Six more state parks are now charging visitors who enter on foot or bicycle. Entry for visitors without motor vehicles at the parks will now cost $4. Daily vehicle passes cost $11. Colorado Parks and Wildlife instituted the walk-in and ride-in fee at 16 state parks last year, including Barr Lake in the Front Range. It doubled that number this month including Castlewood Canyon, Golden Gate Canyon, Roxborough, Staunton and St. Vrain in the Front Range.
In a news release, CPW describes the move as an “equity issue,” because it involves spreading the cost of park maintenance to all who use the parks.
“Increased visitation and use have put a greater demand on our natural resources, services and the facilities we provide to our visitors,” Lathrop State Park manager Stacey Koury said in the release. “All outdoor recreation has a human impact, and the new pass will help disperse some of the costs. It won’t just be people in vehicles carrying the costs for everybody.”