Great Falls Park has resolved to stop accepting cash as payment for its entry fees in the new year.
The National Park Service announced yesterday (Monday) that it will require visitors to the park at 9200 Old Dominion Drive to pay their entrance fees with a credit or debit card or by electronic means starting on Jan. 1, 2025.
“Adopting a cashless system enables the park to make better use of visitor funds by reducing the time staff spend handling cash,” the park service said in a press release. “This approach increases the amount of fee revenue available for critical projects and visitor services, and it enhances accountability while reducing risk.”
A standard pass for entry into Great Falls Park costs $10 for pedestrians and cyclists, $15 for motorcycle riders and $20 for drivers. The NPS also offers an annual entrance pass for $35 as well as annual passes that can be used at any national park for $80.
According to the NPS, George Washington Memorial Parkway, which manages Great Falls Park, has used the revenue from entrance fees to support repair and maintenance projects, rehabilitate the Potomac River overlooks and establish a mobile visitor center.
“Entrance fees are vital to improving the visitor experience in national parks, supporting projects such as road and facility maintenance, trail enhancements, accessible exhibits, and visitor and resource protection services,” the NPS said.
The park’s visitor center is currently closed for construction, according to its website. Operating hours are 7 a.m. to 30 minutes before sunset every day, except for Dec. 25, when the park closes for Christmas.
The full press release is below.
Great Falls Park to Transition to Cashless Fee Collection Starting January 1, 2025
Transition to electronic payments reduces transaction times, saves money, and improves accountabilityGREAT FALLS, Va. — Beginning January 1, 2025, Great Falls Park, Virginia—managed by the George Washington Memorial Parkway—will shift to a fully cashless entrance fee system. Entrance fees will be payable only by credit/debit card, mobile, or other electronic payment methods.
Adopting a cashless system enables the park to make better use of visitor funds by reducing the time staff spend handling cash. This approach increases the amount of fee revenue available for critical projects and visitor services, and it enhances accountability while reducing risk.
Entrance fees are $20 per vehicle. Fees may be paid in advance, or visitors can purchase a park pass. For more information, please visit: www.nps.gov/grfa/planyourvisit/fees.
Entrance fees are vital to improving the visitor experience in national parks, supporting projects such as road and facility maintenance, trail enhancements, accessible exhibits, and visitor and resource protection services.
Fee revenues at Great Falls Park have supported projects like replacing roofs and HVAC systems, designing and rehabilitating the park’s three overlooks, restoring the visitor center courtyard, and developing a mobile visitor center that increases outreach and helps visitors learn about the park and its many sites.
To learn more about how your entrance fees fund improvements at Great Falls Park and along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, please visit: Your Fee Dollars at Work – Great Falls Park (U.S. National Park Service).
