Blue Ridge Parkway camp costs to increase; What to know about new fees
ASHEVILLE — Blue Ridge Parkway fees for camping and other activities are increasing in Western North Carolina, marking the first major fee change on the scenic byway since 2016.
The National Park Service is implementing a rate change as high as 50% for front-country and backcountry camping site fees, as well as non-camper user fees for shower and dump station services, the park announced April 29.
Want to avoid the increased fee for a limited time only? The new fees for front country camping will go into effect for reservations made on or after May 24, and the increased cost of backcountry sites will be implemented later this summer.
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The parkway's eight front-country campgrounds are typically open from May through late October, and reservations for all campgrounds can be made now for the 2024 visitor season at recreation.gov.
The parkway stretches 469 curvy miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and crests the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, passing directly through Asheville, to its end at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee. It is the most visited national park site in the country, with 16.7 million visitors in 2023.
There is no entrance fee for the parkway.
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Which fees are changing for the parkway in WNC?
Rates for front country campgrounds will increase from the current $20 to $30, including sites in Julian Price Campground at Milepost 297, Linville Falls Campground at MP 316.4, Crabtree Falls Campground at MP 339.5 and Mount Pisgah Campground at MP 408.8, about 20 miles southwest of Asheville.
The cost of group sites at Linville Falls Campground in Burke County will also increase from $35 to $45, according to the news release.
Right now, there is no cost to set up camp at two backcountry camping areas on the parkway, namely Basin Cove at MP 244.7 and Johns River Road at MP 296.9. But this will soon change this summer, with NPS tacking on a $15 price tag to those sites, which have a six-person occupancy and a three-night limit.
Other associated fee changes include the following:
Non-camper dumping is allowed at all park campgrounds and would cost $6 instead of $3 under the proposed changes.
Non-campers who would like to shower at Julian Price Park or Mount Pisgah campgrounds would pay $6 instead of $3.
NPS accepted public engagement on these changes, which the release said, "was an important part of this fee increase decision."
Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, NPS is required to charge appropriate fees for the benefits and services it provides and to ensure the costs are comparable to fees charged by others in the local area for similar benefits and services, a previous release said.
After research of local campground rates outside the park, these rates were found to be comparable with current market rates, according to the release.
To learn more about campground locations and other activities on the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit nps.gov/blri.
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blue Ridge Parkway camp costs to increase in WNC mountains