NPS/Eric Leonard

The Robber's Roost campsite is representative of the kind of project the backcountry permit fee is intended to support.

Big Bend National Park requires a fee for all overnight backcountry use permits. This $10 per-permit fee will apply ONLY to overnight usage. No fee will apply to day use of the river or horse permits; however, permits will still be required for those uses.

Where does the money go?
100% of the backcountry use permit fee stays in Big Bend National Park. Funds raised by the fee are earmarked for backcountry-related projects such as hardening/improving river access points, backcountry campsite maintenance, and trail maintenance.

What is a “Permit”—a definition
For the purposes of the permit fee, and in accordance with CFR 1.6, the Superintendent’s Compendium, and the Backcountry Management Plan, a backcountry permit is defined as overnight backcountry use of one designated campsite or zone per night up to fourteen (14) consecutive nights.

Day-use Permits
Backcountry day use is not charged a fee; however, a no-fee permit is still required for certain types of day-use, such as stock use, or river trips.

Permit Changes
Permit changes (switching campsites) during a valid, continuous permit will be done with no additional charge. Visitors must produce their backcountry permit fee receipt for the change to be done free.

Permit Extensions
Adding days to an already written permit is considered a new permit, and a fee would be charged.

Unoccupied sites
Sites unoccupied for more than 24 hours can be considered open for reassignment to other visitors.

Some extreme examples
Situation: Visitor is planning a trip to include (in consecutive order) two nights in the Mule Ears Zone, three nights at K-Bar 2, three nights at Pine Canyon 4, two nights at Solis 3, a day-use river permit for Mariscal Canyon while at Solis, one night at Croton Spring 2, an overnight trip through Santa Elena Canyon, and a night at Terlingua Abajo 4.
Answer: Totaling thirteen nights, the $10 permit fee would be charged and multiple paper permits would be issued. Changes to this itinerary could be done without an additional fee, as long as the visitor retains the original permit fee receipt.

Situation: Visitor is planning a trip to include (in consecutive order) two nights in the Mule Ears Zone, three nights at K-Bar 2, three nights at Pine Canyon 4, two nights at Solis 3, a day-use river permit for Mariscal Canyon while at Solis, one night at the Rio Grande Village campground, an overnight trip through Santa Elena Canyon, and a night at Terlingua Abajo 4.
Answer: The $10 permit fee would be charged and a permit written for the trip up to the layover at Rio Grande Village. The visitor would have to come in later for a separate permit and fee for the later backcountry portion of their itinerary.