all visitors that are 12 or older.
6. With the proposed fee system change, all school groups will be admitted to the park for free. The entrance fee system allows for educational fee waivers, which the current living history fee system does not permit. Currently, school children from 12 to 15 years old are required to pay a $2 per person living history fee.
7. The proposed entrance fee will be in sync with the national program, and the park's rate will be the lowest tier of pricing. The pricing will change as the national program's pricing changes.
8. Living history fees are good for just one day. With the entrance fee system, however, park passes are good for seven days.
What will not change if the park moves to the new entrance fee system: Fees will continue to be charged by the person only. (Entrance fees by vehicles or bus capacity will not apply.)
What are entrance fees used for? Federal law requires that recreational fees charged on public lands be used for direct visitor benefits. Eighty percent of every fee dollar collected at Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site will remain at Bent's Old Fort, and the remaining 20 percent is available to all parks on an as-needed basis. All collected fees are invested back into the parks to improve visitor facilities and services.
The park visitation is largely composed of visitors over 62 and under 16, so park management sees this correction in fees as a benefit to most park visitors. In addition, a substantial percentage of park visitors (22%) are national pass owners, so their entrance to the park will be free.
Under the proposed changes, fees will change to $10 per adult visitor over 15. Under the proposed fee structure, a family of four with two children between 12 and 15 years old will cost $20 for park entrance. Using the existing living history fee schedule, if adjusted annually to incorporate an annual 3% inflation rate, the cost of entrance will also be $20, but no passes will be accepted.
The proposed implementation date for the fee schedule change is January 1, 2022.
Superintendent
719-383-5012
To align with National Park Service policy and for administrative purposes, the most appropriate fee to charge at Bent's Old Fort NHS is a park entrance fee, not living history fees. The authority to charge recreational fees at national parks stems from the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA).
There are many benefits with changing to entrance fees.
1. Because living history fee programs cannot honor nationwide park passes, Bent's Old Fort NHS currently does not honor the following passes that provide for free admission into the fort:
a. Annual or Lifetime Interagency Senior Passes for visitors over 62
b. Interagency Annual Military Passes for military members and their dependents
c. Interagency Access Passes for visitors with disabilities
d. Interagency Annual Passes (America the Beautiful Pass) that allow free access to all National Park sites
e. Annual 4th Grader Passes that allow families to enter the park for free
f. Interagency Volunteer Annual Passes that allow free admission to park volunteers with more than 250 hours of volunteer time.
2. By switching to the more appropriate entrance fee system, however, all the above park passes will be honored. In addition, park passes allow the card holder and up to three within their party to also enter for free.
3. The entrance fee system also honors National Fee-Free Days, which are established annually and typically include an average of five days of free entrance per year.
4. With living history fee programs, annual park passes to Bent's Old Fort NHS are not possible. With an entrance fee program, annual park passes are available for repeat visitors. For those who frequent the park four times or more, annual park passes can save park visitors quite a bit of money.
5. The entrance fee system allows for free entry for Visitors under 16 years old. The established Bent's Old Fort living history fees apply to all visitors that are 12 or older.
6. With the proposed fee system change, all school groups will be admitted to the park for free. The entrance fee system allows for educational fee waivers, which the current living history fee system does not permit. Currently, school children from 12 to 15 years old are required to pay a $2 per person living history fee.
7. The proposed entrance fee will be in sync with the national program, and the park's rate will be the lowest tier of pricing. The pricing will change as the national program's pricing changes.
8. Living history fees are good for just one day. With the entrance fee system, however, park passes are good for seven days.
What will not change if the park moves to the new entrance fee system: Fees will continue to be charged by the person only. (Entrance fees by vehicles or bus capacity will not apply.)
What are entrance fees used for? Federal law requires that recreational fees charged on public lands be used for direct visitor benefits. Eighty percent of every fee dollar collected at Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site will remain at Bent's Old Fort, and the remaining 20 percent is available to all parks on an as-needed basis. All collected fees are invested back into the parks to improve visitor facilities and services.
The park visitation is largely composed of visitors over 62 and under 16, so park management sees this correction in fees as a benefit to most park visitors. In addition, a substantial percentage of park visitors (22%) are national pass owners, so their entrance to the park will be free.
Under the proposed changes, fees will change to $10 per adult visitor over 15. Under the proposed fee structure, a family of four with two children between 12 and 15 years old will cost $20 for park entrance. Using the existing living history fee schedule, if adjusted annually to incorporate an annual 3% inflation rate, the cost of entrance will also be $20, but no passes will be accepted.
The proposed implementation date for the fee schedule change is January 1, 2022.
Contact Information
Stuart West,Superintendent
719-383-5012