Park Entry Fees Change at Ardenwood Quarry Lakes

The East Bay Regional Park District switched Ardenwood Historic Farm to cashless fee collection on April 29, and Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area stayed on its existing cashless system. (ebparks.org 1) (ebparks.org 2) At Ardenwood and the other newly added sites, visitors now pay on-site fees with major credit cards or tap-to-pay methods instead of cash. The district said the change applies where fees are charged, including parking, boating, and daily fishing permits. (ebparks.org) The five parks added on April 29 were Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont, Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in Castro Valley, Don Castro Regional Recreation Area in Hayward, Castlerock Pool Complex in Walnut Creek, and Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland. Quarry Lakes in Fremont, Roberts Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, and Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda had already gone cashless. (ebparks.org) The district attached a 30-day grace period to the April 29 rollout as it heads into the summer season. Park officials said the goal is to improve operational efficiency at entrances and kiosks. (ebparks.org) Quarry Lakes had already been running as a cashless site after a pilot that began in October 2024 and was extended through Dec. 31, 2025. During that pilot, the district accepted only credit cards and tap-to-pay and said it was evaluating the program through the busy summer months. (ebparks.org) On the Quarry Lakes park page, the district now lists the site as cashless and says the kiosk accepts credit card and tap-to-pay. The same page lists parking at $5 per vehicle, $5 per trailered vehicle, and $25 for buses. (ebparks.org) The district said 23 regional parks charge user fees, and together those fees bring in about $5.7 million a year, or 2% of its operating budget. Officials said those charges help cover the cost of keeping parks open and maintained. (ebparks.org) Visitors who still want to pay in cash can buy an annual Regional Parks Foundation membership, which includes free parking at regional parks. The district said it expects more fee-collecting facilities to go cashless where the infrastructure is in place. (ebparks.org)