Vista Recreation increases campground and day-use fees for 2025 season on the Arapaho Roosevelt Pawnee

Acting Forest Supervisor Kevin Khung recently approved a fee increase for all concessionaire operated campgrounds and day-use areas on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland for the 2025 season.

“Concessionaires play a crucial part in helping us operate, maintain and improve our recreation sites,” Khung said. “Adjusting fees allows the concessionaire to deliver a quality recreation experience at the level and quality visitors on the Front Range have come to expect."

Vista Recreation requested the fee change to offset the rising cost of labor, contract work, services and supplies. The fee increase was supported by documentation, which showed the impacts of new federal minimum wage requirements for concessionaires and rising costs of goods and services. Special use permits allow concessionaires to request fee adjustments to charge prices that are comparable to competing businesses.

Fees will increase by 14% on average and will remain the same through 2026. For instance, single family campsites at Echo Lake Campground will increase from $23 to $26 per night, a 13% increase. Since 2019, concessionaire fees have been raised once.

Reservations that were made through recreation.gov before the price change will be honored. Senior and Access passes will continue to be accepted at campgrounds providing a 50 percent discount to holders. Vista Recreation will also honor all interagency passes, including Annual, Senior, Access, Military and Volunteer passes at day-use sites across the Forests and Grassland.

Vista Recreation operates 59 campgrounds and 31 day-use areas for the Arapaho, Roosevelt and Pawnee. The Forest Service has been operating campgrounds and day-use areas through concessionaires in this area since the mid-1990s. Concessionaires perform onsite operations and maintenance, returning a portion of their proceeds to the Forests and Grassland that are reinvested in improvements at recreation sites.

The 2025 campground fee and amenity list can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/campinglist. To make a camping reservation, visit Recreation.gov.