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Fee Increases Proposed For Voyageurs National Park

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Voyageurs National Park staff is proposing increases in a number of fees charged the public/NPS file


Fee increases are being proposed for camping, boating, and some other activities at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, and park staff are seeking public opinion on the proposals.

Public comment is being taken online from June 28 – July 25. A public meeting will take place at the Park Headquarters Building, 360 Highway 11 East, on June 29, at 6 p.m. local time, on June 30 at 12 p.m. local time, and a Facebook Live meeting will be hosted by the Voyageurs Conservancy.

This proposal seeks to increase rates on existing boat tour, camping amenity, and houseboat permit fees, and establish new fees for low-use season camping, primitive campsites, winter equipment rentals, and specialized ranger-led interpretive programs. Voyageurs National Park has not proposed increases since tour fees were last approved in 2010 and since camping and houseboat fees were approved in 2013.

As a park that collects less than $500,000 in fees annually, 97 percent of the recreation fees collected at Voyageurs stays at the park to fund projects that directly enhance the visitor experience and to support the operation of the reservation system. Recreation fee dollars have funded the cleaning and maintaining of park sites, the ongoing improvement and rehabilitation of campsite structures, and backcountry trail repairs. Recreation fees have also purchased fire rings, picnic tables and bear lockers to replace deteriorating amenities.

Since the implementation of the reservation system in 2014, the park’s recreation usage has been more accurately monitored, showing an average increase in camping activity of 11 percent per year. Like many recreation areas, 2020 brought a spike in usage to Voyageurs at 40 percent over the previous 5-year average for camping and 35 percent over the previous 3-year average for houseboating. This trend appears to be persisting, as camping reservations made on the day they became available for the 2021 season increased 56 percent from that of 2020. With this increased pressure on park sites comes greater maintenance and resource protection needs throughout the districts.

“We are committed to keeping the park affordable, but we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience,” said Voyageurs Superintendent Bob DeGross. “The proposed rate changes would allow us to do that. Additional revenue would help sustain existing programs, allow for the enhancement of visitor destination sites throughout the park, support resource monitoring at campsites and houseboat sites, and offset the annual increased cost of maintaining and improving the park’s camping and recreational infrastructure.”

Once the comment period opens, comments can be made online at this site.

Free interpretive programs will always continue to be offered, like the Ethnobotanical Garden Tour, Campfire Talks, Notes from the North Woods Series, and more.

AmenityCurrent RateProposed Rate
Small campsite without dock$20$22
Small campsite with dock$20$26
Large campsite without dock$24$28
Large campsite with dock$24$32
Group campsite$35$60
Backcountry boat rental$12$14
Houseboat permit$10$15
A $10 service fee per reservation is charged to cover online reservation service contractor costs
Proposed increases to existing tour fees for 2022:
Tour Name & LocationAdult Child (4-16)Toddler (Up to 3)
Grand Tour (Rainy) $30 to $50$15 to $25$3 to $5
Life on the Lake (Rainy) $25 to $40$15 to $20$3 to $5
Kettle Falls (Rainy Lake) $50 to $85$25 to $40$3 to $5
Kettle Falls (Kabetogama) $40 to $60$30 to $30$3 to $5
Ellsworth Rock Gardens (Kabetogama) $25 to $40$15 to $20$3 to $5
Tour ticket rates include a $1 service fee to cover online reservation service contractor costs
Discount of 50% is honored for Interagency Senior and Access Pass card holders
Other misc. fee proposals
Low-Use Season Camping at designated sites
(October 1 – April 30, annually) * $10/night 2022
Primitive Camping * $15/night 2022Primitive Camping * $15/night 2022
Special Ranger-Led Interpretive Programs ** $15 per adult $7.50 for ages 16 and under 2023
Winter Equipment Rentals **
(Snowshoes & Cross Country Skis/Boots/Poles) $10/day for adults $5 for ages 16 and under 2023
*Tour ticket rates include a $1 service fee to cover online reservation service contractor costs
**Reservation system fee TBD based on how these are implemented on recreation.gov

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