This Ticks me OFF-

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

OK, I bought a federal park pass but now I found out that it doesn't include Mt Rushmore which has it's own $10 car parking pass fee. WTH?

Really, nickle and dime you to death!

[paul48503]

Typical BS. You think that's Bad. The Gov just bailed out GM. We as Tax payers own 60%. Do you think we will get dividends? Or a prospectus of annual earning for being a stock holder in GM.

[Dobick]

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

OK, I bought a federal park pass but now I found out that it doesn't include Mt Rushmore which has it's own $10 car parking pass fee. WTH?

Really, nickle and dime you to death!

Not sure when that happened -- I went to rushmore in 2004. Before getting there, I went through the badlands NP, and then followed rushmore with yellowstone -- by the time that I got to the Grand Canyon later in the week, I just handed them the reciepts and they gave me an annual pass in trade for the receipts. I do not remember a parking fee at Rushmore, and I was on a tight budget, so I think I would have remembered it.

[Howard Barlow]

Obviously, you have no idea of labor costs to remove pigeon poop from those foreheads and noses.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Howard it ain't pigeon poo it's Bear and Elk Poo that rolls down from the top of their heads that is the problem.

I don't remember this "fee" from the past either but it is here now which is a rip off, really who cares that it is a "once a year fee" most people don't go to Rushmore more than one time a year.

[ronocnikral]

right, we go through this time in and time out. the mt rushmore deal made me mad also (visited a year ago), but look at it this way, you can walk in for free. but the NPP will get you into a lot of places. We were on the Oregon coast last year and some state parks let us in for free because they recieve some federal dollars (never hurts to ask). When we lived in Utah, we got our money out of the NPP, I don't think we will be getting one next year...

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Oh, the NPP thing is cool it's just the Rushmore thing that bothers me and BTW the $10 pass is a calendar pass so if you get it say in Dec it is good for just 1 month and it is tied to One Vehicle.

[JohnT]

I heard something on the radio today about the gov't waiving national park entrance fees this summer or certain days during the summer (can't remember). Does not include camping and recreation fees however.

[jeffkohn]

I can understand your annoyance, especially since you had the NPP. On the other hand I figure the park system needs all the money it can get, budgets keep getting cut. I buy the NPP and Texas parks pass every year. Some years it ends up being a good deal, others we may not get our full money's worth but at least I know that money is going straight to the parks.

[herenaustin]

FYI - Fee free weekends for National Parks:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/02...ees/index.html

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

What is interesting though is that Rushmore's fee isn't an ENTRY Fee but a PARKING Fee which will probably be charged on those three weekends. Also on the comment that you can walk in for free. The entry to the site is over 2 miles from an area where you can leave your car so technically a person can take people up to the entrance let them out of their vehicle and the people can walk in free and then they can come back and pick them up but who does that? Also bike riders I believe can ride in free but I didn't see any bike racks nor anyone on the road there on a bike while I saw plenty of same in the Tetons and Yellowstone.

[ka5txl]

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

What is interesting though is that Rushmore's fee isn't an ENTRY Fee but a PARKING Fee which will probably be charged on those three weekends. Also on the comment that you can walk in for free. The entry to the site is over 2 miles from an area where you can leave your car so technically a person can take people up to the entrance let them out of their vehicle and the people can walk in free and then they can come back and pick them up but who does that? Also bike riders I believe can ride in free but I didn't see any bike racks nor anyone on the road there on a bike while I saw plenty of same in the Tetons and Yellowstone.

Think of it as a carbon offset tax.