Entrance Fees to C&O Towpath to affect AT thru-hiker

imported
#1

Calling all potential and past AT thru-hikers, the powers that be at the NPS headquarters that controls the C&O Canal towpath (approximately 3 miles of the AT from Harper’s Ferry after crossing the Potomac River up to Weaverton Lock) in Hagerstown are planning to collect a park entrance fee. This will affect AT thru-hikers directly just as the entrance fee the NPS has imposed on thru-hikers entering the Great Smokey Mountains. Everyone is strongly encouraged to contact John Noel at (301) 714-2201 e-mail john_noel@nps.gov and tell them this is a very, very bad idea and that there are other ways to generate revenue, but not on the backs of patrons, especially the thru-hikers. It is important that we as outdoor adventureist and enthusiast push back on this one because if NPS gets their way here what is next, daily usage fee’s through out the entire national trail system.

Here is a link directly to the NPS proposal:

http://www.nps.gov/choh/parknews/c-and-o-canal-invites-feedback-on-proposal-to-increase-and-expand-entrance-and-other-fees-park-wide.htm

Swagman

Swagman

#2

To charge money to hike 3 miles of a 2185 mile trail is pretty silly. I won’t pay.
It would be an easy road walk detour if they did try to charge hikers for this 1.5 hour walk. But, this is what the future of the Appalachian Trail holds. I was sure that when SNP saw the money generated by the new GSMNP hiking fee they would be next. In 20 years we will be buying a thru-hike license for the entire trail. I don’t mind paying if it would fund improvements like improved treadway or more and better shelters, picnic tables, privies, trash cans, bridges etc. All we got out of the money to hike the Smokies was more trail cops.

Francis

#3

Anyone who spends 6 months on a National Scenic Trail, going in and out of multiple NPS sites should be more than willing to show their support by getting an Annual Pass.

Trailsnail

#4

I agree that an Annual Pass will be what the future holds for AT hikers. The road to creating it will be very difficult because of the highly fragmented Trail itself. In many ways there is no such thing as the Appalachian Trail. It is about 30 shorter trails linked together. These 30 trails are all someone’s rice bowl. The administrators of these rice bowls will not give up control without a fight. I see now that the State of PA wants to start charging hikers to hike the AT. The Whites will be next. It may be the right time for the National Park Service to step up and make the Appalachian Trail a true National Park and turn over all that rice.

Francis

#5

The AT was created, designed, constructed and mostly maintained by volunteers. It costs the tax payers practically nothing for hikers to use it and the benefits are immense. Taxes on meals, rooms, hiking gear ect. Turning it over to the National Park Service entirely would be a disaster. Look at any national park and see how they are handled. Its all about making money for private vendors and catering to people driving RVs. If NPS had complete control of the trail hotels and stores would be popping up all along the trail and all camping would be charged a fee.

Big B

#6

So AT thru hikers will be subject to the greedy whims of 30 different rice bowls like the Tow path guys or PA fish and game? Can’t wait for the Patco, Green Mtn and AMC to post their rates. Buying your hike tickets will be very messy and very expensive like buying the trail maps are now.

Francis

#7

Dear ATC and NPS - Please have your guys call their guys over at PCTA. The Pacific Crest Trail Association works overtime to simplify the permit process for long-distance hikers. The result? Easy and straightforward passage along the trail through many different jurisdictions, and for the most part it’s still free!

ATC should be the ones pushing back. If they can’t or won’t, what sort of luck can we expect to have?

In fact, hiking the AT should be fee-exempt, end of story. Permits and fees are appropriate for parking lots, fees for driving through entrance gates, permits and/or fees for camping in certain “fee areas.” But not for simply taking a walk in the woods. This is the only fair and reasonable approach on a trail like the AT which tends to be as front-country and well-worn as a city street.

snodgrass

#8

I think it’s a good thing, I would think the ATC is supporting it since it is basically at their front door. And when the GSMNP started it’s permit system it was aimed at ALL hikers not just AT hikers, Actually i wished their was a fee to hike up Springer.
Just take a look at BSP, if BSP had it their way in a few years the AT want even go up Katahdin or any place else on the BSP boundry.

I think the fee/permit system is WAY over due.

so no i don’t have a problem with paying a few dollars to take a walk.

RED-DOG

#9

That’s the problem, Red. AT hikers are not ALL hikers, just as the Appalachian Trail is nothing like any other trail that these agencies host. If you actually think the ATC would actively support a fee to walk the AT where coterminous with the towpath for 3 miles, then you need to have your head examined. The problem is that their advocacy abilities are likely strained by politics, plain and simple. And we are the underdogs here, increasingly so as our numbers increase and short-sighted agencies look to reign in perceived impacts (“person days” and other such mumbo jumbo) by raising money as a tacit deterrent against use and as a cash cow for unrelated or misguided programs (like more “trail cops” in GSMNP to enforce the permit system).

Why would you want there to be a fee to hike up Springer Mountain? To keep the numbers down? You do realize that you disparage the very tenets of American freedom, not to mention the original vision of Benton MacKaye himself, when you describe a trail accessible only to those who can afford the privilege.

Geez, with hiking friends like Red Dog, who needs enemies?

snodgrass

#10

“so no i don’t have a problem with paying a few dollars to take a walk.” - Henry David Thoreau (NOT!)

“so no i don’t have a problem with paying a few dollars to take a walk.” - Edward Paul Abbey (NOT!)

“so no i don’t have a problem with paying a few dollars to take a walk.” - John Muir (NOT!)

__

#11

Many trails piggy back on the C & O Canal and they would be impacted more than the AT.
NPS is proposing to raise the cost of a simple hiker/biker campsite to $20 per night.
That would mean it would cost the average canal thru-hiker $200 or more to hike the whole canal.
The coast to coast America Discovery Trail uses 166 miles of the canal and would be majorly impacted.
The Tuscarora Trail uses 9.2 miles of the canal and would also be impacted.
The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail which uses the whole canal would be majorly impacted.
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maintains many side trails off of the canal which would also be affected with the new fee restructuring.
And of course, the AT user would be affected. I think that the proposed fee for this year that affects the AT would be $3 dollars. Then increase over time. And how would you obtain this user pass?
Implementing a fee system on a trail that is volunteer maintained does not seem right. The C and O Canal has over 4000 volunteers who perform a variety of tasks to help keep the park afloat, because the government will not fully fund it no matter who is in power in Washington.
Most users of the Canal are day walkers and bicyclists.
Distance hikers/overnight users make up a small percentage of actual Canal users.

Dave Tosten

#12

Honestly, if I thought that spending money on some kind of hiking pass would mean the money goes to maintain the trail and/or pay for service personnel rudiment to the the trail upkeep, then I would have no issue opening up the wallet. What I hate to see is the money get siphoned off to some other budgets. I actually probably don’t have a problem with spending the money on a GSMNP hiking permit as long as the money goes into a LNT ridgerunner program. If the money just goes to fund a guy who is there to check for permits, it is worse than a shovel-ready make-work program. Also, I have some issue with once they set fees in place, they will incrementally increase them over the years as the fees become a part of a budget that gets reviewed periodically.

TedHiker