Arizona State Parks and Trails will be raising fees on entrances, camping, and tour tickets for its more than 30 parks to help support park operations. Because the agency does not rely on taxpayer dollars to operate the parks, this increase will help fund future park improvements, staffing, and amenities.
Arizona State Parks and Trails is a self-sustaining agency, not reliant on general funding to operate the 33 parks. Staffing at the parks, maintenance, and general operational expenses are all paid for with revenue raised through entrance, camping, and tour fees. Additional parks opening, amenities added, and park visitation increasing – along with inflation – means that the agency has not been able to increase the number of rangers in parks or tackle deferred maintenance projects – non-emergency work that maintains the infrastructure in the parks.
“We are known for having beautiful, clean, safe parks that showcase the diversity and beauty of Arizona,” said Arizona State Parks and Trails Director Bob Broscheid. “To help us continue to provide the best customer service, and keep up with our aging infrastructure, it is necessary for us to raise our rates. Of course, spending more is never anyone’s favorite thing, but I think the public will be happy to know that the fees go directly into supporting the parks they love.”
Revenue earned from the increased fees may be used to enhance the visitor experience with options like increased hours of operation, additional programming like guided hikes and interpretive walks, and infrastructure improvements like restroom/shower buildings, ramadas, and campground improvements.
Starting February 25, 2025, the new rates will be in effect and available online at AZStateParks.com/fee-schedule. Instead of the current choice between the standard annual pass with restrictions for $75 or a premium pass for $200, one pass will be available for $200 that includes all parks with no restrictions. This will provide entry for up to four adults in a single vehicle into all parks for one year.
Camping fees will range from $25 for rustic (no hook-up) sites to $75 for oversized sites with full hook-ups at Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Day-use entry fees will range between $10 and $30 for adults depending on park and seasonality. Tours at Kartchner Caverns State Park will rise from $23 to $30 for people age 14 and up, and tours at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park will rise from $12 to $18 for people age 14 and up.
Arizona State Parks and Trails owns more than 1,100 buildings and structures, including historic buildings like those at Fort Verde, Tombstone Courthouse, Tubac Presidio, Riordan Mansion, Yuma Territorial Prison, Colorado River, McFarland, and Jerome state historic parks. Along with infrastructure for plumbing, campground electrical wiring, and roads or parking lots, the list of deferred and proposed projects reaches more than $135 million. Additionally, the agency maintains prehistoric archaeological sites such as those at Homolovi and Lyman Lake state parks. The total number of agency staff, including rangers, park managers, administrative and those within the State Historic Preservation Office, is only 260.
Although Arizona State Parks operates four of the historic parks in partnership with local communities, the agency is still responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings as well as any future improvements to those parks. In 2024, the agency opened a new park, Rockin’ River Ranch State Park, in Camp Verde, which is now staffed and maintained for visitors. Additional parks are also planned for the future, including a property at the headwaters of the Verde River in Chino Valley.
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Another one bites the dust. $75 for hookups? None for me thanks.
They are getting as bad as Michigan State Parks.
Thank you for tbe information and associated explanation, RV Travel! Have a great day and safe travels!
The beauty is, like most things in the RV life, it’s optional. Choose to patronize or not. Although living in the past is attractive, reality is that prices have gone up, and society has changed. Those that cannot accept it are invited to give up the lifestyle, and move on rather than howl and stamp their feet while waiting for their “dirt nap.” I’ll gladly pay the increase or find alternate facilities.
Agreed. It costs much less to put a gate across the road and locks on the toilets than it does to debate the merits of maintaining infrastructure through fee collection.