Fees & Passes

Free

No entrance pass required

An entrance pass is not required to access Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Other National Park Service sites may require an entrance pass or fee. Depending on your trip plans, an interagency pass may save you money.

2024 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:

• Monday, January 15 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 20 — First Day of National Park Week
• Wednesday, June 19 — Juneteenth
• Sunday, August 4 — The Great American Outdoors Act
• Saturday, September 28 — National Public Lands Day
• Monday, November 11 — Veterans Day

 

Visit Recreation.gov to pay for seasonal boat permits or reservations at Elk Creek and Lake Fork campgrounds. 7-day boat permits and first-come, first-served campsites can be paid for at the boat ramps and campgrounds.

NPS Photo

Fees for camping and boating at Curecanti increased on January 1, 2024. Read here for more details.

Campground Fees

Some campsites may be reserved and paid for on recreation.gov for Elk Creek Campground, Lake Fork Campground, East Elk Creek Group Campground, and Red Creek Campground and Group Site. Campsites may also be reserved (first come, first served) and paid for at the campgrounds. Visitors with a Senior or Access Pass receive a 50% discount on campground fees.

Campground	Sites reservable online	First come, first served sites	Fees
Elk Creek Campground	Yes	Yes	$24-34
Lake Fork Campground	Yes	Yes	$24
Stevens Creek Campground	No	Yes	$20
Cimarron Campground	No	Yes	$24
Ponderosa Campground	No	Yes	$20
Dry Gulch Campground	No	Yes	$20
East Portal Campground	No	Yes	$20
East Elk Creek Group Campground	Yes	Yes	$53
Red Creek Campground & Group Site	Yes	Yes	$20-28
Gateview Campground	No	Yes	Free

 

Boat Permits

A permit is required for all motorized vessels on Blue Mesa Reservoir. Boat permits are available online at Recreation.gov. They are also available at boat launches around Blue Mesa (7-day permits only). Visitors with a Senior or Access Pass receive a 50% discount on boat permits.

• Seasonal permit - $40
• 7-day permit - $20

Seasonal and 7-day permits are available online through Recreation.gov. On the website, search for “Curecanti Boat.” All seasonal permits must be purchased online through Recreation.gov.

Don’t have cell service? For 7-day permits, fees may also be paid by submitting payment in the fee envelopes provided at the self-service fee stations at all Blue Mesa boat ramps (Iola, Stevens Creek, Elk Creek, or Lake Fork). Please fill out the information on the envelopes, include payment, remove the stub receipt, and deposit the payment envelope into the fee receptacle at the self-service station.

Show your envelope stub to the Aquatic Invasive Species inspector for the 7-day permit, or show your proof of online payment through www.recreation.gov to the inspector to obtain a seasonal permit.

Interagency Passes

Elk Creek Visitor Center only has the Access Pass, Annual Military Pass, Lifetime Military Pass, and 4th Grade Pass available at this time.

The following passes are available online at the USGS Store. Passes are also available at the following locations in Gunnison:

Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office
Address: 2500 E. New York Ave, Gunnison, CO 81230
Phone: [phone]

US Forest Service Gunnison Ranger District Office
Address: 216 N. Colorado, Gunnison, CO 81230
Phone: [phone]

 

2024 Annual Pass

Annual Pass

The Interagency Annual Pass is valid for all National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entrance fees, and Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service sites that charge a standard amenity fee. (This pass is not valid for other National Park Service fees such as camping, boat tours or boat permits).

Cost: $80

Available for:

• Everyone

Additional Information:

• This pass permits entry for the pass holder and accompanying passengers in a single, private, noncommercial vehicle at parks that charge a per vehicle entrance fee.

• This pass is non-transferable to another person.

