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Old 04-25-2021, 12:09 PM   #1
tua
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States that Non-Residents Pay More To Camp in State Parks

This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Michigan
Montana
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
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Old 04-26-2021, 09:21 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by tua View Post
This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Michigan
Montana
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Not sure about the camping fee, but MN and WI require a park pass just to enter, and it costs more for non residents. A yearly pass is good for all state parks.
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Old 04-26-2021, 09:35 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Wayne Collins View Post
Not sure about the camping fee, but MN and WI require a park pass just to enter, and it costs more for non residents. A yearly pass is good for all state parks.
There is four issues with Wisconsin’s Park Passes

1) They are expensive
2) Non Residents pay more —$38
3) Different State park different park pass fee
4) Park pass runs from Jan 1 to Dec 31 so if you buy a pass on Dec 1st its only good for one month but you still pay $38
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Old 04-26-2021, 09:51 AM   #4
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Pay More To Camp In State Parks

I guess if one is not a resident & paying state taxes to support parks the extra fees are justified.
We get our Mich. state parks pass as part of annual licensing of vehicles.

I did score a life-time pass for the state of Florida parks that is offered to veterans and disabled veterans. Just showed them my VA ID card and was issued one the spot.

Although this last winter we were in the SW and not SE!
Our 2 yr old Escape 19 remained in Michigan was stored for the winter as we traveled in the new 36' motor coach. Could not get a washer/dryer combo to fit in the Escape as we needed to be fully independent to avoid COVID issues ;-)

Now we need to determine if we keep the Escape and sell the coach or sell the Escape!

Cheers all,
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Old 04-26-2021, 10:49 AM   #5
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Old 04-26-2021, 10:56 AM   #6
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Utah sells an annual day pass for their state parks: $100 for Utah residents, $150 for out of state.

There are so many great state parks in UT, I think it is a good deal.

Day pass, $15 non-residents (for a car load), $10 state residents.
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Old 04-26-2021, 12:16 PM   #7
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UPDATE: States that Non-Residents Pay More To Camp in State Parks

This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
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Old 04-26-2021, 12:23 PM   #8
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Oregon also issues a pass to disabled vets allowing free camping, no restrictions on out of state.
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Old 04-26-2021, 06:44 PM   #9
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Massachusetts has gone sky-high for out-of-state fees. We can only hope that the prices come back down when Covid is no longer a game changer.
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Old 04-26-2021, 08:30 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tua View Post
This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
You can add New Jersey to the list.
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Old 04-26-2021, 08:39 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tua View Post
This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Michigan
Montana
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

I am sure the above is factual, but the truth is a different story.
There is a matter of degree, motive, discounts as opposed to surcharges, etc.
Where is the line drawn between reasonable and abusive, or between simple and arcane? At what point do these fees discourage tourism or even display hostility?
An example of Abuse is to charge non residents a full season pass for only 3-4 days access, in addition to, instead of in lieu of, additional daily charges.
The best approach might be to post an inclusive per day cost which includes all related fees and surcharges applied to the status of the user.
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Old 04-27-2021, 09:01 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tua View Post
This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Has anyone considered that maybe these states don’t want out of state tourism and by publishing their higher non resident rates we are helping them meet their objective
There was a proposal in our county to build a public campgrounds . If you went to the hearing / meeting. it was obvious that the local residents wanted no part of it
Taking state and local tax dollars to build a campgrounds / park to attract out of towners is not a winning proposition but getting out of towners to pay for state / local campgrounds / parks is !
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Old 04-27-2021, 09:04 AM   #13
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UPDATE:: States that Non-Residents Pay More To Camp in State Parks

This issue keeps coming up so the following is a list of states (if you know of others, please add them below), that charge non-residents extra fees at state campgrounds:

Arkansas
Florida (50% senior discount to Florida residents only)
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
New Jersey
Nevada
New York
Oregon
Tennessee (All state residents get a discount, non-residents pay full price)
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
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Old 04-27-2021, 09:51 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
Has anyone considered that maybe these states don’t want out of state tourism and by publishing their higher non resident rates we are helping them meet their objective
There was a proposal in our county to build a public campgrounds . If you went to the hearing / meeting. it was obvious that the local residents wanted no part of it
Taking state and local tax dollars to build a campgrounds / park to attract out of towners is not a winning proposition but getting out of towners to pay for state / local campgrounds / parks is !
It's complicated. Arizona is tourism-friendly, and the big-picture decision is that they add far more to the economy (mostly through sales and B&B taxes) than they consume. No surcharges here!

