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Old 04-17-2021, 06:18 PM   #1
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State and National Parks

I think I'm in the right area to ask this question.

When going to a state park or national park and there is a fee for a day pass, camping, etc.

Do you pay (if camping) only the camping fee? or the day use fee & camping fee?

How does all that work??
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Old 04-17-2021, 06:25 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by kgstakes View Post
I think I'm in the right area to ask this question.

When going to a state park or national park and there is a fee for a day pass, camping, etc.

Do you pay (if camping) only the camping fee? or the day use fee & camping fee?

How does all that work??
If you are the proper age,you can aquire a "America the Beautiful"Pass! Youroo!!
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Old 04-17-2021, 06:46 PM   #3
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As I recall, when we stayed at the North Rim GCNP a few years ago, the camping fee covered the park entrance as well. For Arizona State Parks, camping fee covers park entrance.
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Old 04-17-2021, 06:59 PM   #4
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Depends.

We stayed at a state park in Texas.

The campsite was $30. The accessory fees were $35 a day. Highest we have seen. Making it an expensive parking spot. A COE park nearby was $15. And no fees.

Michigan has a resident pass for parks they charge when you get a drivers license. We paid for an out of state rate of $30, was cheaper than the daily.

Missouri Charged 0. Montauk and St. Roberts.

It varies!!!!

The national park “America the beautiful” is a deal. Mine was $20 for life!

Parking passes. Mount Rushmore.
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Old 04-17-2021, 11:31 PM   #5
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Being from Missouri It’s weird to me to have to pay a day use fee for a park. Only such thing we ever pay here is $4 a day to fish in the trout parks.

Per night camping fees vary, some parks also have lodged and cabins. No camp dump station fee is $10 and there’s a $5 shower fee at the river campgrounds I’ve been to.

In Illinois’s state parks I haven’t seen a day use fee.

No day use fees and the parks we went to in TN either.
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Old 04-18-2021, 06:38 AM   #6
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Here in Ohio, there is no DAY USE fee for State Parks, you come and go as you please. Camping rates vary from about $27 to $36 a day, depending on the type of site you get, and the park... there are ADA sites available, and if I remember correctly Disabled Veterans can get the site's for free. All parks require reservations due to Covid rules put in place by the Governor. No walk in's allowed right now. Two weeks ago camping at Findlay State Park, we watched a family tapping on a cell phone hurriedly. Making their reservation from inside the campground after they located a vacant site.... Welcome to America!
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Old 04-18-2021, 07:14 AM   #7
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My experience is that every state is different. The camping fee may or may not be in addition to an entrance fee. Some may allow entrance to other parks if camping. Here is a link with information about state entrance passes. This link has information about state camping passes.

National parks that have entrance fees usually charge a separate camping fee. Annual entrance passes are available for a single park or all the parks. The America the Beautiful Passes cover entrance fees and give a discount on camping and some other fees.
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Old 04-18-2021, 07:36 AM   #8
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I think as it as been indicated by previous post depends on the state. I by the Texas state park pass $80 every year and almost every year I “ make money “. No I don’t get money back but they give you different discount on stays it eliminates day use fees. Comes in real handy when the daughter brings a friend or to for a day hike or day at the lake.
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Old 04-18-2021, 08:03 AM   #9
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Colorado State Parks have a $8 or $9 per vehicle per day use fee. For seniors, the annual pass is $70, which makes it the cheaper route for most.

I got the lifetime US Senior Pass when it was $20. It's now $80. But it gives a 50% discount on COE campsite fees, so it's well worth it.

