Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana) is now requiring visitors to either show their annual park pass or pay an entrance fee.
According to a report, the fee will be spent on parking information improvements, deferred maintenance projects, and visitor services for a park that has seen its number of visitors increase from 1.7 million to over three million since the park’s name change in February 2019.
The new fee is only applicable to the national park and doesn’t change the fee the state collects for entrance to the Indiana Dunes State Park.
Costs vary depending on the method used for entry into the national park. The per person/walk-in/bike-in/boat-in rate: $15 (up to a maximum of $25 per family), Motorcycle Pass: $20, One to Seven-Day Vehicle Pass: $25, Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass: $45 and Commercial Fee for a Motor Coach (Bus): up to $100.
This new fee is covered by holders of the following federal land passes, the Annual Pass, Senior Pass, Veterans, Military and Gold Star Family Pass, 4th Grade Pass, Access Pass (for permanent disability), and the Volunteer Pass.
The Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass and other federal passes are available at www.recreation.gov and the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.
Starting today, the passes will also be available at the Paul H Douglas Center and beginning April 8 at the West Beach Entrance Station.
Some local retailers near the park will sell some park passes. The first retailer is The Trail Stop, located in the pavilion at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.
More information will be available on the park’s website as other vendors are added.
This story originally appeared on National Parks Traveler.
Why not delve into Indiana Dunes National Park’s beauty and back its future with the new entrance fee? Let’s preserve this gem for the next generation! Plan your visit for a fulfilling adventure.