The National Park Service (NPS) approved fee increases for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area after reviewing public comments submitted in July.
The fee changes, which will take effect in January 2025, include charges for wilderness permits at Black Canyon’s South Rim and group campsite fees at Curecanti. The decision follows a compatibility study that found comparable wilderness permit fees to be generally higher and group campground rates to have increased across similar parks in recent years. The increased fees aim to bring the parks’ charges in line with those of similar recreational areas.
At Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a permit will be required for wilderness use on the South Rim beginning in April 2025 for trips between May and October. All day and overnight wilderness routes, including Warner, Gunnison, and Tomichi, will be available for reservation via recreation.gov, with a daily hiking quota for each route. The new fee for wilderness permits will be $6, plus an additional $4 per person per permit.
In addition, wilderness permits for hiking routes off the South Rim and at Red Rock Canyon will remain first-come, first-serve between November and April, available at the visitor center when open or via self-registration when the center is closed.
At Curecanti National Recreation Area, fees will increase for group campsites. The East Elk Creek group campsite, which accommodates 9 to 50 people, will have a nightly fee of $120. A smaller group campsite at Red Creek, which accommodates 9 to 20 individuals, will charge $60 per night.
According to a press release, the changes come under the authority of the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), which allows the NPS to charge fees for certain recreational amenities on federal lands.
Eighty percent of the fees collected at Black Canyon and Curecanti will remain within the parks to fund various improvement projects, such as trail rehabilitation, campground upgrades, and the enhancement of park infrastructure like water and sewer systems.
