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Trail-pass kiosk thefts and state online sales drive drop in White River trail-pass collections
Summary
Parks staff reported a sharp decline in White River State Trail pass collections after kiosk thefts and the state’s push to online registration; the county will keep in-person sales at three locations but likely keep kiosks closed.
Parks staff told the Walworth County Park Committee that daily trail-pass collections for the White River State Trail fell to roughly one quarter of normal last year, citing two factors: the state’s move to promote online registration and repeated vandalism and theft of on-site kiosks.
Staff said kiosks at trailheads were broken into multiple times; thieves forced locks and opened boxes to access cash. After repeated incidents, county staff closed the kiosk program and do not plan to reopen the physical kiosks. The state’s online sales model also likely reduced kiosk sales volume.
A committee member asked whether the county receives detailed sales reports from the state for passes sold online; staff said the county receives only sales revenue shares for passes sold in person and does not have a reliable source for per-location sales counts. Staff said it would inquire with the state about more detailed reporting but did not confirm availability.
Staff said the revenue from trail-pass kiosks was small and not critical to the parks’ operating budget but acknowledged the closure had some revenue impact. The committee discussed possible future responses, including heavier-duty locks or use of trail cameras, but staff said those options had not been fully implemented.
No formal action was taken; staff will explore whether the state can provide location-specific sales reporting and will continue offering in-person sales at three staffed locations.
