Beach access goes up in price

Marisa O’Neil

A day at the beach will cost more next summer, at least for visitors

to Huntington and Bolsa Chica state beaches.

State budget cuts have forced the California State Parks to at

least double the day use fees for the beaches starting July 1,

according to spokesman Roy Stearns. Huntington Beach is the second

most popular California State Park, with about 3.7-million visitors

annually, putting it behind Old Town San Diego, Stearns said. Bolsa

Chica comes in fifth with 2.3 million each year.

Higher fees might force people to head other places for fun in the

sun, like county-run parks, said Bolsa Chica State Beach lifeguard

supervisor Rich Haydon.

Fees will vary throughout the State Parks system, according to

location and season.

Right now it costs $5 to park at Bolsa Chica or Huntington Beach

state beaches for the day. Starting July 1, it will cost about $12

and may fluctuate slightly according to demand, Stearns said.

Camping fees will also go up at Bolsa Chica State Beach, which

Stearns said is one of the most popular in the state because of its

coastal location.

Those fees will go from the current price range of $19 to $26 up

to between $25 and $39. Inland campgrounds at the site will be at the

lower end of the range than those directly on the beach.

“That gives people a little break if they want to stay at the

beach,” Stearns said. “There will be the higher priced real estate on

the coast and some lower priced real estate.”

Orange County runs parks in Sunset Beach and Newport Harbor. Their

entry fees range from $2 for weekdays to $10 for major holidays,

according to the Orange County Parks Web site.

Annual passes for the State Parks, popular with surfers and others

who go to the beach more than a dozen times a year, will likely go

from $75 to $125 in the Orange County area. Regular beach-goers would

be less likely to let price deter them from their favorite spots,

Haydon said.

“Some folks will continue to come to Huntington and Bolsa Chica

simply because they’ve come here for a long time ,” he said.

The State Parks’ budget has been reduced by nearly $20 million

since 2001, and it must reduce its operating budget by another $15

million in the next year, Stearns said.

-- Jenny Marder contributed

to this report.