Red Rock visitors find fee, not free

Elizabeth Dutton

Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997 | 11:09 a.m.

If you are looking for a free ride, don't drive through Red Rock Canyon.

The Bureau of Land Management, in conjunction with the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, began collecting entrance fees for the scenic loop through the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area Wednesday.

At $5 for private vehicles and $2 for motorcycles, reactions to the new fees range from complacent to irritated.

"That's more than we paid for our breakfasts," said Melody Fanning of Hawaii as she paid the fee at the new collection booth.

Most visitors did not know about the fees before they arrived at the gate. Despite their surprise, some found time to tease the fee collector.

"First day discount?" one driver asked jokingly.

Warner Skomars, the fee collector supervisor, wants people to understand the reasoning behind the collection.

"Our job is not to keep people out, it's to help them come in," he said. "We're not adverse to being flexible."

He added that recent visitors have been cooperative about paying the fees. "So far we've only had two people complain," he said.

Most of the people who weren't pleased with the fee paid anyway. Las Vegas resident Natalie Evans, with her brother Wayne, was looking for an activity that was affordable.

"We were going to go bowling, but then we said, 'Let's do something that doesn't cost anything,"' she said, laughing.

Her brother also made light of the situation.

"We should have come yesterday," he said.

Skomars is optimistic about the fee program which only applies to motorized vehicles. Red Rock Canyon visitors can continue to hike or bicycle into the conservation area for free. And those who frequently drive through the canyon can purchase an annual pass for $20.

Skomars said the nonprofit Interpretive Association will work to make sure that the money collected is recirculated into the conservation area's budget. Attempts to reach the Interpretive Association for comment were unsuccessful.

The fee is part of the BLM's Recreational Fee Demonstration Program which allows a large portion of the fees collected at the gate to be put directly back into the park.

In 1996, Congress created the program to help supplement government funding that is not keeping pace with the growth in popularity and number of visitors to the parks. The BLM, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service all benefit from the program.

The Red Rock fees will be used for the improvement of roads, buildings, trails, signs, exhibits and historic structures. Funding also will be allocated to educational programs, natural habitat protection and visitor safety and protection.

"Red Rock Canyon is visited by over 1 million people every year," said Mike Dwyer, BLM District Manager. "The entrance fees will allow us to maintain the high quality of service our visitors are accustomed to and deserve."