Tonto Pass: A Ticket to the Great Outdoors

Tonto National Forest, which encompasses nearly 3 million acres, is one of the Valley's most popular weekend destinations. More than six million people a year, from as close as Mesa or from Tucson and beyond,- many looking for water to play in - make the Tonto their recreation destination. Tonto National Forest began charging fees at these popular recreation sites in 1996 in order to enhance the provided services. In the past, fees were collected on-site using a variety of methods. On-site sales will now be replaced with over-the-counter vendor and mail-order sales beginning October 2, 2006. This will mark a new beginning for the Tonto and the vendors who choose to participate in the Tonto Pass program. Hundreds of thousands of people a year will be looking for Tonto Pass outlets to purchase a pass and likely a few supplies while on their way out to the Valley's backyard. Will your store be one of them? "We know that the machines were a source of frustration for the public and we want to make it easier for them," stated Gary Smith, Tonto Basin District Ranger. Starting in October, Tonto Passes will be accepted at most sites withing the Bartlett Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Needle Rock, Seven Springs Recreation Area, Canyon Lake, Lower Salt River, Saguaro Lake, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake. There are several ways for vendors to obtain these new Tonto Passes. They include: an order form for the passes can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/tp; order by phone 602-225-5200 and pay by credit card; fax your order to 602-225-5295 (do not put your credit card number on the faxed form-an employee will contact you prior to shipping); mail your order form to: Tonto National Forest, 2324 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006 (Attn: Tonto Pass) and pay by check or credit card; or purchase in person at the above location.