Nature lovers will have to dig deeper starting this fall as the result of a Colorado State Parks Board across- the-board fee increase.
Starting Sept. 1, the high-season daily vehicle pass fee goes from $6 to $7 to get into Cherry Creek, Chatfield, Boyd Lake and Eldorado Canyon state parks.
That fee will be in effect for all of September, then revert to $6 for the winter before rising again May 1.
All other state parks will increase their daily fee from $5 to $6.
The charge for an annual pass will rise from $55 to $60, starting Nov. 15.
And, while annual passes currently are purchased for a calendar year, the passes will become effective for a year from the date of purchase.
The fee to put an annual pass on a second vehicle will rise from $20 to $25.
Other fee increases are:
Aspen Leaf Annual Pass, for residents 64 and older, will increase from $27 to $30 and will remain on a calendar-year basis.
Aspen Leaf additional vehicle passes will increase from $10 to $15.
Snowmobile registrations will rise from $20 to $30.
Off-highway vehicle registrations will increase from $15 to $25.
In a news release, the Parks Board said the fee increases were necessary because of a $750,000 reduction in the amount parks get from Colorado’s general tax fund, and concern about the prospect of future reductions in tax support.
The last time the daily vehicle fee was increased was 2002.
The annual pass fee was last increased in 2004.
