Search the Community

I'm headed down and was wondering if anyone else from XLADV is headed to the FMAR this year. If there is a better place to ask this...please enlighten.

This has been a constant source of irritation for me as I attend a motorcycle rally (Flying Monkey Adventure Rally) at Zion Ponderosa Ranch in Orderville, UT each year and am required to either pay the "toll" or drive an extra 52 miles/1 hour around vs the 11 mile public road through the park. I think if it was free that the park probably couldn't handle the traffic but I think the full price of $30 for someone not even using the park isn't fair. $30 is to actually use the park, as in hike, park, eat, camp, use the bathrooms, etc...I think something like $12 would be more equitable if you're just passing through. Death Valley NP has no gates because it's on an interstate highway. You're required to pay for a pass if you actually stop at any of the park's facilities. Utah State Route 9 is clearly also a public road. There was a court case a few years ago where a judge ruled the US Forest Service cannot effectively be charging for parking where people are just essentially passing through on a public road. Hikers and motorcyclists and jeepers, etc... were required to buy the Adventure Pass or face a ticket if they're caught without it. I think similarly here, the NPS isn't allowed to essentially charge a toll for using a public road. Additionally, I've found not all national park service employees possess even basic skills of civility and have been treated very poorly on many occasions. The guy at the gate was quite rude to me when I exclaimed "$30!?" Four years earlier I'd attended with a girlfriend where I came the day before then she the day after. We'd both paid entrance fees but on the second day we rode two up coming back through the park (again not using the park, just the public road) and we were required to pay for her as a passenger even though we'd both already paid individually. And they were not nice about it. What do you think?