I live in a tourism-centered mountain community, and it's a 2-headed beast. One head is friendly. Tourists and seasonal residents support the local economy in ways we did not perhaps fully appreciate until they went away during the Great Recession. Schools had to lay off teachers, stores and restaurants closed, and (this was the big one for me) medical professionals left town. We are now back to boom times.

The other head is not so nice. Traffic is terrible all week long during peak seasons (summer, fall foliage, and skiing) and becomes almost unendurable on summer holiday weekends (we are essentially a one-road town, land-locked by NFS on one side and Native lands on the other). Getting a routine vehicle service, a doctor visit, or even groceries between May and September is an ordeal. Bars have loud, outdoor music late into the evening.

All in all, I love my town and state. If it ever gets to the point I can't afford to travel into any other state, there's plenty to do here. But I truly hope it never comes to that. Isolationism and protectionism tend to run in cycles.
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Old 04-27-2021, 10:58 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
Has anyone considered that maybe these states don’t want out of state tourism and by publishing their higher non resident rates we are helping them meet their objective
There was a proposal in our county to build a public campgrounds . If you went to the hearing / meeting. it was obvious that the local residents wanted no part of it
Taking state and local tax dollars to build a campgrounds / park to attract out of towners is not a winning proposition but getting out of towners to pay for state / local campgrounds / parks is !
Its always about revenue. Consider hotel taxes. States and cities want the tourists, but they are happy to have them pay hefty taxes. People tend to support any and all taxes that they won't pay. Want to raise hotel taxes? Great! Increase out of area/out of state camping rates? Double great!

Its more about fleecing/maximizing revenue from tourists, rather than running them off. How much can we charge before they go away? Plenty of public campgrounds are booked months in advance, so right now, its not pushing tourists out. But it is raising revenue.
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Old 04-27-2021, 12:11 PM   #16
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Old 05-01-2021, 10:36 AM   #17
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From the State of Oregon Parks Dept...."If you are eligible, this benefit gives you free parking at the 25 state parks that charge a day-use parking fee. It also covers your camping costs in RV sites, tent campsites & standard horse camp sites. You may camp for free in a tent, RV or standard horse camp site for 10 nights at a time at a single state park, or a total of 10 nights in a calendar month, regardless of the location. If you stay longer than 10 nights at a park, or in a calendar month, you will pay the standard rate for the extra days."
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Old 05-01-2021, 12:46 PM   #18
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Note: Florida just added a daily utilities fee of $7 to the daily site fee - covers electric and water.
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Old 05-01-2021, 01:27 PM   #19
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I fully understand (and agree with) laws that protect / provide benefits for THEIR tax payers. The state you live in probably has similar laws / protections that provide benefits to you. Some states "band together" and allow residents (ie TAXPAYERS) of neighboring states to benefit from these alliances. As already mentioned, some states offer monthly / yearly passes at discounted rates (yes, LOCAL TAXPAYERS usually get a "better deal"). Check online, speak with campground staff etc to find the deals that work best for you. Protest this common practice and DON'T be surprised that, if changes are made, everybody will pay more.
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Old 05-01-2021, 02:48 PM   #20
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One thing to note is that some states include the required park pass fees in with your camping fees for the duration of your stay.

As with regards to the comments about not wanting tourism I can understand as the agricultural rural community I live in is 30 to 45 minutes to the next town in any direction for things like Walmart. We have 1 chain restaurant (a Dairy Queen) an independent mexican restaurant and a couple of others independent restaurants. A hardware store, feed store, a NAPA and that is about it. They don't want to grow. Walmart, Waffle House and the likes don't seem to be welcome here. Folks complain about high taxes but don't want businesses coming to the "rural" area. I understand both sides. With that said our county is largely National Forest Land with areas for camping, hunting, fishing, kayaking, etc etc. and also has a National Wildlife Refuge in part of it as well.
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