Higher picnic, camping fees at Mt. Charleston open for public comment

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As the remnants of Hurricane Hilary battered Mt. Charleston last year, the U.S. Forest Service put out a news release that fee increases were on the way.

Now, eight months after the Mary Jane Falls trail was erased from the map and backcountry access is still limited, the public comment period has opened on those fee increases.

As 8 News Now reported in August 2023, some of those fees are substantially higher than they are now. For example, a picnic at Cathedral Rock Picnic Area will cost $20 any day of the week — there’s no weekday discount. And you won’t be able to bypass the fee completely by having your picnic at Kyle Canyon Campground. There will be a day-use charge there.

Camping fees across the board will be closer to weekend rates, with some a few dollars more or $1 less in some cases. Here’s a detailed look at the rate adjustments that were initially proposed in August.

Fee increases for Mt. Charleston fall under the jurisdiction of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, and the comment period closes on July 1. The higher fees will help “close the gap,” allowing the Forest Service to continue to maintain sites “to the level visitors have come to expect, as well as expand current opportunities,” according to a news release when the proposal was released last year.

“We recognize how important these sites are to our local communities and those who travel great distances to use them,” Forest Supervisor Jon Stansfield said. “I really encourage the public to get involved in this process as public input is a critical part of the fee establishment process and a great opportunity to help shape the future of public lands.”

To voice your opinion on the new fees, go to the Forest Service website, go directly to the comment area or use an interactive map to comment on a specific site.

The plan to increase fees was already in motion before the Forest Service shut down access to the Spring Mountains to allow crews to repair roads. It took more than two months to reopen the roads. Damage to roads and recreation areas was estimated to be at least $36 million.

Fee increases are also planned elsewhere in the state at campgrounds in the Carson, Santa Rosa, Austin-Tonopah, and Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge ranger districts.

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