Due to limited funds, Shenandoah National Park was forced to close the popular Matthews Arm Campground in 1993. This fall, Shenandoah will be re-opening the campground. Initially the campground will only be available for self-contained vehicles, due to degradation in Matthew Arm’s wastewater treatment facility. The Park will be rehabilitating the wastewater treatment plant so that Matthews Arm can operate with full services by the spring of 1998.

The Shenandoah Valley. Photo by M. Scott Smith.

Bill Wade, Superintendent of Shenandoah National Park, credits the increased national park funding structure for the re-opening of the campground. Entrance fees at all national parks were recently raised, with some money now going directly to each park instead of to the general U.S. Treasury. The increased funds are allowing parks to perform vital maintenance at a time when more and more people are visiting this nation’s national parks.

Matthews Arm Campground, which has 185 sites and is the northernmost campground in the Park, will re-open for self-contained vehicles (such as motor homes) on September 2, 1997. The restrooms are not currently functional; the Park hopes to correct that problem by next spring so tent campers can return to the scenic campground. This fall, campground sites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Entrance fees for Shenandoah increased from $5 to $10 per non-commercial vehicle. Fees for individuals entering the park by other means increased from $3 to $5 per person. The Shenandoah pass, which allows unlimited annual access to the Park, increased from $15 to $20, and the Golden Eagle Passport, allowing unlimited annual access to any National Park in the U.S., increased from $25 to $50.