Grandfather Mountain shifts to dynamic pricing for admission tickets

LINVILLE, N.C. — Grandfather Mountain, home of the Mile High Swinging Bridge, hiking trails, and other nature-themed attractions, has announced it has shifted to a new ticketing system that includes a dynamic pricing structure.

With dynamic pricing, the cost of admission is based on demand. According to a news release, the new pricing considers variables such as seasonality, holiday dates, and the extra experiences available on the mountain on the date of your visit.

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The new fee structure is arranged into three tiers: base, mid-level, and peak. Child ticket prices will not change. (The new general pricing is listed at the bottom of the page.)

The new system allows those planning a visit to see pricing for the whole year and book tickets many months in advance.

Officials with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation say an increase in visitors over the years is one reason for the change.

“Grandfather Mountain has continued to see incremental growth in attendance over the past decade, and we anticipate continued growth for the foreseeable future,” said Jesse Pope in a news release, the foundation’s president and executive director.

“In an effort to better protect our natural resources, and preserve the wonderful experience at Grandfather, we are implementing a new ticketing program we hope will spread out our visitation throughout the year and spread out the visitors on any given day to reduce crowding in the park on busy days.

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“This decision was not made lightly, being carefully researched over the past few years,” Pope added. “We want to ensure our park continues to be affordable and accessible for everyone. As a nonprofit organization, we are very mindful of our operating expenses and costs associated with people visiting the park.”

New admission prices:

Base Days (these are quieter days, mostly in the winter months):

Adult – $15

Senior – $13

Child – $10

AAA Adult – $13

AAA Child – $9

Mid-Level Days (these include most, but not all, April-October dates and feature extra experiences in the park, such as Grandfather’s schedule of daily programs during these months):

Adult – $24

Senior – $22

Child – $10

AAA Adult – $22

AAA Child – $9

Peak Days (these are in-demand days, usually around a holiday or fall color season, that also typically feature extra experiences in the park):

Adult – $28

Senior – $26

Child – $10

AAA Adult – $26

AAA Child – $9

For more information on Grandfather Mountain’s new ticketing system and pricing, go to grandfather.com/tickets.