Angeles National Forest, California — A new parking pass has created another cost for SoCal hikers.
SFGate reported in July that Mountain High Resorts has introduced a new parking pass this year for sites they manage inside the Angeles National Forest. This is on top of the pass that’s already required inside of the National Forest. This situation has sparked a debate about whether private concessionaires should be able to profit from people using public lands. In addition, guests are frustrated that they have to purchase multiple passes to access specific parking areas and campsites.
To access Angeles National Forest, you must purchase a $5 single-use Adventure Pass. If you plan to go there more times, an annual pass is available to SoCal’s national forests, Alternatively, you can purchase an America the Beautiful Pass, which gives access to national forests and parks across the country for an entire year.
However, the various sites that Mountain High Resorts manages now require an additional $5 daily parking pass. It should be noted, though, that a possible workaround for this charge is parking on the side of the road near these various sites, which doesn’t require paying for the pass. They also operate Jackson Lake, which costs $10 to park there. Alternatively, an annual Big Pines Parking Pass gets you access to all these places.
If you plan on visiting the following locations, you’ll need to purchase the Big Pines Parking Pass:
- Appletree Campground
- Arch Picnic Area
- Grassy Hollow Campground/Picnic Area
- Inspiration Point Trailhead
- Mescal Picnic Area
- Northshore Fishing Site
- Peavine Campground
- Vincent Gap Trailhead
Cris Hazzard, who runs the popular HikingGuy website, disagreed with this new fee. He told SFGate about his main issue with the new pass:
“I don’t think it’s reasonable to ask people to pay multiple concessionaires multiple fees, to park in different places, because then it becomes like trying to find a parking spot in downtown Los Angeles.”
The National Forest Service gave Mountain High a permit in 2021 to operate these spots. Since they began operating these areas, they added services, like a snack shop and boat rentals to Jackson Lake. In addition, they added a new water infrastructure system to one of the campgrounds and a visitor center.
According to Matthew Bokach, the Monument Manager for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument for the Angeles National Forest, they’ve “already seen some real tangible evidence of Mountain High providing services at some of these sites that the Forest Service never did.” Due to limited funds, the National Forest Service isn’t currently capable of adding new services or making extensive improvements to the Angeles National Forest. However, they don’t plan on adding another private concessionaire to the Angeles National Forest.
While it’s a pain to pay another fee, I don’t think it’s a big deal to pay an additional $5 to park at these spots. They’re just outside one of the biggest cities in the country, and taking care of these places does cost money. However, it would be nice if the Angeles National Forest offered a separate Adventure pass with a higher fee for those who plan to go to these spots rather than buying two separate products. This additional fee seems like something that would come as a surprise to some guests visiting, thus making it an inconvenience.
Mountain High Resorts is part of the California Mountain Resort Company, which is owned by Inversion Capital, a private equity firm. This company also owns and operates Bear Valley, China Peak, and Dodge Ridge.
Image Credits: Mountain High Resorts, U.S. Forest Service
