Saturday is the last day to comment on Grand Canyon National Park’s proposed increase in backcountry camping fees. If finalized, the new fees will take effect on May 1 and are expected to bring in an extra $750,000 dollars annually.
Park spokesperson Joёlle Baird says the increase is needed to replenish the backcountry fund because of recent changes at the federal level, which will redirect 20 percent of Grand Canyon’s backcountry fees to other, smaller parks around the country. Baird says the fees support things like trail maintenance, preventative search & rescue, and emergency services.
"We understand that any fee increase can be challenging," Baird says, "but this funding is going to be really crucial for addressing essential needs and providing critical services for our backcountry users."
The $10 application fee would remain unchanged under the new system. Half of that goes to the reservation website Recreation.gov. The nightly per-person fee for camping below the rim would increase from $15 to $24. Above-rim, camping would go from $4 to $6.
This would be the third fee increase since 2022.
In 2023 more than 10,000 backcountry permits were used in the Grand Canyon. The number of backcountry campers has dropped since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in recent years, Baird says, camping along the main corridor trails has been affected by closures for work on Bright Angel’s wastewater system and the Transcanyon waterline replacement.
Public comments can be submitted on the online project page.