• The Interagency Annual Pass is valid for one year from the month of purchase

 

2024 Annual Military Pass

Annual Military Pass

Active-duty members of the US military and their dependents qualify for a free Interagency Annual Military Pass. The military pass covers the same fees as the standard $80 Interagency Annual Pass. Identification card is required to obtain the pass

Cost: Free

Available for:

• Current US military members and their dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force, as well as Reserve and National Guard members

How to obtain:

• Please check requirements before arriving, such as showing a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID (Form 1173).

Additional Information:

• Passes may not be issued as gifts since eligible recipient must present proof of eligibility.

• Find detailed information about this pass on the USGS Store's Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

 

2024 Lifetime Military Pass

Lifetime Military Pass

Veterans and Gold Star Families qualify for a free Interagency Lifetime Military Pass. The military pass covers the same fees as the standard $80 Interagency Annual Pass. Identification card is required to obtain the pass.

Cost: Free

Available for:

• Gold Star Families

• Veterans

How to obtain:

• For Gold Star Families:

  • Download and print a special voucher to either present to the ranger, exchange for a Military Pass in person, or place on the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites. Gold Star Vouchers may be downloaded from https://www.nps.gov/customcf/goldstar/voucher.htm

• For Veterans:

  • Present one of the following forms of ID:

  1. Department of Defense Identification Card (CAC Card, DD Form 2, DD Form 2765)

  2. Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

  3. Veteran ID Card

  4. Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S.driver’s license or identification card

Additional Information:

• Passes may not be issued as gifts since eligible recipient must present proof of eligibility.

• Find detailed information about this pass on the USGS Store's Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

 

2023-2024 4th Grade Pass

4th Grade Pass

Every Kid Outdoors was created so fourth graders and their families could discover our wildlife, resources, and history for free. Fourth graders were chosen because research shows that kids ages nine to 11 are beginning to learn about the world around them. They’re open to new ideas, and they are likely to connect to nature and our history. These passes are offered to fourth graders every year. Over time, every kid can get a free pass to explore our country.

Cost: Free

Available for:

• US 4th graders, including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age, with a valid Every Kid Outdoors paper pass.

• Valid for the duration of the 4th grader's school year though the following summer (September-August).

How to obtain:

• Step 1: Obtain a paper pass by visiting the Every Kid Outdoors website and following the instructions.

• Step 2: Exchange for the Annual 4th Grade Pass at a federal recreation site or online.

• NOTE: Digital versions of the paper pass, such as on smart phones or tablets, will not be accepted to exchange for an Annual Fourth Grade Pass.

Additional Information:

• Educators can also be involved! Learn more at the Every Kid Outdoors website.

 

2024 Annual and Lifetime Senior Passes

Senior Pass

The Senior Pass (Lifetime or Annual) is available to persons who are at least 62 years of age and citizens or permanent residents of the United States. A lifetime pass has a one-time charge of $80. An annual pass may be renewed annually for a $20 charge, and current or expired annual passes may be used to upgrade to a lifetime pass.

Cost:

• $80 lifetime
• $20 annual

Available for:

• US citizens or permanent residents ages 62 or over. Applicants must provide documentation of age and residency or citizenship.

Additional Information:

• The Senior Pass may provide a 50% discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping and boat permits.
• Golden Age Passports are no longer sold. However, these passes will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass.
• Passes may not be purchased as gifts since eligible recipient must present proof of eligibility.

 

2024 Access Pass

Access Pass

The Interagency Access Pass is a lifetime pass available without charge to persons who are blind or permanently disabled and citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

Cost: Free

Available for:

• US citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities.

• Applicants must provide documentation of permanent disability and residency or citizenship.

  • Documentation examples: statement by a licensed physician; document issued by Federal agency such as the Veteran's Administration, Social Security Disability Income or Supplemental Security Income; or document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency.

Additional Information:

• The Access Pass may provide a 50% discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping and boat permits. There is not a discount on the electric service in Elk Creek Campground.

• Passes may not be purchased as gifts since eligible recipient must present proof of eligibility.

• Golden Access Passports are no longer sold. However, these passes will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass.