The National Park Service (NPS) announces that Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park will have a new park specific annual pass. This pass will cost $30 and will allow unlimited entry into the park for the entire calendar year from the time of purchase. This is a great pass for local residences that frequent the park throughout the year. The annual passes will be available on June 1, 2018.
The park will also modify its entrance fees to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs to enhance the visitor experience. Effective on June 1, 2018 the park fees will increase to $15 per vehicle, $7 per person walking in, and $10 per motorcycle.
The annual Tri Park Pass, an annual pass that allows visitors unlimited entry to the three fee-charging national parks in Hawai‘i: Hawai‘i Volcanoes (temporarily closed due to eruptive activity), Haleakalā National Parks, and Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, will increase in phases. Starting June 1, 2018, the Tri Park Pass will go from $30 to $50, and to $55 in January 2020. If you currently have an annual Tri Park Pass, it’s a good time to renew it before the prices go up on June 1. All of the money received from entrance fees remains in the NPS with up to 100 percent of the revenue staying in Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Revenue from entrance fees stay in the park and are devoted to spending that supports the visitor.
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National parks have experienced record-breaking visitation, with more than 1.5 billion visitors in the last five 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 lead to an $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog nationwide.
The additional revenue from entrance fees at Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historic Park will support projects like upgrading audio visual equipment for amphitheater, developing new exhibits and interpretive programs, supports annual two day cultural festival and more.
Entrance fees collected by the National Park Service totaled $199 million in Fiscal Year 2016. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.
The current fee rate is $5 per vehicle $3 per motorcycle, $3 per person walking in and $30 for the Tri-Park Pass. The park is one of the 117 National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee; the other 300 national parks will remain free to enter. The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.
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The complete fee schedule will change according to the following:
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