New Mexico State Parks - Fee increase

[Mountainman198]

New Mexico State Parks will be implementing a new fee structure beginning January 1, 2025. For those who have been following this topic this is not news. If you have not been following, the rate increases can be substantial, particularly for non-NM Residents and may come as a surprise. 
 

Most notable is the increase in fees for the non-Resident Annual Camping pass from $225 to $600.  Passes purchased in 2024 will be honored til expiration in 2025.
 

If you are a non-Resident and plan to purchase the Annual Camping Pass for 2025 you may wish to do so yet this month so you will not feel the impact from the increased rate until 2026. 

[Zodd]

This is a bummer. The last I heard, they had gotten enough pushback on the large jump they were reconsidering. I guess the pushback was not enough. That is a large jump in fees which, I imagine, will just result in a lot fewer people buying it. 

[jd1923]

They were likely getting tooooo many people living in their RVs for 14 days, then another 14 days. There are too many in AZ for sure. The economy is not getting better for many. We just pay for a few days here and there, so it looks like that's just $5 more per day.

On our recent trip to Ruidoso NM, we noted there is camping ANY direction just a few miles out of town. If you need hookups, that's an issue, but think BLM vs. State Parks, in most western states for a better experience!
Camping | Bureau of Land Management

Edited December 13 by jd1923

[Mountainman198]

10 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

They were likely getting tooooo many people living in their RVs for 14 days, then another 14 days. There are too many in AZ for sure. The economy is not getting better for many. We just pay for a few days here and there, so it looks like that's just $5 more per day.

On our recent trip to Ruidoso NM, we noted there is camping ANY direction just a few miles out of town. If you need hookups, that's an issue, but think BLM vs. State Parks, in most western states for a better experience!
Camping | Bureau of Land Management

This was one path of reasoning presented by the Parks team, however I never saw this issue at any of the parks from Dec-Feb. Must have been a larger issue during the other months. 

[Steph and Dud B]

I understand the idea of prioritizing your parks for your residents, especially when campgrounds were all filling up in the COVID boom. And I don't. Out-of-staters will probably spend more at restaurants, tourist destinations, etc., than locals and I think the COVID bubble is bursting, so this might end up hurting states overall. 

I don't agree with fire departments charging out-of-towners for car crashes, either (same concept). Just like out-of-state campers, those people pay taxes to support a fire department (and parks) somewhere. I think it should just all be reciprocal: same price for everyone. It all equals out eventually. (The only exception that makes sense to me would be visitors from other countries who don't pay taxes to support anything in the U.S. I can see charging them extra.)

[SeaDawg]

State parks are primarily supported by state taxes.

I have no problem paying extra to camp in state parks outside my state.

Prime camping season in my state is winter. Out of states book it up,  routinely. Makes it harder for families to book sites in season.

I totally support additional fees for out of state. I've  never complained in the states that charge me extra. I get it.

[John Dorrer]

On 12/17/2024 at 9:59 PM, SeaDawg said:

State parks are primarily supported by state taxes.

I have no problem paying extra to camp in state parks outside my state.

Prime camping season in my state is winter. Out of states book it up,  routinely. Makes it harder for families to book sites in season.

I totally support additional fees for out of state. I've  never complained in the states that charge me extra. I get it.

We just camped in several New Mexico State Parks. I actually don't remember paying any additional. 

I purchase an Indiana and Texas State Parks passes because we camp there for 10-20 days and the passes pay for themselves.

 

 

$600 annual pass in New Mexico wouldn't pay for itself. Each state is different. One has to do the math to determine whether to purchase an annual pass🙃

Edited Thursday at 03:36 AM by John Dorrer
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