Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [10]
DAY 21: BACK TO LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Back in Sin City, you can catch a stage show or feed the one-armed bandits before boarding your flight home.
Visitor Centers
Your first stop at any national park should be the visitor center. Not only will you learn the why of the park, but you'll also get timely information such as road and trail closures, updates on safety issues, and the schedule for upcoming ranger programs. Visitor center hours usually vary by season; most are open daily from 8am until 5 or 6pm in summer, closing earlier at other times.
Fees & Permits
Though fees have increased in the past few years, visiting a national park is still a bargain—a steal compared to the prices you'd pay for a theme park or even a movie. Entry fees, ranging from nothing at Great Basin, Channel Islands, and Point Reyes to $25 at Yellowstone and Grand Teton, are usually charged per private vehicle (for up to 1 week), regardless of how many visitors you stuffed inside. Those arriving on foot or by bicycle often pay lower per-person fees. Some parks offer passes good for unlimited visits to the same park for 12 months.
Special Passes. Several passes offer discounts or completely free admission to as many different parks as you care to visit.
If you plan to visit a number of national parks and monuments within a year—and by "a number" we really mean only five or six—a National Parks Pass, which costs $50, will save you a bundle. The passes are good at all properties under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, but not at sites administered by the Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, or other federal or state agencies. The National Parks Pass provides free entrance for the pass holder and all vehicle occupants to National Park Service properties that charge vehicle entrance fees, and for the pass holder, spouse, parents, and children at sites that charge per-person fees. Buy passes at park entrance stations and visitor centers or by mail (☎ 888/GO-PARKS; www.nationalparks.org).
Also available at park service properties, as well as other federal recreation sites that charge entrance fees, is the Golden Age Passport, for those 62 and older, which has a one-time fee of $10 and provides free admission to all national parks and monuments, plus a 50% discount on camping fees. The
Golden Access Passport, free for U.S. citizens who are blind or have permanently disabilities, has the same benefits as the Golden Age Passport and is available at all federal recreation sites that charge entrance fees.
Available from U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife areas is the Golden Eagle Pass. At a cost of $65 for 1 year from the date of purchase, it allows the bearer, plus everyone traveling with him or her in the same vehicle, free admission to all National Park Service properties plus other federal recreation sites that charge fees. The National Parks Pass discussed above can be upgraded to Golden Eagle status for $15.
Backcountry Permits. At most national parks, it is necessary to obtain a permit to stay overnight in the park's undeveloped backcountry. Some parks have even more restrictions. To be safe, if you intend to do any backpacking, look in the individual park chapter or contact the park's backcountry office in advance. In some cases, it may be possible to obtain a permit by mail; in most cases, you must appear in person the day before your trip. Some parks charge for backcountry permits, while others do not; some restrict the number of permits issued.
Other Permits. Hunting is not allowed in national parks, but fishing often is. You will usually need a state fishing license. Licenses are generally available at local sporting-goods stores and state game and fish department offices. Fees vary for state residents and nonresidents, for various time periods, and sometimes by location within the state, but you can usually get a nonresident 1-day license for $5 to $15 and a 5-