State Parks Director Promises Transparency, Review Of Camping Fees

State parks officials say they’ll do their best to publicize and evaluate the park system’s new admission and camping fee structure this year.

The current state budget lets the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources set up more flexible daily park admission and camping fees based on demand.

The department has already announced admission prices are going up at three popular parks including Devil’s Lake, Peninsula and Willow River state parks, but admission fees could be cut elsewhere.

In addition to fee changes across the board, at various times of the season camping fees will rise at 38 properties and go down at 36 others.

State Parks Director Ben Bergey told the Natural Resources Board on Wednesday that his agency will make the prices clear in the state’s online campsite reservation system, at park entrances and on social media.

“So people know, ‘Hey, I can go out to Lake Kegonsa (State Park), and I used to pay 20 bucks on Thursday night to camp, and now I can pay $15,’” Bergey said.

Bergey also promised an annual review of the pricing structure, to see what the flexible pricing might do to park attendance and camping occupancy.

“I think we picked those price points where we’re not pricing people out, we’re still providing a great value. We’re meeting the goal of what we want to do,” Bergey said. “We’re going to have to see what the attendance looks like at Devil’s Lake this summer, what that impact on the resource is.”

Bergey said while the changes go into affect immediately, he doesn’t foresee major price changes for the 2019 season.