TORREY, Utah, May 11, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Capitol Reef National Park is seeking public comment on a proposal to increase the nightly camping fee for Fruita Campground and the Group Campsite beginning in 2022.
All other fees will remain the same, according to the National Park Service.
Proposed Fee Changes
| Nightly Campsite Rate | Current | Proposed |
| Fruita Campground | $20 | $25 |
| Fruita Campground with Lifetime Pass | $10 | $12.50 |
| Group Campsite | $100 | $125 |
“The Fruita Campground is a developed campground with Capitol Reef National Park with 71 campsites,” the news release said. “It is open year around and operates on a reservation system from March 1–Oct. 31. Nov. 1 to the end of February the campground is first-come, first-served. The Group Campsite has a 40 person capacity with a season that runs from April 1–Oct. 31.”
At Capitol Reef National Park, 100% of fees collected stay at the park and are used to provide enhanced visitor services, repair and maintenance of facilities, capital improvements, enhanced amenities, resource protection, and additional visitor programs and services, the news release said. Past fees have been used to plant new fruit trees, install water bottle filling stations, maintain trails, install new exhibits and signage, and make improvements to the Fruita Campground and bathroom facilities.
“The last camping fee increase was in 2015 when the fee went from $10 to $20 for campsites at Fruita campground,” the news release said. “The proposed fee increase would bring the park in line with other parks that provide similar services and experiences. Capitol Reef National Park is a strong economic engine for the surrounding area. In 2020, more than 1 million park visitors contributed to the local economy.”
Capitol Reef’s “small and remote” Cedar Mesa and Cathedral Valley campgrounds remain first-come, first-served and free of charge, the news release said.
Comments on the campground proposal may be sent to [email protected] or by mail to:
Capitol Reef National Park
Attn: Fee Proposal
HC 70, Box 15
Torrey, UT, 84775
Feedback provided though these comments will help determine how, or if, changes to the park’s fee structure will be implemented. The deadline for comments on the proposed fee changes is thirty days from announcement or June 9.
For more information about Capitol Reef camping, click here.
