Minnesota could increase state park fees

A budget proposal in Minnesota could increase fees for its 75 state parks.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is proposing increasing the annual state park vehicle permit fees from $35 to $45. The daily permit would increase from $7 to $10.

That increase would raise about $2.6 million in additional revenue, according to Erika Rivers, who directs the Minnesota DNR’s parks and trails division.

The parks face about a $1.9 million deficit.

The last fee increase was in 2018, going from $25 to $35, and $5 to $7. But that was the first fee hike in more than a decade.

Because of the pandemic, visitation to state parks near urban areas increased by 60% in 2020. The statewide increase was nearly 25%.

That led to a 40% increase in annual park permit sales, but campgrounds being closed for a period of time during the pandemic led to those revenues decreasing by 28%.