(Thousand Oaks, CA) Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is composed of approximately 153,250 acres and has over 500 miles of trail for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Visitors can also enjoy the park by camping in one of the many campgrounds located in the recreation area. The National Park Service manages one group campground for overnight use located at Circle X Ranch in Malibu, California.
The National Park Service proposes to establish tiered fee structure for park visitors using the Circle X Ranch Campground and establish one central reservation system at www.recreation.gov.
Currently the park manages the Circle X Ranch Group Campground through an in-house reservation process, and charges a per-person visitor use fee of $2 per night.
The current campground reservation system does not provide for an online calendar that the public can view and identify open dates that fit with vacation plans. Instead, they must call the visitor center between 9 am and 5 pm to inquire if dates are available. The current fee structure is difficult to implement as campers' plans change and different numbers of people are added to or subtracted from a group reservation.
This Fee Change proposal enables the visitor to be charged a flat rate use fee and provide a central location at www.recreation.gov to make a reservation.
Current fee per night
$2 per person
Proposed group size tiers
Proposed fee per night
10-30
$35
31-50
$75
51-75
$125
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (2004) allows parks to collect and retain up to 80% of their fees. These funds pay for needed repairs and projects to improve visitor services and facilities such as improving hiking trails and campgrounds, replacing water and sewer systems, providing new exhibits and interpretive signs, and providing accessibility to visitors with disabilities.
The park seeks thoughts and comments on the proposed fee schedule change and reservation system. Comments can be submitted to the park at samo_interpretation@nps.gov or mailed to the park at the following address:
ATTN: Campground Comments, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360
--NPS--
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
