When doesn't your $50 National Parks Pass cover the cost of entering a unit of the national park system? When you visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial, that's when.
You see, while your pass gets you through the Park Service's entrance gate, you'll have to shell out $8 to park inside the memorial!
In what sure seems like an example of the privatizing of your parks, it turns out that the parking garage was not built with federal dollars, but rather by Presidential Parking, Inc. -- catchy name, no? -- and that company controls the parking at the memorial. We will next run into Grand Canyon Parking, Inc., or Yosemite Valley Parking, Inc.?
If there's an upside to this fee, it's good for an entire year. Of course, that's probably little solace if you drove there from New Jersey. Oh, and if you think you can avoid the fee by parking on the shoulder of the road leading to the memorial, don't try that, as Scott Silver from Wild Wilderness tells me the South Dakota State Police will be happy to ticket your rig.
Of course, what really makes this sadly ironic is that Mount Rushmore in the past has graced the National Parks Pass.
Your National Parks Pass Doesn't Always Cover Your Entrance Fee
By Kurt Repanshek - October 10th, 2006
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Comments
Ok, heres why your pass doesnt cover the 8 dollar fee. When attendance to Mount Rushmore started to become more than the tiny lot could handle, obviously, something had to be done. A 17 million dollar parking structure was proposed, but federal funding wasnt approved for it. Instead congress granted a loan for it. Yes, loans have to be paid off. Hence, the 8 dollar fee.
but anyways.... its 8 dollars....and you can come back anytime you want to with however many people you can fit in your car. If you cant afford 8 dollars, maybe you shouldnt be on vacation.