National parks waiving fees

WASHINGTON – The National Park Service is looking to stimulate summer vacations at national parks.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Tuesday that entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments – including the Grand Canyon and Yosemite – will be waived on three weekends this summer.

“During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families,” Salazar said at a news conference at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

Most Americans live less than a day’s drive from a national park, Salazar said. Last year, national parks attracted more than 275 million visits, generating an estimated $10.6 billion for local economies, he said.

For the Park Service, the free weekends will mean a loss of an estimated half-million dollars a day from entrance fees that range from $3 to $25. A total of 147 parks and monuments charge entrance fees; the nation’s other 244 parks are already free.

Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman for Salazar, said the lost revenue should be more than offset by an increase in park tourism. Many tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other vendors near national parks will offer other discounts and special promotions on the free weekend dates, she said.

The waiver applies only to entrance fees and does not affect charges for camping, reservations, tours or concessions, Salazar said.