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River rafters and fishers headed to the Snake River Canyon will see electronic pay stations starting next month near their parking spots. Those using U.S. Forest Service boat ramps between Astoria and Sheep Gulch will have to display a permit on their dash.
Private recreators will pay $5 a car or $40 for a season pass. For commercial outfitters, that fee will be $3 per person per day for those over 16.
Another update comes for large parties. Reservations have always been required for large groups of 15 or more, but those will now be available on Recreation.gov instead of the more clunky in-person paperwork. Season passes will be available at the same site.
The charges come after several years of contemplation by the Bridger-Teton National Forest, which, in addition to the land, oversees the ramps and restrooms along the stretch, known by kayakers and rafters for its whitewater.
Outfitters rejected the idea of river fees in the ‘90s. But pressure to levy fees in the canyon has been rising alongside the region’s popularity.Each summer from June to August, the portion of the Snake River between South Park Bridge and Sheep Gulch hosts over 200,000 visitors. Some outfitters have come around.
Bud Chatham is an owner of Dave Hansen Whitewater in Jackson. Customers will likely see that $3 fee on their receipt, passed directly to them.
“For some people, certainly, they won’t be happy, but in general the fees are reasonable,” Chatham said.
Funds will help keep bathrooms clean and ramps clear.
“This fee is really going to be a game changer to allow the forest servers to do those things that have been put off,” Chatham said.
Outfitters already pay a 3% tax to the entire forest, he said, but Chatham likes that the money will more specifically help ease human impacts where they are most acutely felt.
