Petitioning Interior Secretary Deb Haaland
Rescind the Trump era National Parks price increases

In 2016 visitors to Yellowstone National Park weren’t aware of what was about to happen to their family vacations. They were busy enjoying the last season before the cost of staying overnight in many of the parks most iconic hotels was about to skyrocket. Enter the Trump/Zinke era of concessionaire deregulation.

In 2017 the Trump Administration wanted to privatize National Parks. Then Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who would later earn infamy by rescinding methane and lead pollution regulations on public lands, declared he wasn’t in the business of running camp grounds. The Trump Administration began a concerted effort to raise National Parks entrance fees and sell off vital assets to developers and unscrupulous concessionaires. The effort failed. The public outcry was loud and clear – HANDS OFF OUR PARKS!

In 2018 Interior Secretary Zinke initiated a “pilot program” of hotel deregulation in the National Parks.
something they could do away from the public eye and outside of congressional purview. Whereas previously prices had been aligned with that of surrounding communities, the pilot program divided hotels in the parks into core and non-core locations and allowed concessionaires to base their rates on “market forces in these new “non-core” locations. The unwritten here? Charge as much as they could get.

In 2019 the Trump administrations deregulation allowed certain concessionaires to nearly triple the price of rooms in some of our National Parks most loved hotels. The pilot program was declared a success. In parks like Yellowstone, guests seeking reservations at the famous Old Faithful Inn, Lake Hotel and Canyon lodging sites discovered the hotels had been declared “non core lodging”. The result? Today costs fluctuate daily at brutally exorbitant rates that would make the most hardened traveler flinch.

By 2021 deregulation was a disaster for the visitor. In Yellowstone National park at the iconic Old Faithful Inn, a room that in 2016 cost $265 was now around $700ª a night, an old house room that went for less than $100 in 2015 now cost $455ª, pricing most retirees and everyday visitors out of an overnight stay.

For all but the wealthy, vacations to our historic hotels were now, a distant memory.

Did the rate increases benefit USNPS,
NO
Between 2016 and 2020 fees paid by NPS concessionaires increased by no more than $20 million while over the same time period NPS average annual budget was slashed $460 million.

That’s when one of the original Twitter AltParks #Resistance accounts, @AltYelloNatPark, in cooperation with DefendOurParks.org decided to fight back

We took up the cause and began a petition asking the new Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland to rescind the Trump era changes in regulations and return lodging rates to 2016 levels. You can view and sign the petition by following the link below ↓

Taxes and entrance fees pay for our National Parks, but after deregulation by the Trump administration, and shameless price gouging by greedy concessionaires; all but the most wealthy visitors are priced out of staying a night.

In 2019 prices skyrocketed

By 2021 For instance prices in Yellowstone, when compared to 2016, had nearly tripled in many of these “non core” hotels. A wider and more accurate comparison will only be possible once the summer season is fully underway, and more accurate pricing is available but even then, hotel concessionaires will vary the price on any given day. Increasing prices in peak seasons. Many former employees are so shocked they’ve signed our petition, which has received far to many comments to mention. Here’s just a few.

Amanda M. wrote, “I worked in YNP for 3 years. Husband and I wanted to visit again next summer (we left after 2016). I could not believe the rate increases. I thought it was bad when I worked there, but $477 for one of those cabins is beyond ridiculous”.

Shannon commented, “I worked in Yellowstone National Park! It’s a beautiful place and should be affordable so everyone can enjoy it majestic beauty. All parks should be affordable”.

Andrew E. “The national Parks belong to every American citizen equally, and visiting them should be affordable for all”.

The hard reality is deregulation didn’t hurt everyone, over the last four years greedy concessionaires walked way with millions. And donated generously to the politicians who’d helped them bilk the visitors for every dime they possibly could.

If you’d like to sign the petition to rescind the Trump era price increases and correct regulations for National Parks lodging visit the link below and let’s right this wrong. ↓

ª Foot note
In all fairness the Yellowstone Lodges representative who relayed this years prices emphasized that since lodges were almost entirely booked prices would vary, likely increasing, as cancelations came in and rooms became available. The prices quoted are for an Old Faithful Inn Premium East Wing room and for a single bed shared bath old house room, which will only become available in phase two opening later this summer season. Quoted prices in 2016 are based on The Yellowstone National Park Lodges Experience Planner available online at https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/assets/2016-Experience-Planner-Website.pdf Old Faithful Area pg 11. Quoted price in 2015 for a single bed, shared bath, old house room is from personal experience, as I recall I paid something like $70 for one night in 2015. ↓

Ominous Ann 4/14/2021
@AltyelloNatPark