Entrance fees have increased at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore/NPS file

It's more expensive to get into Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan than it was a year ago.

As of January 1, the National Park Service increased the lakeshore's entrance fees. These increases are the third and final stage of the park’s fee implementation plan, which began in 2022.  

• Pictured  Rocks  Annual  Pass  (valid  for  12  months from purchase):  $45
• Seven-day  walk,  bicycle,  or  boat-in (per person):  $15
• Seven-day  motorcycle  pass:  $20
• Seven-day  vehicle  pass:  $25

All passes except the walk, bicycle, and boat-in pass admit the driver and all passengers of a vehicle. Annual entrance passes are valid for 12 months from purchase date. Other recreational fees such as those for camping and Au Sable Light Station tours are not affected by the entrance fee increase. 

Passes can be purchased online at https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74999 or in-person at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Headquarters (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.); South Bay Outfitters and Downwind Sports in Munising; and Grand Marais Outfitters in Grand Marais. 

Fees collected at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore allow the park to keep up with the impacts of increasing visitation, which has more than doubled over the past decade. Collected fees go directly towards enhancing visitor recreation opportunities, the park’s maintenance projects, and the upkeep of trails and facilities. 

Since the implementation of the park’s entrance fee, fee dollars have been used to renovate the Munising Falls Visitor Contact Station, improve trail conditions along the North Country Trail, and repair the Miners Beach staircase following major storm damage.

Visitors can also gain entry to the park with America the Beautiful Passes. These passes include Senior Passes, Military Passes, Access Passes, Volunteer Passes, and Every Kid Outdoors Passes. For more information on these passes and their benefits, visit:  https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm. America the Beautiful Passes can also be purchased at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Headquarters.  

There are six fee-free days in 2024, on which no entrance pass is required to gain entry to National Parks, including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: Monday, January 15; Saturday, April 20; Wednesday, June 19; Sunday, August 4; Saturday, September 28; and Monday, November 11.