National Park Pass

[REDVAN]

Hey all,

What is the point of this? I used to have one but forgot.

I am going to Banff this weekend.

If I don't get a pass, and they find me, what is the punishment? I know the passes are good at all National Parks, but has anyone had any issues when they've NOT got a pass?

Or I could park at the hotel and not drive anywhere, but I doubt that will happen.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Hey all,

What is the point of this? I used to have one but forgot.

I am going to Banff this weekend.

If I don't get a pass, and they find me, what is the punishment? I know the passes are good at all National Parks, but has anyone had any issues when they've NOT got a pass?

Or I could park at the hotel and not drive anywhere, but I doubt that will happen.

Don't some hotels need to see your park pass or something?

[Flaming Lips]

Well, the point is to have a user-pay system. The parks are a national resource, and, well, it takes money to maintain it. Its nice when the people who use it support it.

On the other hand, if you're too cheap to buy a day pass, then go ahead. Hopefully you'll find a nice ticket on your windshield when you get back.

FL

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Flaming Lips

Well, the point is to have a user-pay system. The parks are a national resource, and, well, it takes money to maintain it. Its nice when the people who use it support it.

On the other hand, if you're too cheap to buy a day pass, then go ahead. Hopefully you'll find a nice ticket on your windshield when you get back.

FL

Wow, thanks for the attitude- I was asking a serious question.

No need for calling me cheap or wishing a ticket upon me, yeesh!

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

If I don't get a pass, and they find me, what is the punishment?

The punishment is a ticket. I'm not sure what the fine is though.

And even if you are parked in a hotel's parking lot; they can still ticket you. if you don't think you will use the yearly pass, you can pay per day as well.

When I go skiing I always laugh at the people who have tickets when they come back to their cars.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I haven't purchased a yearly pass. I don't seem to use it enough (closest National Park to me is about an hour and a half drive away, so 3 hours, plus time spent there). I usually get a day pass then cram as much into that day as I can (mostly hiking, some beach time).

If I had a yearly pass I might be more inclined to get up and go, but then again wtih the travel might not as well.

They do ticket you if you don't have the pass.

What I do find curious is that it's free parking on Canada Day (atleast at Highlands National Park). So they pay guides and counter agents time and a half to tell you not to pay on the day you'd most likely be going to a national park to help celebrate the country.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Wow, thanks for the attitude- I was asking a serious question.

No need for calling me cheap or wishing a ticket upon me, yeesh!

The fine was around $300 last I heard.. And whats wrong with calling a spade a spade?

[octothorp]

This is second-hand information, but a friend of mine who worked in a hotel up there said that their manager would check their underground parking lot and inform the parks authority if there were people there without park passes. They would also get requests from the parks department to check their lot from time to time. Definitely don't count on your vehicle being ticket-proof once you're at the hotel, unless you've confirmed it with the hotel first.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

The fine was around $300 last I heard.. And whats wrong with calling a spade a spade?

[Flaming Lips]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Wow, thanks for the attitude- I was asking a serious question.

No need for calling me cheap or wishing a ticket upon me, yeesh!

No, you're right. I'm sure you had a legitimate reason for not wanting to purchase a park pass.

If you want to know what happens to you if you "elect not" to buy a $15 or so park pass, why don't you check out the "Offences and Punishment" portion of the Canada National Parks Act. I'm sure you will see some fines for entering a park without a proper authorization. Or, you could just buy the park pass like everyone else. Just a suggestion, which you can take or leave.

FL

[mrbanffgirl]

if they get you while you are in the car, they can fine you the amount of a years pass. and yes. The other thing is, every time you buy a day pass or a week pass, keep the reciepts and you can take these in to the park office and they will subtract these amounts from you years pass, but i think they have to be at most, 2 months old.

[ricosuave]

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...AdIdZ166422146

[COGENT]

They are pretty strict on handing out the tickets as well... I found out the hard way

I found that the annual pass pays it self off pretty quick... well for me it does anyway.

[REDVAN]

I'll prob get the pass to be safe.

Hopefully the moral police in the crowd (FlamingLips) are happy.

I know the pass can be expensive, so I was looking to avoid it if I didn't need it.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Flaming Lips

No, you're right. I'm sure you had a legitimate reason for not wanting to purchase a park pass.

If you want to know what happens to you if you "elect not" to buy a $15 or so park pass, why don't you check out the "Offences and Punishment" portion of the Canada National Parks Act. I'm sure you will see some fines for entering a park without a proper authorization. Or, you could just buy the park pass like everyone else. Just a suggestion, which you can take or leave.

FL

You need to chill out.

[FlamesKickAss]

if your an AMA member they sell them for 126 incl GST according to their website.

http://www.ama.ab.ca/cps/rde/xchg/am...asses-5937.htm

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

I'll prob get the pass to be safe.

Hopefully the moral police in the crowd (FlamingLips) are happy.

I know the pass can be expensive, so I was looking to avoid it if I didn't need it.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

You shouldn't buy a pass and when you get a ticket, come post on CP on how you can fight it.

You will see the hall monitors come out in wolf packs

[REDVAN]

I'm going to run out of thanks... but thanks everyone for the legit replies. If I would have asked this last week, I'd have had time to investigate kijiji or ama! CP FTW

[Barnes]

This thread is redonkulous.

What's next? A what's the point of a concert ticket, lift pass, bus pass thread?

[mrbanffgirl]

if you know someone who works for a car rental place, as them, as the parks people always up sell the annual pass to visitors staying over a week, and they tend to leave the pass in the cars! i use to get mine from a friend at budget