State camping fee increases proposed

Friday, Jan. 9, 1998 | 9:27 a.m.

A public hearing on the proposed fee increases at some state parks generated only a handful of interested persons Thursday, but the Parks Division will accept written comments through next Wednesday, state parks chief Wayne Perock said.

While camping fees at 10 state parks are expected to rise by $2 to either $6, $7 or $9 a night, some other fees would decrease in the proposed regulations. One example is a season pass to Floyd Lamb State Park, which would drop to $45 from $75.

Most park entrance fees are proposed to stay the same, and most are in the $3 to $5 range. One change is a proposed increase in the admission fee for Valley of Fire State Park from $4 to $5.

Perock said there has been only modest public participation in the workshops held statewide to discuss the fee changes and other modifications to state park policy.

Without any evidence to suggest the fees are inappropriate, they will take effect later this year. The regulations must first be reviewed and approved by the Legislative Commission, scheduled to meet Jan. 29.

The last fee increases for the state park system took effect in 1996.

Camping fees in three state parks - Cathedral Gorge and Spring Valley in Lincoln County, and Cave Lake near Ely - will climb from $7 to $9 during peak use times. The fee for winter camping would remain unchanged at $3.

Camping at Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nye County, Dayton and Fort Churchill parks in Lyon County, Echo Canyon in Lincoln County and South Fork and Wild Horse in Elko County will increase from $5 to $7.

The increases at Berlin-Ichthyosaur, Fort Churchill and Echo Canyon will be during peak season only, with winter rates unchanged at $3. The higher fees at Dayton, South Fork and Wild Horse will be in effect all year.

The fee for camping at Ward Charcoal Ovens park near Ely will increase from $4 to $6 year-round.

Camping fees at seven other state parks, including Valley of Fire, which costs $7, will remain unchanged.