Recreation Fee Change Proposal

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to change fees at several recreation areas on the National Forests in North Carolina. By law, these proposed fee increases are subject to public comment and review by the Southern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee. If approved, the Forest Service will implement the fee changes in mid-2020. The public is invited to provide input to proposed fee changes for 40 days beginning on April 22nd and ending on May 31st, 2019.

The Forest Service recognizes how important the National Forests in North Carolina are to our local communities and the citizens who recreate on the forest.  Increased fee collections would help to improve visitor experiences and enables the Forest Service to be more strategic in planning and developing a sustainable recreation program.  These fee changes will help us maintain our sites and trails at the level and quality our visitors have come to expect, especially at a time when we are experiencing increases in recreation use and operating costs.  Under the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, up to 95 percent of fees collected at recreation sites may be used locally to operate, maintain, and improve these sites, so fee increases will translate directly to improved facilities and trails across the forest.  Proposed fee changes also will move us closer to fee levels charged by other nearby public and private recreation providers, as shown by our market analysis. Specifically, we propose the following fee changes in the Nantahala, Pisgah, and Uwharrie National Forests:

Day Use Areas

Uwharrie

  • Kings Mountain Point – new $5/vehicle fee or $30 annual pass*

*Fee is waived for visitors that have paid for a campsite at any of the Uwharrie campgrounds during their duration of stay

Campgrounds

Uwharrie

  • Yates Place – new $10/site per night fee

Cabins

Nantahala

  • Swan Cabin – increase from $25 per night to $50 per night

Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trails

Pisgah

  • Brown Mountain OHV Trail Complex – increase from $5 to $15/vehicle per day, and increase from $30 to $60 for annual pass*

Nantahala

  • Wayehutta OHV Trail Complex – increase from $5 to $15/vehicle per day, and increase from $30 to $60 for annual pass*

Uwharrie

  • Badin Lake OHV Trail Complex – increase from $5 to $15/vehicle per day, and increase from $30 to $60 for annual pass*

*As proposed, these OHV trail fees would be phased-in over a two year period.

Specialized Mountain Bike and Equestrian Trails

Nantahala

  • Tsali Mountain Bike and Equestrian Trail Complex – increase from $2 to $5/rider per day, and increase from $15 to $30 for annual pass

For more information or to provide comments about these fee change proposals, please contact Logan Free at 828-257-4256, or nfsncfeeproposals@fs.fed.us.