MTgirl's Yellowstone and Grand Teton travel thread

Journalism died YEARS ago folks. The internet killed journalism.

And if that was an airplane I might know the pilot. LOL Customer of mine flies over YNP all the time for Nat Geo. They put cameras in the back and he'll fly for like 4-5 hours at a time so they can do crazy high res/high speed video of wolf packs and stuff.

 

@MTgirl @Cuffs Did you see this?
"FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The National Park Service is considering a steep increase in entrance fees at 17 of its most popular parks, mostly in the U.S. West, to address a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects.

Visitors to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion and other national parks would be charged $70 per vehicle, up from the fee of $30 for a weekly pass. At others, the hike is nearly triple, from $25 to $70..."

 

Not without good reason...
https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/10-24-2017-fee-changes-proposal.htm

 

That’s not the maintenance they’re talking about.

The buildings and historic structures are so behind in routine stuff that isn’t getting done.

Lots of times these reports of attempting fee increases are to get the attention of legislators to provide more funding. The NPS has been cut and cut and cut more over the years so much that there’s little money for employee pay and nothing left to keep the park maintained...

And then there’s shitbags like the fuckwad I literally watched toss a dirty diaper into the woods... fucks like that are way we can’t have nice things...

 

Yeah but the new national pass will be like $300 i bet.

 

Yosemite was 20 and now it’s 30. Similar reasons (infrastructure). Sorry, if they decide to double the entrance fee, it will have an impact on attendance. Perhaps more than they’d like and that affects more than entrance revenue.

A guy in the restaurant biz said “if you want to increase revenue, raise the price of coffee and make sure it’s good”.
People like coffee and if it’s good, they stick around and spend money. If you raise the price of a meal, people say you’re overcharging and buy less or stop coming.

 

That’s it how entrance fees are used. At all.

Most concessions are operated by a contractor. They are required to set aside a percentage to fund their own maintenance, another percent goes to (I forget the name). Other than that, it’s payroll and profit. There’s a pricing window that the contractor can set prices between. They can’t randonly set their prices.

Entrance fees are collected by NPS. A portion stays in the park and funds specific repairs and maintenance and other things.

Only a small portion of all the 400 parks charge an entrance fee. All others are feee. There’s a portion of the entrance fee that's sent to DC for a general fund to keep all the parks that DONT charge a fee up and running.

 

Ignorance is bliss isn't it? lol

 

Campgrounds are run differently by different parks. Ours (Yosemite) is run by NPS. Don’t know about Yelly. Some, like Pinnacles, is run by contractor. Same rules I stated above apply.

Hotels and food are the usual contractor run stuff.

EDIT. after a quick search, looks like they are run by concessioner.

 

I'm familiar where the money goes.

I guess I'm suggesting putting up fare boxes where they don't exist today. For example, a couple of bucks to park is more palatable than $70 at the front gate. "Fee Areas" should be instituted for places that don't currently collect entrance fees. Concessionaires should shoulder more the maintenance for the properties they are responsible for.

Increases need to be fairer than simply forcing more popular attractions to pay more.

 

Visitors use more than just a parking space. Toilets. Water. TP, custodial services, trash cans need emptied, lighting, roads, signs... all these need upkeep. It’s not free.

The concessioners already do all the upkeep and maintenance, that comes from the concession franchise fees.

 

You're too hung up on what visitors use and not on how it's paid for. I'm saying there are plenty of ways to add additional revenue that don't hit people as hard as $70 at the gate.

 

What other revenue does the PS have?

 

I think he wants them to do like airlines:

Airfare: $150
Privilege to fit your legs in your seat: $20
Want to take a purse?: $10
Check a bag?: $30
In flight snack?: $15
*We reserve the right to sell your seat to someone else with no notice to you until you board.


PS would look like this:
Want in? $30
Want to park? $7
Want to use the potty: $5
Don't have your own TP: $2
Want to hike a trail?: $10 per vehicle group.
Use our trash cans: $5
Enter scenic view parking area: $10
Admission to Old Faithful: $5/adult, $3 child (infants free), Seniors/Veterans $3