RVers traveling to Oregon had better bring along a little extra cash next year. The Oregon Legislature passed a bill during its last session (Senate Bill 794) that calls for a 25 percent surcharge for non-residents who camp on RV sites at 56 state-run campgrounds from the Oregon Coast to the Wallowa Mountains.
Even the small RVers can’t escape the new fee, which applies to everything from pop-ups to big 44-foot motorhomes. Only tent campers and those staying in yurts and cabins can avoid the surcharge.
About 60 percent of the campsites in Oregon State Park campgrounds are currently RV sites offering full hookups, or some combination of water, electric and sewer connections. Fees now range from $24 to $40 a night. Next year – thanks to the surcharge – the fees will be $30 to $50 for out-of-state RVers. The surcharge won’t be extended to U.S. Forest Service parks in Oregon.
Last year, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon officials had a similar surcharge in place designed to discourage visitors from out of state.
The new surcharge was put in place, in part, because Oregonians already pay an extra licensing fee when they register their RVs in the state. Those extra fees can run from $86 for a small trailer to $388 for a luxury coach. About 50 percent of those funds went to state parks.
The new out-of-state surcharge is expected to bring the state an additional $1.6 million in revenue in 2022, and up to $2.1 million the year after that.
No one seems to yet know just how the surcharge will be passed along to out-of-state RVers. The fees for non-residents do have some precedents. Montana currently charges an additional $8 fee to non-residents to enter state parks, along with an extra $10 to $12 for renting cabins, yurts or teepees. Idaho and Washington state also have higher fees for non-residents, and almost every state will charge out-of-staters more for their fishing licenses.
##RVT1019b
Oregon is poorly ran unfortunately and we no longer go there for any reason. The violence, theft, ANTIFA runs the joint, drugs and they tax you to death. They are trying to justify that tax as usual to make up for their wasteful spending habits.
I used to be an Oregonian but moved for all the above reasons.
Well that adds Oregon and Montana to my list of states to avoid their State Camping grounds. I started out with Indiana and for anyone out there, be advised my home state of Michigan should be added to the list of out of state UN-friendly state parks. I wish there was a WEB site dedicated to providing that information for the Public.
Oregonians and Montanans thank you for staying out of our state campgrounds.
And what makes YOU spokesman for Oregonians and Montanans?
I live 6 months here and 6 months there.
I have stayed at many state run parks across the country and most charge one fee for residents and a higher fee for out of state residents.
Based upon the vitriol that was spewed and commitments NEVER to visit an Oregon State Park that many people posted on a another social media website.
I am adding Oregon to our travel destinations in 2022!
What hypocrites. These are the same bunch that criticized the Trump administration of hating poor people for wanting to raise fees at national parks. Now they say its all right because other states do it. They hate poor people because they are from anothet state doesn’t make it right.
More hostility towards us who like to burn fossil fuels and see the world.
All part of the “green” agenda.
I’ll be keeping my money in my pocket.
All comments get it, except Eric R
We’ve full timed for over 15 years, and hosted and camped at many Oregon State Parks. Oregon consistently has the nation’s best parks, and part of the reason is that they are partially funded by Oregon residents as a surcharge on their vehicle registration. So, Oregon residents are paying an extra charge whether they use the parks or not. Even with the non-resident charge, which I’ll gladly pay, their parks are more reasonable then many of the surrounding states. The hypocrisy of some of these replies is stunning. Oregon’s neighbor, the bright red state of Idaho, doubled their fees at popular parks. Farragut SP, where we’ve hosted, raised it’s full hookup site fee from $32 to $64 a night. With the tremendous number of RVs being sold, states are taking advantage – it has nothing to do with “political alignment”.
I kinda understand and I kinda don’t. A state resident pays some in taxes for their parks, so lower rates, but to tell me that they are not really interested in my tourist dollars?? Hmm. I’m not a PR person, BUT, raise the rates to what they need to be to support the park, AND THEN, residents of that state get a DISCOUNT, rather than saying that out of staters pay more. ?? On the other hand, students coming from out of state pay more tuition at state colleges than in-staters. ? That makes sense to me. So … are we RVers wanting to make a stink over nothing, even though it makes sense? .
With some of these comments it sounds like I should visit Oregon next year and I won’t have to put up with the tRumpers.