Visitors to Indiana Dunes National Park may soon pay an entrance fee for the first time in the park’s history.
With the plan now under consideration, the National Park Service is seeking public comments on the issue. Comments are also being sought on proposed added services such as six backcountry campsites, as well as a group campsite located near the beach.
All remarks are due by Oct. 1.
“The value of public open spaces has been underscored during the COVID pandemic,” Indiana Dunes National Park Supt. Paul Labovitz told NPS.Gov. “Here at Indiana Dunes National Park, we are looking ahead anticipating what our park needs to tune up existing facilities, as well as considering future enhancements and new amenities to better serve our visitors. Our visitation has increased dramatically in the past couple of years.”
One enhancement the plan proposes is adding intelligent transportation technology designed to offer visitors trip planning tools like real-time parking availability.
“We’d also like to be a partner in completing the missing segments of the Marquette Greenway that will connect Michigan and Illinois via a multi-use trail,” Labovitz added. “The new fee program will provide additional and needed financial resources to address our maintenance, public safety, and programming needs.”
If approved, entrance fees for Indiana Dunes would be:
- $15 per person/walk-in/bike-in/boat-in
- $20 for a motorcycle pass
- $25 for a seven-day vehicle pass
- $45 for an Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass
- $100 for a commercial fee for a Motor Coach
Interested parties can comment on the proposed fees at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ or by emailing the NPS here.
