The official answer is probably to pay for maintaining the roads and toilets in the parking areas, and to pay for the guy collecting the entrance fee. The real reason is because they can.
I like to go to Border Field State Park next to the Mexican border. There's a both there that charges an entrance fee. Fuck if I know why because all the park rangers do is fuck off and plant a few plants once a year while not doing a damn thing about roads or upkeep on the facilities. The only restrooms available now are the ones the border patrol uses and maintains. Sure, they spruced up the signs at the entrance but beyond that, nothing. They don't pick up trash on the beach, even beached dead dolphins and sea lions.
Border Field State Park
That's California, not the National Park Service.
What, you think I've never been to a national park? They don't do shit but collect entrance fees. Our taxes went for those lands and still do. They have no right to treat it like a revenue collection service. I've been to national parks and they're basically all the same. Remember when Obama shut down national parks just to spite the voters?
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