With hikers upset about having to pay parking fees once the Kinsman Trailhead is relocated this month, the owner of the land the trailhead is on wants to discuss the matter with hikers and quell their concerns.
According to a post on the Tamarack Green Recreation Facebook account on Monday, Mike Kenney — the owner of Tamarack — and his team are organizing an open meeting with hikers at the current trailhead on Saturday, May 17 at 9 a.m.
“Thank you all for your feedback and comments regarding the upcoming parking move and fee at the Kinsman Trailhead. We’ve read every message, and we understand that this change has raised many concerns,” stated the Tamarack post. “Our team thought it would be better to meet in person to hear your thoughts directly and to share the ‘why’ behind these decisions.”
The Kinsman Trailhead and its parking area on Route 116 in New Hampshire is being moved back to its original location prior to 2009 — just down the road across from 2 Eaton Valley Road — and will be fully located on Tamarack’s private land.
They expect the relocation to be complete by the end of May.
Tamarack officials said a parking fee per vehicle will now be required to help Tamarack protect and care for the area.
According to the Tamarack website, they charge a day-use hiking parking fee of $10 for New Hampshire residents and $20 for out-of-state hikers. Tamarack officials said in a Facebook post that they offer a yearly parking fee of $80 per year or $6.66 per month.
Tamarack officials responded to online complaints in a comment thread on Friday, stating Tamarack has shared their land with the public since the 1940s.
“We’ve never received government grants, public funding, or taxpayer support,” stated the thread. “Every inch of trail maintained, every bridge repaired, and every muddy path cleared is done by a small team and volunteers”
They said Tamarack is currently in transition. And like many small, family-owned places, they are fighting to stay alive—not to profit, they said, but simply to survive.
“We decided to move the trailhead fully onto Tamarack’s property because it aligns with the direction our business is going — and because it allows us to better manage the increasing foot traffic, environmental impact, and upkeep required to keep the trails accessible and safe for all,” stated the post. “Unlike the White Mountain National Forest — which charges $5/day or $30-40/year — we are just one private landowner.
“We’re asking for $80/year, or $6.66/month, to help us care for the trails that so many now use year-round. If this is too much for you, please email me at [email protected] and we’ll figure out something that works for you, one by one.”
The plan to charge a parking fee in the newly-located trailhead has drawn the ire of hikers.
“Look, I can understand you have a business to run, and you think your statement is meant to inform everyone of the situation, but what we are all reading between the lines is ‘we moved the trailhead fully in to our land so we can use hikers to subsidize the rest of our business,'” stated one hiker on the Facebook post. “Comparatively speaking the portion of this trail that crosses your land is minor, yet you’re asking a rather exorbitant fee to use it.”
“This is total insanity,” wrote another hiker. “I love this trail and hike it regularly and $20 each time is an unbelievable racket. I understand charging a fee for maintenance and access, but that amount is outrageous.”
“There’s zero good reasons to make a Vermonter pay $20 a visit,” another hiker wrote. “Don’t worry, unless you drop these prices down to something normal like $5, we are all going to talk trash about you guys. Just facts.”
Tamarack officials said the angry tone of much of the online backlack has been hurtful.
“What’s been the hardest part in all of this is the tone of the backlash,” they wrote in their Facebook statement. “The hurtful, dismissive, and sometimes downright disrespectful comments don’t reflect the thoughtful, respectful outdoor community we’ve always believed in and been proud to be part of.
“If you love this trail, if you believe in sustainability, if you want the next generation to be able to hike here too—then help us take care of it. That’s all we’re asking.”
