Drivers pay $3 to enter American Fork Canyon, which connects with Provo Canyon via the Alpine Loop. It is one of the most-used recreational canyons in the state, with 335,000 cars and 1.2 million visitors annually.

The national forests instituted the federal "Fee Demonstration Project" in 1997 to upgrade campgrounds, trails, restrooms and parking lots. Congress has since made the fees permanent through the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

"Without it, I don't think we'd survive," Velarde said. "The cost of everything increases as we all know, so we've just fallen behind the eight ball a little bit."

David Ream, Kamas Ranger District recreation manager, said the Mirror Lake area would be "in a world of hurt" without what is now called a "recreation enhancement fee."

"We try to get as much money to the ground as we can," he said, and he means that literally.

"We spend a lot of time cleaning up garbage," he said. "We have a lot of people who don't treat their national forest too well."

With federal funds riding on the whim of the current presidential administration, public land bosses have had to search for steady money streams to rebuild aging water lines, sewer lines and restrooms.

"We need a lot of these unsexy things," said Zion's Haraden, noting 80 percent of the fees stay in the park.

And Zion makes sure park visitors know that. It post signs at its projects that read, "Your entrance fees at work."

"When people know the money stays in the park, and we can show people what we use it for, people like that," he said.

Without the American Fork Canyon entrance fee, Palazzolo said, routine repairs and cleaning would fall to the "deferred maintenance" plan — government-speak for "we'll do it when we can."

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