Photo: Oregon State Parks

As this year comes to a close, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is looking back on 2026 and planning for the 2027 season.

OPRD welcomed millions of visitors this year to its state parks, including 2.2 million camping nights so far this year. Park rangers were on the ground welcoming visitors, cleaning restrooms, hosting hikes and star parties, and addressing hundreds of trail, utility, and other maintenance issues that arose throughout the year.

This year also came with some significant changes to OPRD’s fees as the agency successfully closed a $14 million funding gap for the 2025-2027 biennium. Some of the fees had not been updated in 15 years.

“These changes, while hard, were absolutely necessary and they prevented us from closing parks,” said OPRD director Lisa Sumption. “We fixed our budget in the short-term, and now we are turning our attention toward long-term solutions that do not put the burden solely on our visitors.”

Staff are looking forward to welcoming visitors for the 2027 season. To help visitors enjoy Oregon’s more than 250 state park areas and know what to expect next year, see the following updates.

Fall/Winter 2026:

OPRD refreshed its online store, offering new ways to remember your favorite Oregon State Parks visit.
OPRD and State Library of Oregon made 200 parking permits available at 82 libraries across the state and will be evaluating opportunities to expand the Library Pass Program.
Weatherization of parks closed over the winter months.
Update reservation website to show the site fee per day when selecting available camping dates.
New Spot Watch feature provides more detailed notification options via text or email. You can set up a notification that includes multiple parks, lodging types, and date ranges.
Begin low-season park improvement projects, like those happening at Cape Lookout State Park, Silver Falls State Park and Smith Rock State Park.
Following the new dump station fee implemented at 18 state parks, the agency is evaluating whether additional parks have the technology and site conditions to make implementation practical.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2027

First Day Hikes: Guided hikes at select parks on Jan. 1.
The Transient Lodging Tax set by the Oregon Tourism Commission will increase from 1.5% to 2.75% and effects all OPRD overnight reservations. OPRD does not receive funds collected from this tax.
Physical 12-month parking permits – the hang tags – will only be sold online and will cost $10 more to account for printing and handling fees. Digital 12-month parking permits will still cost $60 for Oregon residents and $75 for non-residents.
Jessie M. Honeyman State Park will close for several months starting in January for utility and hazard tree removal work.

Spring 2027

Park cleanup, repair and reopening after assessing any damage or issues that arose after the winter season.
Rate increases to reservable day-use facilities (amphitheater, group day use, meeting hall, pavilion and picnic shelter), yurts and cabins take effect May 1. Increases will be about 5% to account for inflation in utility, supplies and staffing costs.
Hire for seasonal staff.

OPRD is making substantially fewer fee changes in 2027. Addressing large maintenance projects that are overdue, often referred to as deferred maintenance, is the primary issue. If put off for too long, the issues can become persistent and cause service disruptions or closures to campgrounds.

The agency does not receive general fund tax revenue, and fees alone will not be able to address deferred maintenance. OPRD has been and will continue to focus on long-term funding solutions that can meet the scale of the deferred maintenance need.

Source: Oregon State Parks

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