Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Legislation Free entrance into national/county parks?

I was riding with a couple of buddies this weekend and one signalled he wanted to pull off at some county or state run nature preseve park to rest. So we pull off and pull up to the gatehouse where you were supposed to pay $5 for parking to get in. When we pulled up the girl in the booth just waved us through. I had never heard of such a thing but according to my friend who has been riding for decades, this is a common practice. Has anyone else heard of this or know how it works?

Here in NY the parks are free admission after Labor Day.

FYI in Thailand state parks and other government owned places that attract tourist attention all have free entry to Thai nationals but charge everyone else. The theory is that it's the Thais who own the place so they shouldn't be charged. A lot of private attractions charge Thais but have higher prices for tourists, but I think that's more about gouging us "rich westerners" for as much as possible.

I don't recall paying anything in any public park (state or local) in PA, WV, or Maryland. There may be an exception but I haven't found it. If any have suggestion boxes, I'm going to suggest they start charging Thais.

It doesn't cost me a dime to get into the national parks/monuments with my Golden Access Passport I got for being a disabled vet. However I was charged $6 to get my bike through the gate at Picacho Peak State Park here in Arizona. Also locally, there's a tool booth at the bottom of Mt Lemmon, but you only have to pay if you're going to use the picnic areas, hiking trials, etc. If you're just going for a ride to the top and back, you don't have to pay.

Three dollars to get into Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Free if you have the Golden Age Passport, one of my riding buddies is retired military and sometimes they let the whole group in on his.
Two dollars for Red Rock, good for all day. State, no free admit, however 20 bucks gets you a one year pass.
Six bucks!! for Valley of Fire. State again.
Death Valley is five, free with GA, on the honor system, no gate.

All very good rides though, so I don't mind (that much)

Have you considered trying an Iron Butt National Parks Tour?

More than anything, it's an excuse to get out and ride. I think most people don't have this problem, but I have a hard time just getting out and riding unless there's someplace to go, so this gives me something in the way of ride destinations.

50 stamps from 25 states in a year? That's a lot of miles from where I live.

There's so many things I want to see and do on the bike already. Travel the north coast of California and see my nephew. Going to the annual open house of the Dan Rouitt flat track museum in Clovis, California and riding through the Sierras. Seeing the new Concours D'Elegance they have for motorcycles in Half Moon Bay. And then there's a trip back east for the Georgia Rally, riding the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Dragon, just to say I've done it. There's also the Barber Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. And it'd be a blast to hit the Nor'East Rally at Pat's place. Then there's also Yellowstone and the Tetons, plus the ba.com Northwest Rally in Idaho. And I've always wanted to ride in Colorado.

Nope, I don't have a problem finding places to go on my bike. It's just a matter of time and money. Time I have, it's the money part that's holding me back.

in Ct most of the "gate keepers" at the state parks will just wave you through if you are one or two bikes alone. I think its because they know most of the time you are either just taking a break or passing through.And it seems you are more likely to get a break form a female "gate keeper".

Are you the gate keeper? I am the keymaster.

Name that movie...

And the flowers are still standing!

One of the best lines ever...

After the song line thread calms down, we should do a movie one.

Cool hand luke?

"Any man who stops workin gets a night in the box"

my favorite movie line would be to offensive to some for me to post here.....its from "the dirty dozen"...Telly Savales speaking to Jim Brown.

I love that movie! Got it on DVD too...