Tonto National Forest in Arizona wants to substantially increase its fees for many campgrounds and boat ramps, but lower the cost of an annual pass from $95 to $80, the Payson Roundup reported.
The forest in September issued a report on the fee proposal, saying the increased fees will help offset the cost of maintaining the facilities.
The proposal will have a limited impact on Rim Country, since private concessionaires already charge fees at most of the developed campgrounds in the area.
However, it would have a big impact on people who use Roosevelt Lake.
Fees will more than double in many cases. That makes the annual pass an even better deal than before, since the cost of the pass would drop to $80.
The proposal calls for increasing the charge for camping along the shoreline of Roosevelt Lake and in developed campgrounds from about $6 to about $25.
Fees for group camps would also rise, from roughly $40-$75 per night to $75-$150, depending on the campground and the number of people in the party.
A day pass that allows people to park in day use areas would rise from $4 a day at present to $8 daily.
The sprawling Tonto National Forest gets 6 million visitors annually, making it one of the busiest forests in the nation.
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