Action News Now recently announced that this summer, Chico’s Upper Park will begin to charge a parking fee of $2 a day, or $25 for an annual pass. This decision, which has been in the works since as early as March of 2020, according to the Chico Enterprise Record, has been received with mixed reviews. The funds from implementing the fee are going to go towards road maintenance. The Veterans Memorial Park (more commonly known as Wildwood) and 5-Mile Recreation Center will remain free to access, among other places. 

Blaine Kringle: “Boooooo, I think what was cool about [Upper Park] is that you don’t have to pay to enjoy it.”

Katelyn Merrick: “I think the appeal of Chico is Upper Park. We should be able to enjoy nature for free, it’s all locals going anyway.”

Keira VanDorien: “I don’t think it’s very good, people who want to avoid the fees are just gonna park farther away. For everyone else it’s just annoying.”

Brian Patton: “I think it’s ridiculous because there are already taxes we pay to fix upper park roads. Also, what roads? The gravel ones? It is only a small amount of money, so it’s not really about the amount of money, it’s the fact that there’s a fee at all.”