EL CENTRO, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on a proposal to adjust recreation permit fees at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) to continue to provide essential services, increase customer service, and enhance recreation opportunities and experiences for public land visitors.

Recreation permit fees are an important revenue source for Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area’s continued operation, management and maintenance.

“Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is one of the busiest recreation areas in the state and these proposed fees will help the BLM continue to provide safe and enjoyable recreation opportunities and experiences for visitors,” said Matt Lohr, El Centro Field Manager. “The fee structure for ISDRA permits has not been adjusted to cover increasing operating and maintenance costs and reflect market conditions since 2013.”

The proposal considers increasing recreation permit fees for primary vehicles – the street-legal vehicles used for transportation to ISDRA. The need for the proposed fees were determined through fair market analysis, historical revenue, and operating costs. The proposed recreation permit fees would be $55 for off-site weekly permits, $70 for on-site weekly permits, and $185 for season permits, effective Oct. 1, 2025. 

Revenue from recreation fees support off-highway vehicle grants for Emergency Medical Services, Search and Rescue, law enforcement; trash collection and removal; facilities maintenance of ranger stations; vault toilets; sand removal from access roads; camping pads; and other services. All recreation fees collected at sites are reinvested directly back into the local recreation program to expand and improve recreational opportunities as authorized by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004.

The proposed El Centro Draft Recreation Site Business Plan outlining existing and proposed recreation permit fee changes and operation and maintenance costs, is available for public comment for 30 days. Submit public comments by Nov. 25, via mail to the BLM El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243 or via email at BLM_CA_web_EC@blm.gov.

The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is one of the most popular off-highway vehicle areas in the United States, attracting the highest concentration of visitors of any BLM recreation area nationwide with more than 1.2 million visitors each year.

ARCATA, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management, King Range National Conservation Area is updating the wilderness permit reservation system to better serve visitors. The permit system, implemented in 2017, is designed to ensure a wilderness experience free of large crowds with outstanding opportunities for solitude.

Starting October 1, permits for overnight wilderness trips will be sold on a three-month rolling window reservation system. Each day, new permits will be available for dates three months in advance.  For example, on October 1, 2023, permits will open for January 1, 2024; on October 2, 2023, permits will open for January 2, 2024 and so on. Each permit will accommodate up to three people for overnight use. Day use permits are not required.

The new system will not allow reservations to be made for more than three months in advance of the trip.  Visitors will still be able to make reservations for dates fewer than three months in advance, depending on permit availability. Additionally, two “walk-up” permits will be sold daily at the King Range Visitor Center in Whitethorn. Each of these permits will accommodate two persons.

“We are excited to implement the updates to the permit reservation system, which were developed with public feedback, to better meet the needs of visitors and reduce the number of reservations going unused,” said Paul Sever, manager of the King Range NCA.

Detailed information on overnight wilderness visits and reservations is available at the King Range NCA webpage.

For more information about the permit reservation updates, contact BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Sandy Miles at smiles@blm.gov or by telephone at 707- 986-5415.

The King Range NCA encompasses 68,000 acres of rugged forested public lands along 35 miles of the North Coast.  It was the nation’s first NCA, established in 1970. Recreation visitors enjoy four campgrounds, four coastal access sites, 85 miles of wilderness trails, 24 miles of mountain biking trails and 41 miles of back country roads. In addition to providing for recreation access, the BLM partners with government and private organizations in efforts to conserve critical forest and stream habitats.