A pay and display charging system has been imposed at Tarbet pier, one of the busiest car parks beside Loch Lomond.
The national park authority says this is one of the steps it is taking to deal with increasing visitor numbers at the site, especially campervans and motorhomes.
Visitors will have to pay 50p to park for 30 minutes, £1 for two hours, £2 for four hours or £4 to park all day.
A statement said today that there would be priority parking for school drop-offs and collections during term time, with no charge for parents and carers dropping off or picking up from Arrochar Primary School.
It added that funds raised from the parking charges would contribute towards maintaining and investing in quality sites across the national park.
Kenny Auld, head of visitor services at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “The national park is a world class visitor destination and we want people to have an experience that matches that reputation.
“Generating sustainable income streams that can be invested back into the national park, such as those from visitor parking, allow us to provide and maintain quality facilities and experiences for communities and visitors.
“As with all tourist hotspots, we also need to carefully balance the management of visitors with the needs of the local community and businesses.
“The Tarbet picnic site was originally designed for day visitors arriving by car and in coaches, so its growing popularity as an informal campervan / motorhome overnight facility has made it more difficult to balance competing user needs.
“In recent weeks, we have used on-site signage, targeted patrols from national park rangers and community wardens, and social media messaging to engage with people using the site and to direct campervan or motorhome users to more appropriate overnight sites nearby.
“These measures are already making an impact. The new charging system, introducing dedicated motorhome spaces and continued engagement with motorhome visitors will further help relieve pressures at this busy visitor site in Tarbet.”
The park authority says it is also working on medium and longer-term projects for motorhomes in the area.
Two designated bays will be established at the car park for campervans/motorhomes to pay to stay overnight and discussions are underway with local stakeholders to pilot an ‘aire’ scheme in and around Arrochar and Tarbet, where campervan and motorhome visitors could park overnight and use services such as waste disposal.
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