Comment on Great Falls Park’s new fees

[hozn]

I wonder what percentage of cyclists pay the admission vs just entering the park via C&O (MD) or CCT/Difficult Run trail (VA).

[Judd]

I don’t think I’ve ever driven to Great Falls. Is there someone collecting payment for cars when you pull in there? At most of the battlefields, you’re supposed to stop in the visitor center and pay the fee. Since there’s nothing preventing parking and walking the battlefield without going into the visitor center, it’s easy to become a free rider (or not even know that there’s a fee).

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Judd 166542 wrote:

I don’t think I’ve ever driven to Great Falls. Is there someone collecting payment for cars when you pull in there?

Yes, there is a ticket booth at the road entrance…similar to Skyline Drive, you can’t avoid it if you’re in a car.

[Crickey7]

On the Maryland side, it’s pretty easy to arrive by the towpath from Swain’s Lock or the Old Angler’s Inn lots. Very few cyclists will end up being tagged for this payment.

[Judd]

@TwoWheelsDC 166543 wrote:

Yes, there is a ticket booth at the road entrance…similar to Skyline Drive, you can’t avoid it if you’re in a car.

Well, I guess have not paid the entrance fee to Great Falls on at least 3 occasions. Just another scofflaw cyclist. I didn’t know that there was a fee and don’t recall seeing any signage indicating a fee for someone accessing from the C&O.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Judd 166548 wrote:

Well, I guess have not paid the entrance fee to Great Falls on at least 3 occasions. Just another scofflaw cyclist. I didn’t know that there was a fee and don’t recall seeing any signage indicating a fee for someone accessing from the C&O.

There’s no fee on the MD side regardless of how you enter.

[secstate]

@TwoWheelsDC 166550 wrote:

There’s no fee on the MD side regardless of how you enter.

There is! A friend got dinged when entering on his bike via MacArthur Blvd. I watched and laughed.

[chris_s]

@TwoWheelsDC 166550 wrote:

There’s no fee on the MD side regardless of how you enter.

https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/fees.htm
The ONLY location in the park that collects entrance fees are at Great Falls Entrance Station. The entrance station is located at 11710 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, MD 20854. Over 80% of the fees collected are returned to the park for specific projects. All other access to the park is free.

[huskerdont]

Because of going there often enough for kayaking, and trips to SNP, I get the $80 yearly pass, which is worth it if you go often enough and can afford it. Otherwise, yeah, if money is tight, just park at Difficult Run (or Angler’s Inn, etc.) and walk/run/ride in.

I don’t mind supporting the park service, but I would prefer that it were properly funded so that everyone can enjoy the parks. This is why we pay taxes–so we can have nice things. It shouldn’t be so expensive that only the middle and upper class can visit them. /cranky rant

[TwoWheelsDC]

@chris_s 166553 wrote:

https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/fees.htm
The ONLY location in the park that collects entrance fees are at Great Falls Entrance Station. The entrance station is located at 11710 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, MD 20854. Over 80% of the fees collected are returned to the park for specific projects. All other access to the park is free.

Ah interesting. I think that’s the one spot I haven’t parked at or ridden past in the entire park!

[hozn]

@TwoWheelsDC 166557 wrote:

Ah interesting. I think that’s the one spot I haven’t parked at or ridden past in the entire park!

Riding down to the gate from MacAurthur — and back up — is a great hill.

[KWL]

It is a National Park so…

[Kitty]

@Judd 166548 wrote:

Well, I guess have not paid the entrance fee to Great Falls on at least 3 occasions. Just another scofflaw cyclist. I didn’t know that there was a fee and don’t recall seeing any signage indicating a fee for someone accessing from the C&O.

Same here! But then again, I’ve only seen the C&O part of Great Falls. I understand there’s more to it. And that its great.

Anyway, I thought that National Park fees were largely parking/car-use fees anyway. I never knew peds/cyclists/kayakers(?) were also supposed to pay.

[Starduster]

@Crickey7 166546 wrote:

On the Maryland side, it’s pretty easy to arrive by the towpath from Swain’s Lock or the Old Angler’s Inn lots. Very few cyclists will end up being tagged for this payment.

Or Carderock…

[huskerdont]

@Kitty 166611 wrote:

Anyway, I thought that National Park fees were largely parking/car-use fees anyway. I never knew peds/cyclists/kayakers(?) were also supposed to pay.

It’s just going through the entrance station what does it. They don’t ding cyclists who ride in via other routes. If you’re a ped, you’d likely use one of the trails and avoid the entrance station. Kayakers kayaking through would not need to pay, but bringing the kayak in on a car is what does it, and it’s difficult not to. It’s against the rules to run Great Falls on the Virginia side from above, although you can on the Maryland side. You actually have to put in below the falls and carry up, so you would end up having to pay anyway unless you put in at Angler’s Inn and attained all the way up:

“All boaters must enter the river below the falls in Fisherman’s Eddy, between Overlooks 2 and 3, and in AA Gorge. The Virginia shoreline above the falls is closed to boating.”

[Author]

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