Campers, climbers and hikers in southwest Washington will soon pay more to enjoy some of their favorite destinations.
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which spans 1.3 million acres and includes both Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, took a big step toward finalizing a plan Friday that would increase fees at sites across the forest, and establish parking fees at some trailheads that previously didn’t require them.
Forest officials first announced the proposal in July 2022 and included a nearly three-month public comment period. The Gifford Pinchot Resource Advisory Committee, made up of local residents, officially approved the plan at a meeting Friday morning, and will send its recommendation to Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa for final approval.
Gala Miller, spokesperson for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, said there’s no timeline for final approval. And while this is the first time in over a decade the forest has submitted a fee proposal, she said she has never seen a regional forester turn down or change a committee recommendation.
If approved, fees will increase over the next two years at more than two dozen campgrounds, cabins, lookouts, picnic areas and visitor centers throughout the forest. New parking fees will be charged at seven trailheads that previously did not require them. Fees will also go up for climbers at Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, as well as those backpacking in the Mount Margaret backcountry.
Increases vary from place to place and for different reasons. For example, the historic La Wis Wis guard station has been closed to the public, but will be refurbished and reopened for $90 per night. The Chambers Lake Campground, which has previously been free, will increase to $15-$30 per site. The Trout Lake Creek Campground currently charges $10-$20 per site, but will change to $15 per site. Climbing permits have been $10-$15 per day, but will now cost $20.
About 70% of the national forest’s recreation areas will remain free of charge, officials said.
Those fee increases come as the U.S. Forest Service says it still struggles to maintain public recreation sites, some of which have become dilapidated over the years. National forests across the region have been increasing fees, including the neighboring Mt. Hood National Forest, which went through this same process last year.
Without fees, some sites may simply fall into disrepair, forest officials said. The Burley Mountain Lookout, for example, has remained closed to the public, even as other Northwest lookout towers have successfully transformed into rustic rentals with scenic views. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest proposed opening the lookout and charging $90 per night to book it, which the advisory committee initially balked at, complaining that it was a steep price for a place without electricity or indoor plumbing.
A motion to lower that price to $50 per night failed after a forest official informed the group of the real cost of maintaining one of the lookouts: $150 per night.
Todd Harbin, assistant National Recreation Fee Program Manager for the U.S. Forest Service, told the committee these fee increases are not meant to price people out of experiencing nature.
“It’s not about making money, it’s about doing good on the ground,” Harbin said. “These fees are helping these sites be maintained.”
He noted that there are larger barriers to accessing these natural places, including the costs of owning a car, gas prices and having time to take off work. People most likely to be adversely affected by the fee increases are seniors and those with disabilities, he said, and both groups are eligible for free or discounted park passes that would apply to many, but not all, of the recreation fees.
In addition to raising equity concerns, some public commenters accused the national forest of overreach, criticizing the fees as excessive.
“I am a local who has enjoyed this forest my whole life and I am strongly against this fee proposal,” one person wrote in a list of 278 anonymous public comments. “Raising fees or adding fees to free sites in a time when Americans are struggling financially due to government caused inflation is unacceptable.”
A bulk of the public comments concerned additional fees for dirt bike and ATV riders in two of the forest’s off-highway-vehicle areas, which forest officials subsequently peeled back. Officials also walked back proposed increases at other trailheads and recreation areas, including at Mount St. Helens.
After a lively discussion that spilled into two days, the Resource Advisory Committee recommended approval for all other fee increases, except a proposed increase at Cat Creek Chimney campground and the Red Mountain Lookout, the latter of which was revoked by the U.S. Forest Service at the last minute.
Here’s a full list of the recreation sites that could cost a little more soon.
CLIMBING AND BACKPACKING PERMITS
- Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams climbing permits would cost $20 per person, per day.
- Mount Margaret Backcountry permits would cost $7 per person, per night.
CABINS, LOOKOUTS AND GUARD STATIONS
- Gotchen and Nisqually guard stations would cost $85 per night.
- Burley Mountain Lookout would cost $90 per night.
- Government Mineral Springs Guard Station and Prairie Springs Cabin would cost $100 per night.
- La Wis Wis Guard Station would cost $150 per night.
CAMPGROUNDS
- Government Mineral Springs and Tillicum campgrounds would cost $10 per night.
- Cultus Creek and Trout Lake Creek campgrounds would cost $15 per night, plus a $5 extra vehicle fee.
- Lewis River and Mount Adams horse camps would cost $15 per night, plus a $5 extra vehicle fee.
- Chambers Lake and Forlorn Lakes campgrounds would cost $15 per night for single sites and $20 per night for double sites, plus a $5 extra vehicle fee.
- Lower Falls Campground would cost $20 per night for single sites and $40 per night for double sites, plus a $5 extra vehicle fee.
GROUP SITES
- Twin Falls Camp would cost $50 per night.
- Orr Creek and Wakepish group campsites would cost $100 per night.
- Marble Mountain group picnic site would cost $100 per day.
TRAILHEADS AND DAY USE AREAS
- Crest Camp, Falls Creek Falls, Hummocks, June Lake, Middle Falls, Siouxon, and Snowgrass trailheads would require a $5 parking fee or valid public lands pass.
- Coldwater Lake Picnic and Boat area would require a $5 parking fee or valid public lands pass.
VISITOR CENTERS
- Coldwater Science and Learning Center (winter only) and Cascade Peaks Interpretive Site would require a $5 parking fee or valid public lands pass.
- Johnston Ridge Observatory Visitor Center would raise admission to $12 per person.
— Jamie Hale
503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB
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