BANDELIER NEWS
The National Park Service has designated two fee-free days in August – Aug. 4 for the first anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act and Aug. 25 for the 105th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service.
“By having days when parks do not charge an entry fee, we allow everyone to have an equal opportunity to visit these very special protected places,” said Acting Supt. Dennis Milligan. “In 2021, there were 6 fee-free days designated so visitors can enjoy their parks without any worry about the cost.”
The Great American Outdoors Act is landmark conservation legislation that uses revenues from energy development to provide up to $1.9 billion a year for five years to provide needed maintenance for critical facilities and infrastructure in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and American Indian schools. It also uses royalties from offshore oil and natural gas to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund to the tune of $900 million a year to invest in conservation and recreation opportunities across the country.
National parks host more than 325 million visitors every year, and the infrastructure cannot keep up without significant repairs. The network of roads, trails, restrooms, water treatment systems, and visitor facilities are aging, and many are exceeding the capacity they were designed to support. The National Parks and Public Lands Restoration Fund will provide funding for priority projects that address the maintenance backlog at NPS facilities, including campgrounds, picnic areas, roads, trails, and other critical infrastructure. Specific projects to be funded will be announced in the future.
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the legislation establishing the National Park Service. This year will mark the 105th anniversary even though some parks were established well before the creation of the National Park Service. Bandelier National Monument was in fact established a little over 6 months earlier on February 11, 1916. That legislation was also signed by President Woodrow Wilson.
Except on fee-free days, park entrance fees are $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per bicycle/individual. All entrance passes are valid for 7 days. Camping fees are not included in entrance fees. America the Beautiful “ the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes are accepted for entrance fees. The full suite of America the Beautiful “ the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes as well as Bandelier Annual passes are available for purchase at the visitor center. For more information about types of passes and prices, visit: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm.
Bandelier National Monument is open every day from sunrise to sunset. The park store operated by Western National Parks Association is open each day, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. The cafe is open 7 days a week, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm.
Information about Bandelier visit www.nps.gov/band, call the visitor center, 505-672-3861, ext. 0. Like us on Facebook BandelierNPS, follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BandelierNPS.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.