For the first time since 2017, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) announced that it is increasing its prices for parking, camping, and reservations across all of its state parks in 2025. Depending on the type of fee, most increases are in the $2-5 range, according to OPRD.
“We know that raising fees by any amount can be challenging for visitors, and we don’t make this decision lightly,” OPRD Director Lisa Sumption said in a press release.
The fee increases are the result of record visitation numbers across Oregon’s state parks in recent years. More people are visiting Oregon and exploring its public lands than ever before. That puts more pressure on the state parks, increasing the cost and need for upkeep across the board. As an example, ORPD points to utility costs, which have risen 28% throughout the state over the last 4 years.
Taxes do not fund OPRD. About half of its total funding comes from lottery funds, 35% comes from visitors’ park fees, and the final 15% come from RV license plate fees.
“We try to keep costs and fees as low as possible to minimize the impact while still fulfilling our commitment to stewardship and recreation,” Sumption said.
Oregon State Park Prices: When They’re Changing
The fee changes will be rolled out in phases. Starting on October 15, 2024, all campsite reservations for 2025 will increase based on the campsite type. Base prices for all tent sites, including horse sites and group sites, will see a $3 increase. All RV sites will increase by $4. Cabins, yurts, and deluxe sites will increase by $5. And miscellaneous sites (including teepees, meeting halls, and other facilities) will increase by $2.
Then, starting on January 1, 2025, OPRD will increase its reservation fee from $8 to $10 per site. According to OPRD, that fee hasn’t gone up since since 2010. OPRD is also bumping its daily parking permit fees at all 25 state parks that charge for them. Those fees will double from $5 to $10. However, annual and 2-year parking passes will stay the same at $30 and $50, respectively.
Finally, on July 1, 2025, the 25% out-of-state surcharge for RV campsites will be extended to all types of sites for out-of-state campers.
OPRD also changed its camping rate ranges for 2025, which set the lowest and highest fees the department can charge over time. The last time a new range of prices was adpoted was in 2018.
More Visitors = More Impact
Outdoor recreation is at an all-time high in the United States. According to data from the National Park Service, 2023 saw 325,498,646 visitors — that’s more than any previous year and 4% more than 2022’s numbers. State parks have seen similar rises in visitation, though there are some exceptions, like Colorado, where the numbers decreased slightly between 2022 and 2023.
In Oregon, state park visitation has repeatedly seen record-breaking numbers in recent years. In 2023, 52.2 million day-use visitors visited Oregon’s state parks. Harris Beach State Recreation Area in Brookings was the most visited, with 1.7 million day-use visitors in 2023 alone. In 2021, the state received $50 million in GO Bond proceeds to add more campsites and improve aging infrastructure at its state parks.
“OPRD will continue to explore options in the future that reduce cost as a barrier while earning needed revenue to maintain our parks and manage congestion,” the department stated.
GearJunkie has reached out to OPRD for comment on this story but has not yet heard back. We will update this article when we do.
