Virgin River Campground goes cashless – Questions remain on payment method

The popular BLM-managed Virgin River Campground, AZ, sees plenty of RVers traveling between Utah and Arizona. The agency says for the sake of “visitor convenience and to eliminate security issues,” fees for camping and day use have gone “cashless.” No more paper money, no more checks; credit and debit cards are the medium of the day. All payments are now made through recreation.gov. That’s great if you make a reservation in advance, but may pose an issue for the “drop-in” RVer. The BLM says it has a workaround.

Virgin River Campground—An attractive stayover for just $8

The campground is part of the Virgin River Recreation Area, which is on I-15, about 20 miles south of St. George, Utah. Red rock walls along the route are phenomenal, and hiking and sightseeing in the recreation area are big draws. Site fees chalk up to just $8 a night, making it an attractive stayover spot.

But earlier this month, the BLM took away payment boxes and instituted the cashless protocol. If you know you’ll be staying and have specific dates in mind, that’s not a problem. Along the campground’s upper loop there are 18 multi-day camp sites and seven more on the lower loop that can be reserved in advance with online payment through recreation.gov. You can click here to go directly to the site.

No “Iron Ranger” and no internet—What now?

But what if you just drop in and decide to stay? There are plenty of sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. But without an “Iron Ranger” payment box, you’ll still need to pay through recreation.gov. While the Virgin River Campground has a lot to offer, reliable internet access is not part of the ticket. This may be where the BLM got the cart before the horse. Unless you’re forewarned (consider this a forewarning) and take appropriate action, you’ll have the devil’s own time paying for your site.

Here’s the BLM talking point on that question: “Visitors will use the scan and pay [Scan & Pay] system with a mobile device and debit or credit card. To use the scan and pay option on site, the BLM recommends visitors install the recreation.gov mobile app prior to their visit to avoid potential issues related to lack of cellular service.” Pity the poor immigrant who hasn’t heard this news and stops in to overnight. If they don’t have the mobile app already, they’re either stuck traveling back to internet civilization to download it, or giving up altogether.

We wondered just how having this marvy app would really solve the problem. To us in the gray-headed generation, “app” usually means “gotta have at least four bars on the phone.” Well, a little more digging revealed just what it means for those with the recreation.gov mobile app. At least at Virgin River, you’ll be able pay for your site while there, even without internet connectivity. Once you come up for air in internet land, your app will shoot your payment off to Uncle Sam without further intervention on your part.

Crave your privacy? Read closely

For those who are security conscious, listen up. We looked into just what data Uncle wants to grab from you if you install the app. “Crash logs and diagnostics.” And, of course, personal info: “Name, Email address, Address and Phone number.” Probably no surprises here—after all, you’re stuck giving that information away anytime you use the website. However, “App activity,” which includes “App interactions and In-app search history,” may give some a little concern. You pays your money, you makes your choice.

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