I read in one of the forums where starting 1/1/08 that Xanterra, the primary in-park concessioners for Grand Canyon, and other national parks, is not going to honor either the Golden Age Passport or the America the Beautiful senior passes. I have emailed them several times asking about this and have not gotten any reply.

Has anyone else read this, or heard anything about this?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Wander-N-Bill,

Kellie has been working on this issue, and has the straight skinny... I'll ask her to post the latest...

This is an issue that we all need to get to work on. First one place then another until they will not honor the Golden Age Passport or the American Senior pass. I read several years ago in some old records from Congress that that may have been the plan all along. Or at least it was mentioned. Is issue something that all the RV clubs should be working on?

Read my reply to the earlier thread here:

Xanterra and Senior Passes

Add the campground at Crater Lake to the places the the pass will be honored.

Hey Guys,

I'm sorry that I am a little late with this post but I have up to my chin with other chores.
Below are some facts that I received from a National Park Representative:

• National Parks are still managed by the National Park Service.
  
• Xanterra and other concessionaires operate services within the national parks. Some examples of the concessionaires operations would be the lodges, boat tours, and occasionally campgrounds.
  
• Zion National Park campgrounds do accept Golden Age, Golden Access, Senior and Access passes for half-price camping.
  
• Grand Teton National Park and Crater Lake National Park Campgrounds are run by concessionaires but still give the half-price discount.
  
• Yellowstone National Park Campground is run by concessionaires and give the half-price discount except at Fishing Bridge RV Park.
  
• The Golden Age passport is still valid for passholder's lifetime, as indicated on the back of the pass.
  
• The pass waives entrance fees at federal fee areas across the country and may give the holder half off camping at federal fee areas.
  

I am still in the process of contacting certain NPS staff, and I will post as I receive information. However, in the meantime, write your U.S. Representatives and Senators. What do you have to lose by writing a letter or an email?

I'll be back!!!

Hugs,

Kellie

The concern is not only with National Parks, but all U.S. Government managed (note the word "managed") parks. Many U.S. Forest Service concessions are also not honoring the passes.

quote:

Originally posted by dave swanson:
...Many U.S. Forest Service concessions are also not honoring the passes.

Do you, or does anyone here know of specific USFS CGs which do NOT accept Golden Age/ Golden Access/America-the-Beautiful Passes? If so, such info should go into a Database similar to the one for No-Overnight WalMarts.

Lew

We visited the Grand Canyon April 5th.
We had no problem getting in with our Golden Age card.

Please read Kellie's post again.

Xanterra is a concessionaire that operates "some" of the services within national parks, including full hookup RV parks. Concessionaires have *always* had the option to honor the passes or not. Xanterra has simply stated that they will no longer do so.

However, that has NOTHING to do with being able to get into the national parks for free or for being able to camp for 1/2 price at "federally-run" campgrounds.

For example, at Grand Tetons National Park, there are two camping places called Colter Bay. One is a full-service RV park run by a concessionaire and does not honor any of the passes (Senior and Access) for 1/2-price camping. Right next door is Colter Bay Campground, a campground run by the National Park Service, and it DOES honor the passes for 1/2-price camping.

Grand Canyon has a similar setup of a concessionaire-run full service RV park which doesn't honor the passes, and a National Park-run campground which does.

This is strictly an "assumption", but it appears that most of the CAMPGROUNDS are still honoring the 1/2 price camping, but the FHU RV PARKS are not. As more and more of us qualify for half-price camping and occupy more and more of the sites, I can see the rates continuing to increase just to make up the difference in revenues, too. Again, JMHO.

Brenda

LindaH, can you point out for me where "Xanterra hs simply stated that they will no longer do so"?

All the information that I have shows this statement to be totally false!

I got the information from the OP and a blurb I read in a past issue of the Escapees magazine.

Are you saying that Xanterra IS going to honor the Senior and Access passes for 1/2-price camping in their full-service RV parks located inside National Parks? If so, where do YOU get that information?

Here's a link to the facilities and concessions that Xanterra runs in several national parks and other locations; contact information is available for every one of them. Why not just use this contact information at the location of interest and verify just what Xanterra does and does not accept and for which services and facilities?

http://www.xanterra.com/national-parks-contact-information-351.html

Xanterra has nothing to dowith establishing entry fees into federally-operated parks or facilities, nor do they have any control over establishing camping fees charged at campgrounds within these parks and facilities which they do not manage.

LindaH, your post made it sound like you were talking about all the campgrounds, including FHU. Xanterra has never honored the passes at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone, or the FHU park at the Grand Canyon. So the statement that "they would no longer do so" is incorrect. More correct to say that they said the would continue with a long standing policy. :-)

We were camphosts last summer in the Mt Hood National Forest in Oregon. The CG's are operated on a conncession basis by 1000 Trails management branch. They honor the Golden passes for camping, but not at the fee-based day-use areas. There was a lot of protest from retired people who have used to coming up from the city for a day of fishing at Timothy Lake.

Not honoring the passes, IMO, is like taking away a promise made when they were established.