of every transaction.

You put cash in the machine, a card spits out and you’re on your way. They accommodate everyone.

Clearly not all, if rangers are suggesting "going to a store somewhere" to buy a gift card.

In an email, National Park Service communications rep Ellie Stuckrath told Frommer’s that an effort is underway to “reduce the amount of cash and check deposits across the federal government in order to reduce organizational risk.”

At national park sites, according to Stuckrath, “Cashless options reduce transaction times at busy entrance stations, decrease the risk of theft, reduce chances of errors, and maximize the funding available for critical projects and visitor services.”

Every park is unique and some are more difficult to monitor in these situations. Take the larger "drive-through" parks like Yellowstone. So many people go through that just getting in the gate takes over an hour many days in summer, I can just imagine the pile up at vending machines for cash conversion. Stocking and maintaining these things will add another set of tasks to those already covered by staff... the ones in uniforms with the badges because they are the ones cleared to handle cash and passes.

It was a fiasco when they went to the newer POS registers in the visitor centers where many passes are sold and at the gates. I'm so glad I'm not there to have to deal with this.

from robbery before cashless rule was applied.

A lot of cash was present with very little security.

Would you rather they be forced to carry firearms?

"This note is legal tender for all debts public and private" off the bills, since apparently that's no longer accurate.

I likewise despise the move to plastic only, as I prefer to pay cash most of the time.