New Hampshire can bill hikers for mountain rescues. A $25 card can help avoid the cost
New Hampshire officials say four unprepared hikers could be charged for an overnight rescue on Franconia Ridge. New Hampshire, Utah, Colorado and Oregon offer programs to buy rescue protection ahead of challenging hikes.
A group of hikers were standed by dangerous flash flooding in the Grand Canyon and needed to be lifted back to safety in this helicopter rescue conducted on Aug. 22, in Supai, Arizona.
A group of hikers stranded in cold and windy conditions high in New Hampshire's White Mountains could soon receive a bill for the operation that brought them to safety.
New Hampshire Fish and Game said four 18-year-olds from New Jersey began hiking Franconia Ridge at about 3:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. By 8:48 p.m., the agency had been alerted that the group was stuck along the ridge, with one hiker experiencing difficulty breathing and sore legs. Officials learned the group had no lights, were running low on food and water and were not properly dressed for conditions above 5,000 feet.
Strong winds and cold weather prompted officials to launch a rescue. Five members of the Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team and a New Hampshire conservation officer responded. Rescuers hiked more than 4 miles and reached the group near Mount Lincoln at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday.
Dramatic sunset Aerial view of Mount Lafayette (named after visit), Franconia New Hampshire. (Photo by: Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The hikers were supplied with lights, food, water and warm clothing before rescuers guided them over Mount Lafayette and down the Old Bridle Path. The group reached the trailhead shortly after 9 a.m., more than 17 hours after beginning the hike.
"Due to the hiker’s lack of preparation," Fish and Game said it intends to bill the hikers for the rescue. The agency did not specify how much the group could be required to pay.
For the four hikers rescued from Franconia Ridge, New Hampshire officials said the late start compounded their lack of equipment. Fish and Game noted that the hike typically takes 7 to 9 hours, but the group began at 3:30 p.m. without headlamps or enough food and water to complete it.
The incident came as daylight continues to decrease in the Northern Hemisphere heading toward fall, making an early turnaround time and emergency lighting increasingly important for hikers planning long mountain routes.
Why New Hampshire can charge hikers for rescues
New Hampshire is among the states where a poorly prepared trip into the backcountry can have financial consequences.
State law allows Fish and Game to seek reimbursement from people determined to have acted negligently in creating circumstances that required a search-and-rescue response. The authority dates to 2008 and was intended to help recover expenses associated with avoidable rescues. Fish and Game says roughly two dozen missions per year fall into the category in which reimbursement can be sought.
Hikers and other outdoor recreationists have the option to purchase New Hampshire's voluntary Hike Safe Card.
The card costs $25 per person or $35 for a family and remains valid through the end of the calendar year. Money from card purchases goes toward New Hampshire's Search and Rescue Fund. Cardholders generally are not required to repay rescue costs when negligence is involved, although they can still be held liable if their conduct meets the state's criteria for recklessness or intentionally creating the emergency.
The program has become a significant source of rescue funding. New Hampshire Fish and Game says Hike Safe Card revenue totaled $444,873 in 2025. The department conducted 1,803 search-and-rescue missions from 2016 through 2025, an average of about 180 per year, at an average annual cost of more than $256,000. Hikers and climbers account for about 70% of the state's missions.
Other states sell search-and-rescue cards
The Windows Section at the Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
New Hampshire is not alone in asking outdoor recreationists to contribute to the cost of rescuing people in the backcountry, although the protections and purposes of the programs differ considerably.
Utah operates a Search and Rescue Assistance Card program. A one-year card costs $25 for an individual and $35 for a family, while five-year cards cost $100 and $140, respectively. Utah says some counties have charged rescued people when local search-and-rescue budgets cannot absorb the cost of expensive missions. Having a USARA card helps fund those operations and can reduce the likelihood of a participating hiker being back-billed.
Utah officials say an average rescue in Grand County, home to destinations including Moab and Arches National Park, costs about $2,000, while particularly complicated missions can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Colorado also sells a Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue, or CORSAR, Card for $5 per year or $20 for five years. Unlike New Hampshire's system, Colorado provides backcountry search and rescue at no charge to the person being rescued. The CORSAR card is not insurance and does not cover medical treatment or medical transportation. Instead, money from the program helps reimburse counties and fund equipment, training and other needs for rescue teams.
When a rescued person holds a CORSAR card or certain Colorado Parks and Wildlife licenses or registrations, the county's eligible reimbursement request can be processed immediately through the state's backcountry rescue fund.
Oregon has a similar Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card program. The program, created in 2021, allows the public to voluntarily contribute to statewide rescue operations through one- or five-year cards. The money supports missions, equipment and training rather than functioning as rescue insurance for the purchaser.
Oregon recorded 1,111 search-and-rescue missions in 2025, according to the state Department of Emergency Management. More than 1,700 volunteers participate in rescue operations across the state's 36 counties.
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