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Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start to the summer camping season, and this one could be the last under recreation fees as you know them on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The Forest Service has been mulling a suite of new fees at recreation sites such as the Rogue River Gorge and fee increases at some campgrounds, originally expecting any rate hikes to be in place by this weekend. However, as of Monday, Jim Pena, the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest regional forester, had not informed by letter his decisions on whether to increase fees and, if so, at which sites, forest spokeswoman Chamise Kramer said. That means the forest likely has missed the window for any changes before campers roll into their sites Friday, Kramer said. “We don’t anticipate there will be any changes until after Memorial Day. The bottom line is, we won’t do anything until we have that letter in hand,” Kramer said. The delay will mean a little more money for ’smores this weekend at High Cascade Ranger District locales such as Mill Creek, Natural Bridge and River Bridge campgrounds, where the forest has proposed a 50 percent increase in the cost of overnight stays. Also, any potential increases to cabin or fire lookout rentals booked through www.recreation.gov won’t go into effect until 2019 to honor reservations booked through that website, Kramer said. Prepping for summer camping came this week as the Forest Service rolled out its new, free, recreation mobile app for users to more easily find hiking trails, campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic areas and other recreation. The Pacific Northwest National Forests Recreation Opportunities app is available for iPhones and iPads, and an Android version is in the works, Kramer said. The app can be found at the Apple App Store or through a link at the Rogue-Siskiyou Forest’s website at www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou. Meanwhile, eight Forest Service campgrounds operated by concessionaire Rogue Recreation are already up and running for the season, with Abbott Creek, Forbit Ford and Whiskey Springs campgrounds scheduled to have opened Wednesday. Reservations, amenities and directions can be found at roguerec.com. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans Thursday to stock 2,000 legal-sized rainbow trout spread out among 11 sites from Prospect to Union Creek, Cole Rivers Hatchery Manager Dave Pease said. The Bureau of Land Management will open its Hyatt Lake Recreation Area campground Friday morning in the second consecutive year of water woes there. Like last year, the campground has no running water because the system last year failed a water-quality test and needs a chlorination system installed, said Joel Brumm, assistant manager of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. That system is under design and likely won’t be available this season, Brumm said. BLM has in place wash stations and portable toilets for campers, he said. Visitors can get free spring water at Tubbs Springs State Wayside along Highway 66 less than two miles east of the Green Springs Inn, Brumm said. “It’s a great place to get free, great-tasting water,” Brumm said. Campers already have reserved all of Howard Prairie Resort’s 200-plus sites, Jackson County Parks Manager Steve Lambert said. He said last-minute campers who have yet to make reservations likely are best off eying campgrounds that don’t take reservations, such as Cantral-Buckley near Ruch or Howard Prairie’s Grizzly Campground. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman.