The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners approved adjustments to fees for County-managed parks and open spaces new fees effective Jan. 1, 2019. Entrance fees have not changed in 10 years for reservoir parks and 20 years for open spaces. Devil’s Backbone Trailhead, located off U.S. 34 west of Loveland will not change and there is no fee associated for daily or annual entrance permit.
Why do the prices need to increase?
It is very simple. Increased visitation. The fees are used to maintain the lands. As more people access the county parks, more maintenance and upkeep needs to happen.
Permit Prices
Starting Jan. 1, 2019, daily permits will cost $9 for all Larimer County-managed parks and open spaces where a fee is required, up from $7 on reservoir parks and $6 on open spaces.
Prices for most annual entrance permits, which are good for 12 months, will increase. A Resident Vehicle annual permit will now cost $90, up from $75. A Resident Vehicle and Boat combination annual permit will now cost $180, up from $150.
In addition, they will offer two new annual entrance permits starting March 1, 2019. A Bison Pass for low-income residents will be available for $45, and an annual permit for local veterans will be $65.
“We’re proud to offer these two new annual permits, which are important safety nets for those who might otherwise not be able to afford to visit our properties where a fee is required,” Brink said. “We also continue to offer many open spaces with spectacular trails and facilities at no charge.”
Camping Prices
Starting on Jan. 1, 2019, prices will go up for all types of camping, including tent sites, RV sites, cabins and tipis. In addition, a new differential pricing model will be adopted, where prices will be higher during peak visitation periods. Camping prices will cost more on weekends and holidays.
“Differential pricing is something we explored when developing our updated Parks Master Plan and it was ultimately recommended in that plan,” Brink said. “It’s a fairly common practice in the recreation industry, used to offset higher operating costs when campgrounds reach capacity. It may also disperse some campers and impacts to campgrounds to less busy days of the week.”
A non-electric site at a reservoir park will now cost $20 a night on weekdays, $26 a night on weekends and $30 a night on holidays during the peak season (April through September) and $20 a night any day of the week during the off-season (October through March), up from $15 for any night year-round.
To view the adjusted fee schedule, please see the accompanying spreadsheet. They will post the updated fees on Dec. 31 at www.larimer.org/
For more information, please contact Brink at (970) 619-4555 or kbrink@larimer.org.
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