Oregon plans to introduce parking fees at 21 more state parks starting in October.
The new list includes the Dexter State Recreation Site, LaPine State Park, and South Beach State Park in Lincoln County.
With the change, Oregon residents will have to pay $10 for day-parking, while visitors from out-of-state will pay $12.
Stefanie Knowlton, a spokesperson for Oregon Parks and Recreation, said the fees are part of a strategy to address the departments' rising maintenance costs.
She said interest in state parks has risen, and the sites are seeing wear-and-tear that that outpaces revenue from visitor fees. Meanwhile, she said the department is getting less funding from the state lottery than it used to.
"We're looking at a potential 14% shortfall in two years if we do nothing," said Knowlton. "So we're looking at creative partnerships, and increasing the number of cabins and yurts to make sure that we can have a more sustainable and resilient funding future."
Knowlton said frequent park-goers can save money by investing in an annual parking permit. Meanwhile, free parking will still be offered at more than 200 state sites across Oregon.
List of affected parks by county
- Baker County: Farewell Bend State Recreation Area
- Clackamas County: Tryon Creek State Natural Area
- Clatsop County: Fort Stevens State Park, Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site
- Coos County: Bullards Beach State Park, Face Rock State Park, Sunset Bay State Park
- Crook County: Prineville Reservoir State Park
- Curry County: Harris Beach State Recreation Site
- Deschutes County: Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint, LaPine State Park
- Hood River County: Starvation Creek State Park
- Jackson County: Valley of the Rogue State Recreation Area
- Lane County: Dexter State Recreation Site, Lowell State Recreation Site
- Lincoln County: Beverly Beach State Park, South Beach State Park
- Multnomah County: Crown Point State Scenic Corridor, Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site, Tryon Creek State Natural Area
- Tillamook County: Oswald West State Park
- Umatilla County: Hat Rock State Park
Other Changes
Further price increases are planned to take effect next May. These include higher overnight rates at the state's 29 most popular parks, and price hikes for people staying in yurts and huts.
