Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, the entrance fees at Saguaro National Park will increase by $5, the park announced in a press release Dec. 20.

The seven-day private vehicle entrance fee at Saguaro National Park will go up from $15 to $20, the seven-day motorcycle entrance fee will rise from $10 to $15, individual entrance passes for pedestrians and bicyclists will increase from $5 to $10 and the Saguaro Annual Pass will increase from $35 to $40.

According to Saguaro National Park, the change comes in response “to public comments on a fee proposal originally released in October 2017 to modestly increase entrance fees in order to raise additional revenue and address the $11.6 billion in deferred maintenance across the system of 418 park units.”

“Federal law requires that recreational fees charged on public lands be used for direct visitor benefits,” said Leah McGinnis, park superintendent. “Every fee dollar collected in Saguaro National Park stays in Saguaro National Park and is invested back into improving visitor facilities and services here.”

In 2019 the National Park Service is offering the following fee free days:

Monday, Jan. 21 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Saturday, April 20 for the First Day of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger Day; Sunday, Aug. 25 for National Park Service Anniversary; Saturday, Sept. 28 for National Public Lands Day; and Monday, Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.

The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, along with the Lifetime Senior Pass will remain at $80. The free annual pass for active duty military personnel and free lifetime passes for people with disabilities are also available. Families with fourth grade students can utilize the Every Kid in a Park pass, permitting a fourth grader and all of their family into all Federal Recreation Areas for free for the year.