Oregon State Parks raising visitor fees; day-use parking fees to take effect at La Pine, Prineville Reservoir state parks
Barney Lerten
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday that it’s updating some visitor fees at select parks “as part of a broader, proactive effort to build a more resilient financial future for Oregon State Parks.”
Starting Oct. 1, Oregon State Parks will no longer waive the parking fee at 21 additional day-use parks. The parking fee is currently $10 for in-state visitors and $12 out-of-state visitors.
Parks that will charge for parking starting Oct. 1 include La Pine State Park and Prineville Reservoir State Park.
The parking fee does not apply to visitors who walk, bike, use public transportation, have a valid hangtag from camping at an Oregon State Park or a 12 or 24-month parking permit. Currently, OPRD charges for parking at 25 parks and waives parking fees at over 225 parks across the state.
The 21 additional parks include some of the busiest parks in the system such as Harris Beach State Park, which experienced an estimated 2 million day-use visits last year. Visitor fees help pay for maintenance and operation.
Some overnight camping rates will also see updates for visits beginning May 1, 2026:
Overnight rates at our 29 busiest parks will increase to the top of the current rate range from May 1 through September 30. This increase will apply year-round on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (Top rate is $29 for tents and $52 for full hook-up RV)
At all parks:
Cabin and yurt prices will increase to the top of the rate range year-round. (Top rates vary from $72 for rustic yurts to $129 for deluxe cabins/yurts)
Boat moorage fees will increase from $15 to $20.
Overnight parking, overflow camping and primitive camping fees will increase from about $10 to at least $15 per night.
The park system faces a projected 14% budget shortfall due to increasing costs, impacts from record visitation and a reduction in lottery funds for operations.
“These targeted fee adjustments, along with internal efforts to reduce costs, modernize procurement and explore new revenue, will help maintain current service levels and ensure the system remains strong and accessible now and in the future,” the agency said.
“State parks are some of the most beloved spaces in Oregon, but we have struggled as a state to sustainably fund them. We’re working to reimagine the future of Oregon State Parks as financially resilient system that will serve generations to come,” said Director Lisa Sumption.
State Parks has three main sources of funding: a little less than half comes from constitutionally dedicated lottery funds, about 15% comes from recreational vehicle license plate fees and roughly 35% comes from park fees from visitors. It is not funded by general fund taxes.
For visitors looking to save on parking, there are annual and 24-month parking permits available for Oregon State Parks. The 12-month parking permit costs $30 and the 24-month permit costs $50. You can buy them online.
Oregon State Parks is also collecting feedback to help guide its effort to reimagine a stronger resilient park system. The survey includes priorities for new and existing experiences, services and amenities as well as views on public-private partnerships, sponsorships and other funding options.