It will cost you a little more come January 2023 to see the sights at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore / NPS

If you are planning to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, it’s going to cost you a little more, effective January 1, 2023, when entrance fees to the park increase as Phase 2 of a three-year fee increase structure kicks in. Phase 1 began in March 2022. 

Phase 2 Effective January 1, 2023:

Seven-day vehicle pass: $20.00

Seven-day motorcycle pass: $15.00  

Per person walk, bicycle, snowmobile, or boat-in (good for 7 continuous days): $10.00  

Pictured Rocks Annual Pass (good for 12 months): $30.00   

A vehicle pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle. Children aged 15 or under are admitted free. 

“Visitors planning to buy a Pictured Rocks Annual Pass may want to do so before the price goes up. Passes bought this December at the current price of $20 will be good through next December,” said Susan Reece, Chief of Interpretation.  

Commercial tour entrance fees will also go into effect January 1, 2023: 

Sedan (1-6 Persons): $25.00 + Per Person Rate 

Van (7-15 Persons): $40.00 

Mini-Bus (16-25 Persons): $40.00 

Motor coach (26 Persons and up): $100.00  

Weekly and annual passes can only be bought online at the present time through recreation.gov. Purchasers will have immediate access to the digital pass, which can be easily downloaded to a phone or tablet. The pass will also be emailed as a PDF to the purchaser and can be printed for display before visiting the park. Pictured Rocks Annual Passes purchased online can be exchanged for plastic cards at the Munising Falls Visitor Contact station beginning in May 2023.   

Park fees are essential to help maintain 63 front-country campsites, 22 backcountry camping areas, more than a dozen historic structures, 100 miles of trails, as well as roads, parking lots, restrooms, water systems, bridges, and 86 park buildings. Fees also fund seasonal work positions and special projects, such as designing and installing new wayside exhibits, creating park content for the NPS mobile app, and renovating a backcountry cabin that the public will be able to rent in the future. 

There are also several passes available that provide access to not just Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, but more than 2,000 federal parks and lands including national forests and wildlife refuges. Some of these passes are free, some are good for life, and others for certain time periods. They include the America the Beautiful Annual Interagency Pass; the Lifetime Senior Pass; the free Access Pass; the free Military Annual and Lifetime Passes; and the free 4th Grade Every Kid Outdoors Annual Pass. Most of these passes are available to purchase online or can be obtained when the visitor centers open later in 2023. To learn more about the benefits of all the passes and how to get them, go to https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm.