state park pass

[smokepoles]

I remember reading that they would prorate for the remainder of this year the state park annual pass if you had prior year pass expire.  Maybe it was not official, but I stopped at Hyrum today and the attendant said they had been told not do do it by the ranger, but that maybe Willard did.  So, any info here - possible/not possible, varies depending on park and ranger, etc?  It is more a matter of principle for me than cost; though I don't mind funding the parks, seems poor policy toward those who you are supposed to serve.

[wiperhunter2]

I remember reading that they would prorate for the remainder of this year the state park annual pass if you had prior year pass expire.  Maybe it was not official, but I stopped at Hyrum today and the attendant said they had been told not do do it by the ranger, but that maybe Willard did.  So, any info here - possible/not possible, varies depending on park and ranger, etc?  It is more a matter of principle for me than cost; though I don't mind funding the parks, seems poor policy toward those who you are supposed to serve.

That is how I did it, at Willard. I just dove up to the pay booth, showed them my old pass and they took care of it from there. One thing I should caution you, if you are a senior, make sure you tell them or they will Pro rate it at the higher price.

[ReelMasta]

The attendant at Willard told me $50 for the rest of the year period.  Now, next week next, month or even December.  That's their idea of prorated.

[SkunkedAgain]

Remind me how this works? If we expire before January they will sell you the prorated rest of the year and then everything will be annual after that with Jan. to end of Dec peroids? Is that correct? Thanks Jeff

[MrShane]

That is correct.

[dubob]

Okay boys & girls, here’s the story behind getting a prorated annual day-use pass for Utah State Parks.  This information comes directly from a phone call I had today with the Utah State Parks Northern Region Office which is responsible for Hyrum and Willard Bay State parks along with 27 other northern parks & recreation areas.

You can NOT get a prorated pass online; it has to be done in person.  The original directive given out to the individual parks instructed them to not issue a prorated pass UNLESS the customer insisted that the full cost of the pass for less than a full season of use is unfair due to this being the first of the new calendar year issuance of the pass and last years purchase of an annual pass covered a portion of this year.  HEY – I’m just the messenger.

You can get the pass prorated if you ask for and INSIST that you get it at the prorated amount.  And the prorated amount is $50 for a regular pass or $25 for a Senior pass.  These prorated amounts will only be allowed for the remainder of 2022 and will disappear forever on Jan 1, 2023.  They will also remain firm at those levels for the remainder of 2022.  Sorry ReelMasta, it is what it is.  You know how much the State of Utah LOVES its revenue collection.  

The reason for the refusal at Hyrum is because the counter help at Hyrum isn’t mentally capable of figuring out how to issue the prorated annual pass and how much to charge the customer.  This came directly from the Park Manager.  He also said that you can buy the prorated pass at Hyrum, but only directly from either the Park Manager or the Park Ranger.  The summer hire counter attendants can’t do it by order of the Park Manager.  Willard apparently hires real adults that function at an education level higher than Kindergarten.

Bottom line is this; if you are serious about getting the new pass for the remainder of 2022, ask/insist on it and if the counter/both help refuses, ask to speak with the Park Manager/Ranger at whichever park you want to buy it at.  Hopefully, this will settle the issue for you in the future.  Just remember, in 2023 it will be the full cost regardless of when in the year you buy it.

If you STILL run into problems, please call the State Parks Northern Region office at 801-533-5127 and civilly discuss the issue with them.  

[smokepoles]

So, staff is not capable of charging regular or senior $50 or $25 prorated as no calculations needed. Not sure I buy that. Rather just makes it another step more difficult to get things as they should be. Gotta admit, probably a reasonable calculation that most will not go through the time and hassle of waiting, or coming back, for the ranger/manager or going to Willard, etc.

---

BTW, I also see that if you purchase annual pass online the printed receipt will no longer work until you get the actual pass in hand with no guarantee on how long that will take. Guess Utah has to protect itself from all us fraudulent and dishonest citizens. Or that they may incurr unreasonable costs having to verify paying customers' receipts during delivery time instead of a hang tags

[PACMEN]

I remember reading that they would prorate for the remainder of this year the state park annual pass if you had prior year pass expire.  Maybe it was not official, but I stopped at Hyrum today and the attendant said they had been told not do do it by the ranger, but that maybe Willard did.  So, any info here - possible/not possible, varies depending on park and ranger, etc?  It is more a matter of principle for me than cost; though I don't mind funding the parks, seems poor policy toward those who you are supposed to serve.

Took my previous pass with me last spring (Still had 2 months left on it)  showed it at Deer Creek. and asked them to prorate for the rest of the year.
No problem the lady was happy to oblige.

[wiperhunter2]

I remember reading that they would prorate for the remainder of this year the state park annual pass if you had prior year pass expire.  Maybe it was not official, but I stopped at Hyrum today and the attendant said they had been told not do do it by the ranger, but that maybe Willard did.  So, any info here - possible/not possible, varies depending on park and ranger, etc?  It is more a matter of principle for me than cost; though I don't mind funding the parks, seems poor policy toward those who you are supposed to serve.

Took my previous pass with me last spring (Still had 2 months left on it)  showed it at Deer Creek. and asked them to prorate for the rest of the year.
No problem the lady was happy to oblige.

But how much did you end up paying?

[PACMEN]

I remember reading that they would prorate for the remainder of this year the state park annual pass if you had prior year pass expire.  Maybe it was not official, but I stopped at Hyrum today and the attendant said they had been told not do do it by the ranger, but that maybe Willard did.  So, any info here - possible/not possible, varies depending on park and ranger, etc?  It is more a matter of principle for me than cost; though I don't mind funding the parks, seems poor policy toward those who you are supposed to serve.

Took my previous pass with me last spring (Still had 2 months left on it)  showed it at Deer Creek. and asked them to prorate for the rest of the year.
No problem the lady was happy to oblige.

But how much did you end up paying?

Only had to pay for the remaining months of this year.
Being an old duffer the year passes are $50 so let me figure.
Was to expire end of May and bought prorated pass in March.
Last 7 months of 2022 cost me $29.17  I think.  I went thru the math on a piece of paper at the counter while she did it on her machine. We both came up with the same numbers.

[smokepoles]

I remember reading that they would prorate for the remainder of this year the state park annual pass if you had prior year pass expire.  Maybe it was not official, but I stopped at Hyrum today and the attendant said they had been told not do do it by the ranger, but that maybe Willard did.  So, any info here - possible/not possible, varies depending on park and ranger, etc?  It is more a matter of principle for me than cost; though I don't mind funding the parks, seems poor policy toward those who you are supposed to serve.

Took my previous pass with me last spring (Still had 2 months left on it)  showed it at Deer Creek. and asked them to prorate for the rest of the year.
No problem the lady was happy to oblige.

But how much did you end up paying?

Only had to pay for the remaining months of this year.
Being an old duffer the year passes are $50 so let me figure.
Was to expire end of May and bought prorated pass in March.
Last 7 months of 2022 cost me $29.17  I think.  I went thru the math on a piece of paper at the counter while she did it on her machine. We both came up with the same numbers.

 Well, just another confirmation of the poor way they have run things.  First off, I recall reading that the months would be prorated and I anticipated a true prorates as Pacmen describes.  Can't find anything official to that point at this time, and in fact only thing recoverable from the state park web site is an even olden news release regarding a fee increase and not anything on the pass as annual rather than yearly.  Second, it seems that perhaps such true prorate calculations were indeed too difficult for staff and/or to track in a budget, or state parks eventually decided they could get half a year prorate for anything after July.  Third, why would you need to ASK and INSIST on the prorate when you show up with an expired year pass except to make it more difficult or gouge those not prepared with all this background?   Fourth, why would you allow it at discretion of park range/manager rather than uniform policy?  Now the uniform policy may well need to be no prorate to preserve ranger/manager time etc, but lack of uniformity is always a bane on transparency.  Overall, this seems to be another example of shoot first and aim later.

[catchinon]

So do I have this right: since my pass expires in October I can get a prorated pass for November and December? And it would be 1/6 of the $50 I have been paying in the past ($8.33)? Then $50 in January or whenever? If I don't have it right, maybe you could draw me a diagram, Bob.

[dubob]

So do I have this right: since my pass expires in October I can get a prorated pass for November and December? And it would be 1/6 of the $50 I have been paying in the past ($8.33)? Then $50 in January or whenever? If I don't have it right, maybe you could draw me a diagram, Bob.

And the prorated amount is $50 for a regular pass or $25 for a Senior pass.  These prorated amounts will only be allowed for the remainder of 2022 and will disappear forever on Jan 1, 2023.  They will also remain firm at those levels for the remainder of 2022.

Sorry that wasn't clear.  The prorated rate for the remaining months left in 2022 is $50 regular and $25 senior.  Buy it today and it will cost you $50 regular and $25 senior.  Buy it in October and it will cost you $50 regular and $25 senior.  But it on December 30 and it will cost you $50 regular and $25 senior.  If you wait until 2023, there will not be any prorated cost no matter when in the year you buy it.  It will cost you $100 regular or $50 senior regardless of when you buy it.

