"No." That is the Forest Service's full answer, on its own fee-proposal Q&A page, to the question of whether La Mina Falls and Trail will reopen before the new recreation fees begin. The next line reads: "The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027."
For Río Grande, that pair of sentences settles most of what the fee headlines left unclear. The fee comes first, and the waterfall follows it. Several required steps have not happened yet. Until they do, the forest above town works under the rules it has now, and this fall those rules are mostly free.
What the Forest Service Actually Proposed
The proposal on El Yunque's information page covers two developed sites, El Portal and the La Mina Recreation Area on the PR-191 corridor. The agency says more than 98 percent of the forest would stay fee-free. One pass would cover both sites. The proposed prices are $4 per person for a day, $10 for three days, $20 for a year, and $30 for an annual family pass covering the holder and three companions. Visitors 15 and under would not pay.
The PR-191 corridor charges nothing today. El Portal is the one place where the proposal would lower a price. Its adult admission is currently $8, and the Forest Service is considering cutting it to $4. Residents and nonresidents would pay the same rate. The agency also lists federal passes it would accept in place of the special pass, including the Senior, Veterans, Military and Access passes. The Federal Register notice specifies that the America the Beautiful pass would be honored at El Portal but would not cover the La Mina permit.
According to the agency, at least 80 percent of fee revenue would stay at the sites where it is collected. The forest says it needs about $3.2 million a year to meet maintenance standards and currently covers only 10 to 15 percent of that need. The projected annual fee revenue is also about $3.2 million.
The Sequence Still Ahead
The Federal Register notice ran on September 8, 2026. It states that approved fees "would be established no earlier than six months following the publication of this notice." Six months from that date is March 8, 2027. That is a legal floor, not an announced start. The same notice says a citizen advisory committee must review the proposal before any final decision.
That committee does not exist yet. On October 6, 2026, El Yunque's committees page said the forest was "in the process of establishing" its Resource Advisory Committee. The page lists reviewing recreation fee proposals among the committee's duties and says it will have 15 members who meet one to three times a year.
Here is the order of events in the public record:
- May 2026. The fee proposal goes public. On May 4, the San Juan Daily Star reports that Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera and 23 other members of Congress have written to the Forest Service about affordability, access and the effect on nearby communities, after talks with local officials including Río Grande's mayor.
- June 4 and June 10. Public meetings take place at El Portal and at the Colegio de Abogados, according to Primera Hora. The paper quotes Forest Service official Brenda Peña saying the meetings were for suggestions and alternatives. Peña also said a resident exemption would require legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president.
- August 4. The written comment period closes.
- August 22. El Nuevo Día reports that the Forest Service received about 100 public comments and that, by preliminary agency figures, about 80 percent said they did "no se opone," meaning they did not oppose the fees.
- September 8. The Federal Register notice runs, which starts the six-month clock.
- Still pending. The advisory committee has to be formed and review the proposal. Then comes a final decision. The earliest possible start is March 8, 2027.
- Summer 2027. This is the Forest Service's estimated completion date for La Mina Falls and Trail.
The PR-191 Corridor This Fall
Until those steps play out, the current conditions page describes the Río Grande entrance plainly. The PR-191 North recreational corridor is free, requires no reservation, and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because parking is limited and construction is under way, the Forest Service manages how many people enter, and visitors may park only in designated spaces. The same page says La Coca gate and El Portal are not authorized pickup points for rideshare apps, and that visitors who rely on those apps often end up walking for hours when they leave.
Several trails remain closed. The trail-status alert lists La Mina Trail and Big Tree Trail as closed. El Yunque Peak Trail is open only as far as the Los Picachos spur, and the final stretch to the summit is closed for safety. That alert has been active since March 15, 2023.
El Portal reopened after its annual maintenance closure, which ran September 8 to 20. The El Portal page lists hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the $8 adult fee. It also notes closures on Christmas, New Year's Day and Three Kings Day. Two national free-entry days remain on the 2026 calendar: Tuesday, October 27, for Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, and Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day.
The River Spots Outside Any Fee
The proposal names three local gathering places that would stay free whatever is decided: Puente Roto, Angelito and Río Sabana. The Q&A adds a second point. Fee revenue cannot pay for maintenance at Angelito or Puente Roto, because money has to be spent where it was collected. These sites stay out of the fee, and they also stay out of the improvements the fee would fund.
| Site | Approach listed by the Forest Service | What is there | Access notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelito Trail | PR-988, km 3.6 | Easy 0.2-mile walk to the Río Mameyes and the Las Damas pools | Listed open |
| Puente Roto | PR-992, PR-991 and PR-983 to PR-988, then 6.4 km on PR-988 | Undeveloped swimming, wading and picnic spot on the Río Mameyes | Street parking near the bridge, no restrooms or potable water, road construction flagged |
| Río Sabana | PR-191 South, reached through Naguabo | 25 paved parking spaces, 10 river picnic shelters, restrooms | Vehicle gate open Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., walk-in access in daylight |
Each site works differently. Angelito is the shortest walk to the water. Puente Roto has no facilities. Río Sabana is the only one of the three with shelters and restrooms, but its vehicle gate opens only on weekends. The Forest Service's 988 corridor page calls PR-988 the forest's main Luquillo entrance and warns of road construction there. Those site pages were last updated in 2025, so the alerts page is the place to check before a Saturday at the river.
The Rest of the Season Around the Forest
Other events in town this fall have nothing to do with the forest's fee calendar. The 5k Paloblanco 2026 starts at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 25, two days before the October 27 free-entry day at El Portal. Registration is listed at $40. On the coast, the Wyndham Grand Río Mar has reopened after what News is my Business described as a $70 million, four-year renovation of its 400 rooms and suites, its public spaces and the Río Mar Casino. The resort and the Grand Reserve Golf Club will host the Popular Auto Charity Golf Classic on Thursday, December 10. Banco Popular says the event benefits more than 30 Puerto Rico nonprofits.
Road work may also come to the area. A statewide paving allocation announced October 6 includes $5.5 million for PR-186 in Río Grande. Municipalities have 30 days after signing their agreements to submit work plans, and no segment or start date for PR-186 has been published.
For now, entering PR-191 North costs nothing, El Portal charges $8, and the next free day at El Portal is October 27.
Living near El Yunque means paying attention to forest gates and trail alerts as well as property lines. If you want to talk through Río Grande, from the resort enclaves near Río Mar to homes closer to the forest, the team at Corcoran Puerto Rico follows this part of the island closely and is glad to help. Contact Us.
