Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is asking for public input on a sweeping set of proposed fee increases for state-managed parks, fishing access sites, wildlife management areas, and fisheries conservation areas. The public comment window closes on July 24, 2026, with comments accepted online through the FWP website.

Why Fees Are Being Raised

FWP officials say the agency’s current fee schedule has gone years without a comprehensive overhaul, creating an administrative tangle that is hard for both staff and the public to navigate. Increased recreation use and rising maintenance costs at public sites have pushed the agency to act.

Renee Lemon, who heads the FWP parks and outdoor recreation division, explained the rationale plainly: “The current fee rules have not been thoroughly updated in many years and have become difficult to administer and understand. With increases in recreation, we see the need for an updated and more user-friendly fee structure.”

The agency benchmarked proposed rates against Consumer Price Index inflation figures and compared them to fee structures in neighboring states.

What Would Change — and What Would Not

Montana residents would see no change to their state park vehicle entrance fee, which remains at $0 and is covered through the annual vehicle registration process.

Nonresidents would face higher costs across the board. The daily vehicle entrance fee would climb from $8 to $10, while those entering on foot or by bike would pay $5 instead of $4. A seven-day nonresident pass would jump from $35 to $50, and the annual nonresident vehicle pass would increase from $50 to $70.

Commercial and guided recreation would also see adjustments. Most guided services client fees are proposed to rise from $5 to $8, and commercial event fees would increase from $3 per participant to $8. Facility and equipment services at FWP-managed areas would be set at $250 per day.

The proposal would standardize restricted river commercial fees at 3 percent of gross revenue with a $130 minimum. The Upper Bitterroot River would have a fee added under the new structure, the Beaverhead and Big Hole rivers would move away from their current client-based fee formula, and the Clark Fork through Alberton Gorge would gain a minimum fee requirement.

Several categories are proposed to remain unchanged. Reservation fees at all sites, horse fees, and firewood cutting permits would all stay at current levels.

How to Comment

Montanans and nonresidents alike can submit comments through the FWP website before the July 24, 2026 deadline. FWP has signaled that public input will be considered as the agency finalizes the new fee structure.

Broader Context

Montana’s public lands and waterways draw heavy recreational traffic, and pressure on FWP-managed sites has grown steadily in recent years. The agency oversees a broad portfolio of parks and access points that serve both residents, for whom the no-cost vehicle registration system subsidizes park entry, and out-of-state visitors who pay directly at the gate.

The proposed changes reflect a broader trend among western states reassessing how to fund public land maintenance as visitation rises and inflation erodes the purchasing power of fees set years ago. By pegging proposed rates to CPI and neighboring state comparisons, FWP is attempting to build a defensible, durable schedule rather than returning to piecemeal adjustments.

The outcome of this comment period is likely to shape FWP’s recreational fee structure for years ahead, and the agency’s decisions could become a point of discussion as Montana lawmakers prepare for the 2027 legislative session, where public lands funding and outdoor recreation policy are perennial topics.