Prescott National Forest

Passes & Permits

Recreation Fees on the Prescott National Forest

Each year, there are more than 260 thousand visits to developed recreation sites in the Prescott Basin for picnicking, fishing, hiking, camping, and many other outdoor activities. More and more people recreate on the Prescott National Forest every year. Meeting the increasing needs of these visitors, delivering quality recreation, heritage and wilderness opportunities, and protecting natural resources has become challenging.

To help address this issue, President Bush signed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA). The Act permits federal land management agencies to continue charging modest fees at campgrounds, rental cabins, high-impact recreation areas and at day-use sites that have certain facilities. The Act defined the following fee categories:

Standard Amenity Fees

• Examples: Picnic areas, developed trailheads, destination visitor centers, high impact recreation areas
• Explanation: Typically, standard amenity fees are day use fees, often covered by a day or annual pass. High impact recreation areas are contiguous areas that support concentrated recreation use. Each site or area must contain six "amenities," which are picnic tables, trash, toilet, parking, interpretive signing and security.
• Valid Passes: Prescott National Forest Pass; Interagency Annual Pass; Interagency Senior Pass; Interagency Access Pass; and on-site payment for one day.
• Standard Amenity Fee Sites on the Prescott National Forest:
  • Day-Use Area Opportunities
  • Trailhead Opportunities
  • Off-Highway Vehicle Area Opportunities

Expanded Amenity Fees

• Examples: Campgrounds, highly developed boat launches and swimming areas, cabin or lookout rentals. Services like hookups, dump stations, special tours, transportation systems and reservation services.
• Explanation: Provides direct benefits to individuals or groups.
• Payment generally on-site or through reservation.
• Expanded Amenity Fee Sites on the Prescott National Forest:
  • Family Campground Opportunities
  • Group Campground Opportunities
  • Group Day-Use Area Opportunities
  • Recreation Rental Opportunities

Special Recreation Permits

• Examples: Wilderness areas, shooting ranges, specialized trail systems
• Explanation: Permits are issued when extra measures are required for natural and cultural resource protection, or the health and safety of visitors. They may also be used to disperse recreation use or help ensure that the number of visitors does not exceed the capacity of the land.
• Payment developed with permit depending on each situation.

We believe you'll agree
reasonable fees are better than
closed recreation sites
or reduced services.

ALL PASSES ARE AVAILABLE at Prescott National Forest offices and through the mail. We accept cash, checks and most major credit cards.

There is a self-service pay station with fee envelopes at every site. Please put cash or check into an envelope. Tear off envelope stub and display it on your vehicle dashboard. Deposit the envelope into the slot on the fee booth marked "deposit fee envelopes here" Checks can be made payable to: USDA Forest Service.