Your Fee Dollars at Work

Recreation fees provide a vital source of revenue for improving facilities and services for park visitors. The National Park Service collects entrance fees under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2004. Eighty percent of entrance fees collected at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park stays in the park and is used for projects directly related to visitor enjoyment, resource protection, and safety. The remaining 20 percent is distributed throughout the national park system, helping to support park units that do not collect entrance fees.

National parks have experienced record-breaking visitation in recent years. Throughout the country, the combination of an aging infrastructure and increased visitation has put a strain on park roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services and led to a multi-billion-dollar deferred maintenance backlog nationwide.

Click here to learn more about the National Park Service's fee program.

Fee-funded Projects at Black Canyon

 

New Black Canyon relief map at South Rim Visitor Center

NPS/J. Stringfield photo

New Relief Map Exhibit at South Rim Visitor Center

This map is a central exhibit feature in the park's primary visitor center, offering visitors a three-dimensional overview of Black Canyon and the surrounding terrain. Visitors use it independently, and rangers are also able to provide "map talks" in the busy months. Visitor-activated LED lights illuminate to identify park features and locations. A smaller tactile version of the map allows for greater accessibility and understanding for visitors with visual impairments. The weather-resistant map was installed on a wheeled, all-weather cart for indoor/outdoor use.

 

East Portal Campground

NPS Photo

Repairs at East Portal and South Rim Campgrounds

A recent fee-funded project rebuilt and regraded tent pads at two park campgrounds. Decaying wood delineation timbers were replaced with sustainable composite lumber, anchored with reinforced concrete. Pads were regraded for better drainage, increasing the usability of sites during and after periods of rain and snowmelt. Repairs were particularly important at East Portal, as its access road prohibits trailers and large RVs, making tent camping a necessary option.

 

North Vista Trail

NPS/C. Roundtree

North Rim Trail Maintenance

Fee revenue funded repairs to four trails on the north rim of Black Canyon. Trail crews repaired or replaced stone walls, masonry steps, and drainage features to improve visitor safety and enjoyment, minimize erosion, and reduce future maintenance costs.