Washington Camp fee increase

[dreadcptflint]

I just found this today: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/recre ... proposals/.

What made me upset was the same areas made a profit. In the Wenatchee forest the government made nearly $200,000 from fees alone. If you are affected then please write to the powers that be to get some additional services at least.

[DrJerry]

[Q]

I decided a long time ago that National Forest, State Park, etc., camping fees were outrageous and that I wouldn't pay. Haven't paid a camping fee for many years. With a little scouting around you can usually find a great free site close to a pay site. The free sites are usually nicer, not crowded, quieter, and all around better.
Q

[apratt]

The last time camped down in Oregon, they had a lot of nice free camp sites. While in Washington, they seem to be closing all the free sites and if it is not a desinated camp site they don't allow camping.

[Q]

That sucks Arthur! Public land should be open to the public. I spent a couple weeks in Washington earlier this summer and camped in the National Forest around Mt. St. Helens, near North Cascades National Park, and over on the Olympic Penninsula. Found really nice free sites, and didn't see any signs saying camping wasn't allowed. Maybe I was just lucky and no one noticed?

Q

[switterstx]

I have no knowledge of what camping is like in the Northwest but in Texas state park tent fees aren't that cheap. Worse is that our Governor has proposed selling off some of our park land and the budget for our state parks is consistently being cut. National Parks are also cutting budgets and are trying to get by with "volunteers" or docents.

I understand what you mean about parks being part of our land as citizens but it does cost money to staff, clean and keep up these facilities. I'm willing to pay for my fair share of using them if it means keeping them around and keeping them public. In Texas, the cost of a night at a state park is much cheaper than a private/commercial campground, not to mention being less crowded, more shaded and mostly quieter.

Just another view...

[apratt]

Now I have not camped a lot lately, but Washington has closed several campgrounds and also mother nature has destroyed several camp grounds. So on the west side of Washington lot of the camp grounds get full!!! Many of the camping places you have to get there early friday or you are out of luck!! They need to build more primitive CG.

[NW_Subie]

Don't get me started on this issue!

I wrote when the FS proposed increases in Gifford Pinchot. Fat lot of good that did. $10 for no water and a pit toilet you have drive to in one of my favorite camping spots. I don't mind paying a reasonable fee but the USFS fees are getting insane. Not only do we have to pay for the stupid trail park permit, now were paying outrageous fees for camping. Plus most of them are vended out to contractors. Umm... shouldn't are NF's be funded by our taxes. Instead the money goes to "bridges to nowhere" and a certain country in the middle east. At least OR state parks gives you water, power and often flush toilets/showers. Irony that I've seen is people are now making there own camping spots in the national forest. Often in areas that probably aren't the most appropriate spots.

[wa_flyfisher]

I don't mind paying $10 a night for a forest service campsite.
You get two cars, state parks you pay $16 and $10 for a second car each night.

For those sites with no water I bring my backpacking filter and pump out of streams. A lot less crowded at those sites, which is why I go camping in the first place, to get away.

I am on the Washington State Park advisory and I don't camp in state parks because they cost too much.

[NW_Subie]

I don't mind paying $10 a night for a forest service campsite.

$10 is on the low end for many primitive USFS campsites now. Most of the FS sites that are anywhere near an urban area run $16 or more. I don't mind a reasonable fee. It should be based on ammenities and to some degree popularity. FS is just trying to make money since the feds have chosen to spend money elsewhere.

Most Or State Parks have stayed more reasonable ($16-$20 range) and offer a lot more ammenities. Unfortunately, they tend to be quite crowded.