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Higher Fees Coming To Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore To Deal With Maintenance

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Published Date

December 9, 2018
South Manitou Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore/NPS

Entrance fees at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan are edging up a bit to help deal with maintenance needs/NPS

Congress's inability to deal with the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in the National Park System is leading some parks to increase fees to help deal with their respective maintenance issues. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of the latest parks to increase fees, in part to address infrastructure needs.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan is bumping entrance fees up $5 beginning January 1. Private vehicles will be charged $25 under the new rate structure to enter the lakeshore for seven days, while motorcyclists will be charged $20. Walk or bicycle into the park and you'll be charged $15.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes Annual Park Pass is going up to $45.

Entrance and camping fees collected by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore have supported a wide range of projects that improve the park and visitor experiences, including:

• Additional visitor programs throughout the year

• Armoring the South Manitou Island shoreline to protect the Lighthouse Complex

• Providing visitor facilities and services at Glen Haven Historic District

• Renovating South Manitou Island Visitor Center and providing accessibility • Improving visitor information provided at beaches and trailheads

• Evaluating forest pests and removing hazard trees

• Maintenance and upkeep of Platte River and D. H. Day Campgrounds

• Renovating the interpretive exhibit at the Dune Climb

Additional revenue from this fee increase will fund a wide variety of visitor projects, including:

• Historic preservation work within the Port Oneida Rural Historic District

• Improving trailheads and making them more accessible

• Creating a mobile app specific to the National Lakeshore

• Repairing the Empire Bluff Trail and its boardwalk

• New wayside exhibits

• Upgrading electrical service at Platte River Campground to accommodate electric vehicles

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