Travel writers David and Kay Scott enjoy a sunrise at Zibriskie Point in Death Valley National Park.

The National Park Service on April 12 announced a revision to its October proposal for a substantial increase in park entrance fees.

The October proposal would have increased entrance fees for a seven-day pass at each of the 17 busiest parks to $70 per vehicle.

The higher fee for parks such as Acadia, Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Sequoia among others would be in effect only during each park’s peak season defined as the busiest contiguous five-month period of visitation.

For the majority of the parks, the higher fee would have gone into effect June 1.

Withdrawal of the proposal and the recent announcement of a more modest fee increase resulted in large part from tens of thousands of negative public comments about the proposed increase.

In addition, the federal budget passed by Congress on March 23 included a substantial increase in funding for the National Park Service. An earlier budget proposal would have reduced National Park Service funding by $322 million.

In the revised proposal announced April 12, national park units that currently charge an entrance fee (approximately a third of national park units) will increase the fee on June 1 by $5 per vehicle for a seven-day pass.

For example, the entrance fee to Yosemite National Park will increase June 1 from the current $30 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle. Individual annual park passes will also increase by $5.

The National Park Service estimates the higher entrance fees will increase revenues by $60 million, a relatively small contribution to satisfy the nearly $12 billion estimate that is needed to take care of a national park maintenance backlog.

Although entrance fees at many individual parks will be slightly higher, popular passes providing entrance to all the parks and other federal recreational facilities will remain unchanged.

These passes continue to be one of the best bargains in travel, especially for seniors.

America the Beautiful Pass ($80): Offers free entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites including all the national parks. The pass, good for one year from the month of purchase, is available at any entrance station or visitor center that charges an entrance fee. It is also available by mail or via the Internet. Passes purchased online are subject to an extra $10 fee. The pass is available to anyone including foreign tourists.

Senior Pass ($80): A lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 and older. The Senior Pass offers the same benefits as the America the Beautiful Pass, plus a 50 percent discount on certain park activities such as camping and boat launching. A single-year Senior Pass is available for $20. Four consecutive annual Senior Passes can be exchanged at no charge for a lifetime Senior Pass. This pass was available for $10 until August 2017.

Access Pass (free): Available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Applicant must document disability and residency. The access pass offers the same benefits as the senior pass and is good for the holder’s lifetime.

U.S. Military (free): An annual pass available to current member of the U.S. military, their dependents, and Reserve and National Guard members. Good for free entrance but does not offer discounts on park activities. Applicants are required to show Common Access Card or a military ID.

Volunteer Pass (free): An annual pass available to volunteers with at least 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program including units of the National Park Service.

Fourth Grade Pass (free): Annual pass valid for fourth-graders (10-year-olds) including those who are home-schooled. Pass offers free entry for the student and up to three adults. The pass does not offer discounts for activities such as camping. Obtain a paper pass at Every Kid in a Park website that can be exchanged for the Fourth Grade Pass at a federal recreation site.

David and Kay Scott are authors of “Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges” (Globe Pequot). Visit them at mypages.valdosta.edu/dlscott/Scott.html. View some of their previous columns at www.facebook.com/DavidKayScott. The Scotts live in Valdosta, Ga.