Fees or no fees? Should state parks charge fees for entering?

Over the last two decades, state parks have grappled with steady increases in operating costs and the budgetary constraints of significant cutbacks in funding from government appropriations. In response to these fiscal challenges, state park agencies and park management have been looking at ways of creating new revenue streams, including the establishment of new fees, that will help maintain the quality of services provided at parks and will ensure visitors have a positive experience thus making it more likely they will return. While in many instances the establishment of entrance fees may be necessary to sustain park operations in the face of funding shortfalls, it nonetheless is a change that is often met with resistance from some users of state parks. Existing studies on the practicability of adopting state park entrance fees have found that efforts to impose fees can be controversial because they may be perceived as an obstacle that limits the ability of lower-income populations to visit state parks, thus raising issues of equity. In addition, some say that imposition of an entrance fee may conflict philosophically with the concept that state parks are a “public good” administered by a tax-supported government agency. These concerns behoove park agencies to consider how the establishment of an entrance fee might affect how individuals gauge the quality of their experiences when visiting state parks and how this could influence their continued patronage of the parks in the future.

Oklahoma state park officials collaborated with researchers to determine public perceptions of park services and potential entrance fees.

Up until 2020, Oklahoma was among a handful of states that did not charge a fee for entering state parks. However, a 38% decrease in appropriations that occurred from 2009 to 2017, along with increased calls for parks to become more financially self-sufficient, prompted the Division of State Parks in the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) to consider the feasibility of establishing a general state park entrance fee. In 2014, researchers including faculty now with George Mason University’s Recreation Management program, collaborated with OTRD in the development of an online survey, posted to the Oklahoma state parks Facebook page, to obtain the opinions of visitors of state parks regarding service quality, general satisfaction, history of visitation, and to measure the level of public support for new fees.

A total of 382 people completed the survey. The survey included a ‘yes or no’ question asking whether respondents would agree to pay a general park entrance fee to support operations. This question was designed to separate respondents into Pro-fee and No-fee groups. Researchers then looked for differences within both camps as might be reflected in their responses to questions pertaining to demographics (gender, education level, income, sex, age, etc.); the quality of services provided at the park; respondents’ overall level of satisfaction with their park experience; their intentions to revisit the park; and willingness to recommend the state park to others. Respondents were also asked to report the number of times they had visited the park within the last twelve months and the number of years since their first visit.

Survey results showed that service quality for certain park attributes influences the willingness of visitors to pay state park entrance fees.

The survey results suggested that, in general, respondents were satisfied with their experience visiting Oklahoma state parks. This was supported by the high frequency of visits that were reported (an average of three visits a year) and the number of years that individuals had been visiting the parks (an average of 17 years). Researchers did not find any statistically significant variations in the demographics among respondents between the Pro-fee and No-fee groups. However, there were several significant differences between the No-fee and Pro-fee group participants in their responses to the following three service quality questions: “The price I paid for the service in the park was reasonable;” “I felt safe and secure in the park;” and, “Information about the park is available and current.” Based on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from “(1) strongly disagree” to “(7) strongly agree,” the responses from the Pro-fee group on these three service quality attributes scored higher than those reported by the No-fee group.

In other findings, when researchers compared the number of years that had elapsed since an individual had first visited a park, respondents in the Pro-fee group reported that the length of time from their initial visit was approximately six years less than that reported by participants in the No-fee group. As such, the study authors suggest that a person’s early experience and early memories of visiting a park may influence their willingness to accept new or additional fees later in life.

Researchers determine it is important for state park administrators to convey their rationale for establishing or increasing entrance fees.

Based on their analysis of the survey results, researchers determined that it is important for park administrators to inform the public of their reasons for charging new park entrance fees or increasing existing fees and to identify the specific services that will benefit and improve with these changes. Researchers also recommended that park management should consider various fee options such as individual passes, group passes, and pricing mechanisms that might include in-state discounts and fee waivers for seniors or low-income families to ensure equitable access to parks.

In their conclusions, the researchers stated, “...understanding park visitors’ experience, such as service quality and satisfaction, provides valuable information for park management to make informed decisions regarding initiation of or increases to entrance fees. This study offered evidence that park visitors who perceive that reasonable prices are being charged for current services, feel safe and secure while in the park, and agree that state park information is available and current were more likely to support entrance fees when compared to their counterparts. As agencies continue exploring ways to offset operation costs by revenue generation, starting or increasing entrance fees may be a viable option to explore. While considering such an option, it is important to maintain or improve service quality, fulfill customer needs, and provide a satisfactory visitor experience.”

To learn more about state park entrance fees, read this article by faculty from George Mason University’s School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM). The Recreation Management program at SRTM offers a degree concentration which focuses on the contribution of recreation and parks to public well-being and quality of life. We invite you to visit the program website for more information on our degree offerings.