[wiperhunter2]

So do I have this right: since my pass expires in October I can get a prorated pass for November and December? And it would be 1/6 of the $50 I have been paying in the past ($8.33)? Then $50 in January or whenever? If I don't have it right, maybe you could draw me a diagram, Bob.

I think you are correct Craig on how much it should cost you but not sure that will happen depending on where you go to get a new pass but IMO, you should just wait until Jan if you can, unless you go out to the state parks that much in Nov and Dec. The cost in Jan will be $50, being that you are a senior.

[Gone Forever]

I so hope this backfires on them bigtime.
My hope is that very few will buy their pass until may or june. Yes, this will mean paying full price for 1/2 of the year, but think of the funding gap.
Parks will still be open and spending money, while use is down and revenue's from the anual passes is not yet coming in. It would serve them right.
Remember they made our fishing licenses full year instead of calender for this reason. To even out the flow of revenue. It also took away the ability of sportspeople to apply preassure on the department by boycotting license purchases for a period of time after their exparation. (waiting till march to buy would cripple the departments budget).
As far as Hyrum, no surprize that they hire people that can't divide 100 by 12 or that number by 1/2. Someone could have made a chart! I mean it's only 12 months by 2 columns, one seinor and one not.
I'm tempeted to stop at the park when I take my boat up there and when they tell me only the ranger can help me, shut the truck off and tell them to get them to the booth, I'm not moving until they do.

[SkunkedAgain]

Another reason for me to be grumpy, last fall I bought my pass on labor day weekend, I think it was the 31st of August, didn't need it till the first of September anyway, but being proactive for a change I bought it asking for the September update.. Well when it came in the mail it was only good through August... Made me mad at the time, losing a month of use, and even madder now that I don't get my September this fall without having to go through the prorated nightmare... Oh well I guess I'll have to fish all fall to get some value out of that $50... But I guess I fish on Veterans day so I'll need a late pass anyway... I probably should start counting, not sure I'm getting my $100 worth at the state parks since I don't fish them that much lately... Never between June and the end of August.... Usually use my pass mostly for ice fishing and since Hyrum has been poor lately, I've been fishing other spots so I don't think I've come close to paying for last years tag... Maybe it's time to do day passes again... except for the pain in doing that... So when does senior pass age kick in? I may be getting close... Later Jeff

[wiperhunter2]

It's 65, if I remeber correctly Jeff. Do you remember what a day pass cost? I know at Willard it depends on the day of the week but the last I checked it was $15 to $18 a day and it could have gone up, since then. At $15 a trip that would take 7 trips to pay for it's self but since every stste park charges a different amount, that would vary depending on where you go.

[wiperhunter2]

Back in May when I got my prorated pass, I paid $34 for the rest of the year.

[SkunkedAgain]

Wow Curt did they raise the day pass that much. It was $8 last time I bought a day pass. Maybe I’m still locked into paying the man. Although as little as I’ve been fishing the day pass is probably cheaper so far this year. I think I’ve only been 3 times to a state park on my current pass. Sad but it’s my fault too many irons in the fire. Later J

[dubob]

Just for grins, I pulled up a few State Parks and their day use fees; see chart below.  With regard to day use fees each park appears to be unique and can set their fees based on their use only.  Some do have a reduced senior rate while others don't.  Some charge more on weekends; others don't.  So do you buy an annual pass or just pay a day use fee as you go?  The annual pass works at all but one State Park and that one is an OHV park.  If you buy the prorated annual pass this year and use it 3 to 5 times (park dependent) between now and Dec 31, 2022, it will have paid for itself.  Next year, the annual pass is cheaper than day use fees if you use the annual pass 5 to 10 times (again, park dependent) during the year.


Park                      Summer                               Winter
                            Mon-Fri, Sat/Sun, Senior         Mon-Fri, Sat/Sun, Senior
Deer Creek,            $15.00, $20.00, $10.00          $10.00, $10.00, $10.00
East Canyon,          $20.00, $25.00, N/A               $20.00, $25.00, N/A
Echo, (Closed)
Starvation,             $10.00, $10.00,  N/A               $10.00, $10.00, N/A
Hyrum,                  $15.00, $20.00, N/A                $15.00, $20.00, N/A
Jordanelle,             $20.00, $20.00, $10.00            $10.00, $10.00, $5.00
Lost Creek,            $10.00, $10.00, N/A                 $10.00, $10.00, N/A
Rockport,              $15.00, $15.00, $10.00             $15.00, $15.00, $10.00