As part of its ongoing efforts to address aging park infrastructure and improve future visitor experiences, entrance fees for Antietam National Battlefield will increase on Jan. 1, 2019.
“These modest fee increases will allow us to make progress on important maintenance projects and we look forward to showing the results," Superintendent Susan Trail said. “We will invest these funds to improve safety, replace older infrastructure and preserve the resources that make Antietam so special."
All money collected from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service, with at least 80 percent retained locally at Antietam National Battlefield. Fee revenue supports visitor programs and services and helps the park improve comfort stations, accessible walkways, cabins, trails and other visitor facilities. The other 20 percent is spent on projects that benefit visitors in national parks that don’t collect entrance fees.
The fee schedule will change according to the following:
Antietam National Battlefield
Per
Vehicle Per
Person Per
Motorcycle Antietam National Battlefield Annual Pass
Current $10 $5 $7 $30
Jan. 1, 2019 $15 $7 $10 $30
Jan. 1, 2020 $20 $10 $15 $35
The per vehicle entrance fee covers anyone in a vehicle up to a 15-passenger van and is valid for seven days. The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.
Despite record-breaking visitation of 1.5 billion visitors over the last five years, the combination of aging infrastructure and increased visitation has put a strain on park roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services, leading to a $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog nationwide.
The new fee schedule at all National Parks is a result of public comments received on a fee proposal released in October 2017 by the Department of Interior. It includes modest fee increases for all fee-charging parks instead of the higher peak-season fees initially proposed at 17 highly visited national parks.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
