New Pass, New Ban in National Parks

National parks visitors this week will find two major changes: a new annual pass and a limited ban on motorized water scooters such as Jet Skis and WaveRunners.

The new National Parks Pass offers unlimited visits to national parks for one year. It costs $50 per vehicle. Whether it’s a good deal depends on which parks you visit and how often. For instance, three of the most popular ones--Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon--charge a $20 entrance fee per vehicle for a seven-day period; some other parks charge less.

However you figure it, though, the new pass system costs you more than the current system. In the past, there has been a single annual pass, the Golden Eagle Passport, good for unlimited visits not only to U.S. parks but also to lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and other federal entities. That pass will now cost $65 instead of $50. It will no longer be sold through the National Park Service but can be bought at the other federal lands; you can upgrade your National Parks Pass to the Golden Eagle Passport if you visit these sites by paying an extra $15.

You can buy the National Parks Pass starting Tuesday at the parks, by calling (888) GO-PARKS, visiting the Internet site https://www.nationalparks.org or writing National Parks Pass, 27540 Avenue Mentry, Valencia, CA 91355 (enclose $53.95 check or money order payable to National Park Service).

On Thursday, a much-ballyhooed ban on water scooters takes effect in national parks. In fact, only 87 of the 379 parks have allowed motorized boating (including scooters), and 21 of these are exempt from the ban, park officials say--meaning scooter use can continue in them. Among the exempt parks is popular Lake Mead in Arizona and Nevada. Call ahead to check a specific park’s rules.