Park, Campground Fees Expected to Rise

The new year is expected to bring higher park and campground fees for Ventura County residents and visitors.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider adopting a host of new recreation fees that will bring in an additional $40,562 in annual maintenance money, officials said.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot,” said Blake Boyle, manager of the county Parks Department. “But those are important dollars to the Parks Department.”

Under the proposed changes, fees at Faria and Hobson campgrounds would increase from $16 to $17 per night from April 1 through Oct. 30, the height of the camping season, Boyle said. Fees at Rincon Parkway would go from $12 to $13 during the same period.

Reserving Ojai and Simi Valley equestrian arenas would go from $50 to $60 a day under the new schedule. Also, a new $25-per-hour fee would be charged for use of baseball fields by organizers of tournaments and instructional camps.

Renting barbecue facilities in county parks would also become more expensive, increasing from $15 to $25, depending on the size and seating capacity of each structure.

Meanwhile, the Ventura County Parks and Harbor Commission, which is recommending approval of the fee hikes, has expressed interest in reexamining the fees in the spring for further adjustments, Boyle said.

At that time, the commission will consider recommending that the fees for recreational facilities in high demand be increased even more, he said. Many of the fees have not been adjusted in several years, he said.