Maricopa County Parks Fee Increase

Maricopa County parks are the nicest county parks I am aware of. They are on a par with Florida State parks. That being said, they are worth every penny they charge!

harold1946 wrote:
Maricopa County parks do not receive any taxpayer monies. They are totally self supporting. I would like to hear from anyone that knows of a campground that charges only $30.00 per day for water and electrical hookup sites, showers and restrooms, maintained hiking trails, and dump stations.

Comparing it to other public land parks $30 is fairly high based on my past 5 years of full timing. Moreover, since they don't heat their showers I haven't found them to be much use when we stop by here in the winter. For example, state parks in New Mexico are a considerable bargain by comparison. Fees $14 for water and electric.

That said, Maricopa county parks are great and we have stayed with them several times.

Maricopa County parks do not receive any taxpayer monies. They are totally self supporting. I would like to hear from anyone that knows of a campground that charges only $30.00 per day for water and electrical hookup sites, showers and restrooms, maintained hiking trails, and dump stations.

The Maricopa campgrounds are the most beautiful and have the largest sites you'll ever see in a metro area. $30 is a still a bargain compared to the side-by-side RV parks in the area.

Maricopa County Parks are still a bargain. McDowell Mountain is absolutely unbelievable. Beautiful RV site. Miles and miles of hiking and biking trails. Lots of wildlife. Yet it is a short drive to Fountain Hills.

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Looks to me like they're raising many current fees, and adding some new ones.

User-pay is pretty much becoming the norm these days, what with taxpayer refusals to fund lots of things that used to be thought of as essential. I think day-use fees are the saddest consequence of this- can't even go to the park and sit on the grass without paying.

mpfireman wrote:
If AZ is anything like FL, the private park owners have a very strong lobbying presence is state government. There goal is to make state parks as expensive as the private ones. Ever try to boon dock in FL, nearly impossible. As you are not paying any $$$ to the state. I hope AZ does not follow down the same path as FL.

The private campground lobby is not as strong as you want to believe. Parking bans have been overturned in some cites by the voters.

Also, there is more than enough business for all except the poorest quality campgrounds, to bother with lobbying shenanigans.

Boon docking in Florida has been impossible for over 40 years. Nothing new there.

If AZ is anything like FL, the private park owners have a very strong lobbying presence is state government. There goal is to make state parks as expensive as the private ones. Ever try to boon dock in FL, nearly impossible. As you are not paying any $$$ to the state. I hope AZ does not follow down the same path as FL.