Entrance fees to Harpers Ferry to increase January 1

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will increase its entrance fees on January 1, 2020, as part of the National Park Service’s ongoing efforts to address infrastructure needs and improve future visitor experiences.

All money collected from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service, with at least 80 percent retained locally at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, according to Autumn Cook, public information officer for the park.

The new fees will be $10 per person, $20 per vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, or $35 for the annual park pass.

Cook said park officials in 2019 used money from entrance fees to stabilize stone steps in the lower town used by Appalachian Trail hikers and visitors to the Harper House, Jefferson Rock, and the Camp Hill area.

Entrance fee money also funds the current renovation of the lower town public restrooms, she said.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park offers a $35 annual park-specific pass that provides entrance to the park and access to amenities including shuttle buses and park-managed parking lots as well as museums, exhibits, hiking trails, and ranger-led programs.

An annual $80 America-the-Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass also provides park visitor entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks.

Free and discounted passes are also available for senior citizens, active-duty members of the U.S. military, fourth-grade students, and disabled citizens.

Five entrance fee-free days are also planned at Harpers Ferry in 2020, during which all national parks will waive entrance fees:

• Monday, January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 18 – First Day of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger Day
• Tuesday, August 25 – National Park Service Birthday
• Saturday, September 26 – National Public Lands Day
• Wednesday, November 11 – Veterans Day

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park preserves, protects, and interprets the nationally significant history of Harpers Ferry which includes the topics of natural heritage, industry, transportation, John Brown’s Raid, the Civil War, and African American history.

Located in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, the 3,500-acre park features more than 20 miles of hiking trails.

For more information about visiting Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, call the park’s visitor center at 304-535-6298 or check out the park’s website.