Camping fee at Chiricahua National Monument rising

WILLCOX, Ariz. – The National Park Service says it will boost camping fees at the Chiricahua National Monument from $12 a day to $20 per day starting Jan. 1.

The changes in fees at the Bonita Canyon campground inside the Chiricahua National Monument are the first since 2002.

Park superintendent Allen Etheridge says in a statement Tuesday that the increase was needed to fund maintenance and improvements at the park.

The Park Service conducted a nationwide review of entrance and user fees this year. The Chiricahua National Monument southeast of Willcox did community outreach and accepted public comments. It received no opposition to the boost in campsite fees.