Fees for using some developed recreation sites in Los Padres National Forest will be going up Jan. 1, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said.
The increases will affect 33 campgrounds and one day-use site operated by a concessionaire under a special use permit authorized by the Granger-Thye Act, said Andrew Madsen, public information officer for Los Padres.
Madsen said fees charged at campgrounds and day-use sites have been unchanged since 2016 when Los Padres authorized the concessionaire permit, but the increases are needed to offset operational costs that have escalated over the past six years, including inflation-related price spikes, fuel costs and minimum wage increases.
He said the additional fees collected will pay for facility improvements, fund ongoing maintenance of the sites to the high level expected by the public and address annual operation needs.
Fees for individual campsites will increase by $10 per might, and group campsite rates will rise between $25 and $50 per night, depending upon site capacity, Madsen said.
The only day-use fee that will rise is the entrance fee for Pfeiffer Beach Day Use Area on the Monterey Ranger District, which will increase from $12 to $15. Fees at the other 15 Los Padres day-use sites will remain at $10 per day, Madsen said.
An additional $2 per night may be charged for reservations on weekends and holiday periods whenever the two-day weekend minimum or three-day holiday weekend minimum reservation rules are in effect at the time of booking.
Applicable holidays will vary by site but may include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Christmas Day.
Reservation fees already paid on or before Dec. 31 will be honored until the fee increases go into effect Jan. 1, Madsen said.
While the fees are rising at developed campgrounds, Madsen pointed out there are more than 50 undeveloped campgrounds in Los Padres National Forest that are free to use.
Additional campsites are available at Adventure Pass fee sites for $5 a day or $30 per year, he said.
For more information on overnight and day use in Los Padres National Forest, visit www.usda.gov/lpnf.
