National Park Fees Will Only Go Up By $5, Far Less Than The Trump Administration Originally Proposed

Hikers in Zion National Park, Utah.

Sean Gallup / Getty Images

The Trump administration has abandoned plans for a major and controversial increase to entrance fees at national parks — and will instead only raise the price by a few dollars.

The National Park Service announced the increases Thursday, saying that entrance fees for a 7-day vehicle pass at 117 parks will go up by $5. Other types of passes, such as for walking into the parks, will see smaller fee increases. The fee increases go into effect on June 1.

The Park Service said in a statement that the higher entrance fees will be used "for projects and activities to improve the experience for visitors who continue to visit parks at unprecedented levels."

The modest fee increases represent a significant reversal for the Interior Department. Last October, Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke proposed raising entrance fees at the 17 most popular parks to $70 during peak season. The Interior Department said the higher fees were needed to address funding shortages, but the proposal was nevertheless met with an immediately backlash by those saying would-be visitors would be priced out.

The Interior Department did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment on what prompted the agency to abandon the higher proposed entrance fee.

This is a developing story. Check back later and follow @BuzzFeedNews on Twitter for updates.

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