I have a friend named Sandra Friend. She writes guidebooks about hiking in Florida. Not long ago, my friend named Friend contacted me about a different kind of hike: the hike in prices for using our national parks and forests.
She told me via email that she was “horrified to discover fees at springs in the Ocala National Forest have risen to $13 PER PERSON.” Even worse, she said, parking now costs an additional $20.
Ten years ago, she said, the fee for visiting the springs was just $5.50. Back then, parking was free. It was still free just five years ago, she said…