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Old 04-18-2021, 08:26 AM   #10
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Here in Ohio, there is no DAY USE fee for State Parks, you come and go as you please. Camping rates vary from about $27 to $36 a day, depending on the type of site you get, and the park... there are ADA sites available, and if I remember correctly Disabled Veterans can get the site's for free. All parks require reservations due to Covid rules put in place by the Governor. No walk in's allowed right now. Two weeks ago camping at Findlay State Park, we watched a family tapping on a cell phone hurriedly. Making their reservation from inside the campground after they located a vacant site.... Welcome to America!
You sure that’s a universal rule? We picked up our new Rockwood from RVWholesalers in Lakeview back in February and went right over to Indian Lake SP with no reservations and got a site. It was freezing cold and we were the ONLY campers in the park 😁, so maybe that had something to do with it, lol.
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Old 04-18-2021, 08:35 AM   #11
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Here in Ohio, there is no DAY USE fee for State Parks, you come and go as you please. Camping rates vary from about $27 to $36 a day, depending on the type of site you get, and the park... there are ADA sites available, and if I remember correctly Disabled Veterans can get the site's for free. All parks require reservations due to Covid rules put in place by the Governor. No walk in's allowed right now. Welcome to America!
Not so. We are at East Fork Lake state park right now near Batavia, Ohio. There is a sign at the campground entrance with the day use fee posted, although it seems to me all the fisherman basically ignore it, because a lot of them come in before anyone is at the gate in the morning.
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Old 04-18-2021, 09:14 AM   #12
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In Virginia, the camping fee includes any daily parking fee. Virginia State Parks typically (except for Natural Bridge, I think) do not have "entrance" fees (which means if you want or bicycle in, you do not pay).
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Old 04-18-2021, 09:42 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by kgstakes View Post
I think I'm in the right area to ask this question.

When going to a state park or national park and there is a fee for a day pass, camping, etc.

Do you pay (if camping) only the camping fee? or the day use fee & camping fee?

How does all that work??
It varies by state. Florida has a day-use fee but charges campers only for site rent. Georgia has a day use fee. Campers have to pay it, in addition to site rent, but they pay the day-use fee only once per reservation. Both have annual pass options for the day-use fee.

All camping reservations must be made online and it's rare that you don't have to pay a reservation fee for doing so. The two major reservation systems are recreation.gov for (most, not all) federal camp grounds and reserveamerica.com for (many, not all) state parks. ReserveAmerica includes other sites in their reservation system, including some counties and, I think, private sites.
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Old 04-18-2021, 09:57 AM   #14
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If you are the proper age,you can aquire a "America the Beautiful"Pass! Youroo!!
As a disabled vet you can get a free pass. Just send a copy of your Veterans Health ID (must say “service connected”) and a copy of of your drivers license when you apply.
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Old 04-18-2021, 10:44 AM   #15
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If you are the proper age,you can aquire a "America the Beautiful"Pass! Youroo!!
Actually, anybody can buy that pass on an annual basis for $80. It's worth it if you plan to visit multiple parks. The advantage of age is that you can buy a permanent pass for the same price or an annual pass for only $20.

If you have a fourth-grader in the family or, this year only because of COVID, a fifth-grader, they can get a FREE pass good in NPS, BLM and NFWS properties. It's good through 8/31 of the year issued and covers all family members under 16 and up to 3 adults.

Edit: To be clear, national passes don't get free camping. They get free entry and, often, half-price camping.
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Old 04-18-2021, 10:57 AM   #16
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Do you pay (if camping) only the camping fee? or the day use fee & camping fee?
How does all that work??
There is no universal answer to that question. Your best bet is to go to the website of the campground and read the requirements or call the campground directly.

It may also depend on your age and the passes that you are willing to buy or are offered for free in some cases.
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Old 04-18-2021, 11:45 AM   #17
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NP

NAtional parks like yellow stone, Yosemite Grand Canyon, etc. require a Separate park pass while camping. You have to have this or you won’t get through the ranger station at the park entrance to get to your campsite.

We did not find passes needed for the National sea shore and campgrounds of the outer banks.

State parks in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Florida did not require a separate pass. Georgia charged a day use to get on Jekyll island

This is a good question because the literature can be confusing on this topic.


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Old 04-18-2021, 11:57 AM   #18
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In Nebraska you buy a yearly State Park Pass and you pay for camping separately. You have the option to buy a one or 3 day pass, but you still pay for camping separately.
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Old 04-18-2021, 12:18 PM   #19
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Depends.

We stayed at a state park in Texas.

The campsite was $30. The accessory fees were $35 a day.

What pray tell is an "accessory fee" ?
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Old 04-18-2021, 12:31 PM   #20
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Every state is different
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