Have high state park camping fees reached a plateau yet?

It wasn't too long ago when you could camp at a California state park for $12, or pay only $3 for a day use visit. Fat chance that we will ever see those fees again.

To help cover deficits in these tough fiscal times, California has relied on fee increases on everything from parks to universities, shifting more of the cost burden away from taxpayers and onto program users. Gone is the concept of the "common good."

Campgrounds in the state park system now routinely charge $30 with day use fees of $10. But it is not possible to cover the costs of state parks with user fees. Even with these fee hikes, California plans to still close 70 of its 278 parks.

That will not be the end of the problem. As the public so far is willing to pay the increased fees, at some point there will be pull back. Day users will park outside parks and ride bikes in. Campers will shorten their camping trips or avoid the parks altogether and instead look for places in the national forests to boondock for free--so far the forest service hasn't found a way to charge for boondocking outside of designated campgrounds.

For California RVers, there doesn't appear to be any immediate relief, as the economic cycle is concentrated on reduction of government services to slice expenses from the state budget. It is likely also that private campgrounds and RV resorts will inch up their fees as state parks become less of a competitor. We RVers don't have much of a recourse, other than grousing and using other options for camping.