SILVER CITY, NM, March 18, 2024 – Increasing costs of maintenance and other requirements are driving the need for the USDA Forest Service to increase fees for use of some Gila National Forest developed recreation sites. Increased fees will be phased in at nine sites from May 10, through July 8, 2024. Site fees support operations, maintenance and improvements, and help keep pace with inflation.
In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which allows the Forest Service to retain 95% of revenue collected at recreation sites and use those funds locally to operate, maintain, and improve these sites. Revenue is reinvested into forest recreation sites in the form of trash collection, septic and vault toilet pumping, painting, cleaning, addressing the backlog of deferred maintenance, conducting patrols, maintaining high-use trails, campsites, and more.
The Gila National Forest's fee adjustments will result in increased fees at five campgrounds, one day use fee, one dump station, and four group-use sites. Specifically, the following fee changes and applicable dates have been approved for 2024.
Quemado Ranger District's fee increases will go into effect on Friday, May 10, 2024, at the following sites:
| Date | Site Name | Current Fee | New Fee |
| May 10, 2024 | Juniper Campground | $10 per single site $16 per double site $15 per site with hookups |
$15 per single site $25 per double site $25 per site with hookups |
| May 10, 2024 | Pinon Campground Dump Station |
$10 per single site $5 per use |
$15 per single site $15 per use |
| May 10, 2024 | Pinon Campground Group Sites | $35 per night for up to 30 people $55 per night for 31 - 75 people |
$50 per night for up to 30 people $125 per night for 31 – 75 people |
The Glenwood, Wilderness, and Reserve ranger districts' fee increases will go into effect on the Friday before Memorial Day, May 24, 2024, at the following sites:
Date |
Site Name | Current Fee | New Fee |
| May 24, 2024 | Catwalk Interpretive Site | $3 per day | $5 per day |
| May 24, 2024 | Dipping Vat Campground | $5 per single site | $10 per single site |
| May 24, 2024 | Mesa Campground | $10 per single site $16 per double site $15 per site with hookups |
$15 per single site $25 per double site $25 per site with hookups |
| May 24, 2024 | Upper End Campground | $10 per single site | $15 per single site |
Silver City Ranger District's fee increases will go into effect on Thursday, July 8, 2024, at the following sites:
Date |
Site Name | Current Fee | New Fee |
| July 8, 2024 | Gomez Peak Group Picnic Site | $40 per day for group size 1 – 100 $40 per day for group size 101 - 200 |
$100 per day for group size 1 – 100 $200 per day for group size 101 - 200 |
| July 8, 2024 | Little Walnut Group Area East | $25 per day | $75 per day |
| July 8, 2024 | Little Walnut Group Area West | $20 per day | $50 per day |
A complete list of recreation areas can be found on the Gila National Forest webpage at https://origin-fs.fs.usda.gov/recmain/gila/recreation.
The Gila National Forest conducted public outreach from 2019 through 2022, receiving comments on the fee proposal. The comments received were taken into consideration when preparing the final fee change proposal. The proposed changes were based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operations and maintenance, and market assessments.
The fee changes come after the Bureau of Land Management Southern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council (RAC) approved the proposed fee changes when they met June 30, 2023. The RAC members represent a broad array of recreation interest groups to help ensure that the Forest Service is proposing reasonable and publicly acceptable fee changes. The Regional Forester reviewed and approved the final fee changes which will be phased in over time. Ultimately, new or increased fees will be implemented at 46 out of 151, or about 30% of developed recreational facilities on the Gila National Forest.
For more information, please visit the Gila National Forest website at https://origin-fs.fs.usda.gov/gila or at 575-388-8201.
The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a mission of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Forest Service's Southwestern Region includes 20.6 million acres of public lands across 11 national forests and three national grasslands in Arizona, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and the Texas panhandle.
U.S. Forest Service ~ Gila National Forest
3005 Camino del Bosque ~ Silver City, NM 88061
Voice: 575-388-8200 ~ Web: www.fs.usda.gov per gila
Media Contact: Maribeth Pecotte
575-388-8211
Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov