The National Park Service has been considering increasing the climbing fee for those attempting to climb Mt. McKinley (Denali). Currently, there is a $200 fee but the plan is to increase it 150%, to $500.

Recently, Denali has become a popular mountain to climb, and the combination of increased the traffic, mountain rescues, and emergency operations, as well as the basic park maintenance has put a strain on the Park Service’s budget. The fee increase is being considered so that the NPS will be able to continue to meet the demand for these services.

This is still in the early stages of consideration and a decision won’t be made one way or the other right away. The NPS plans to open up an 18-month period where the public can comment. Local businesses aren’t too happy with the idea, claiming that the hike in price will cause climbers (and the business they bring to the local economy) to other locales.

Fees for climbing mountains are not a new concept, but on the scale of costs, even with the increased fee Denali is on the low end. To put it in perspective, a permit from the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism for climbing Mt Everest will run you at least $10,000.

-via The Adventure Blog and Sierra Blogging Post