MUNISING, Mich. (WJMN) – Initially announced in late 2021, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PRNL) will begin Phase 2 of a three-year fee increase plan at the beginning of 2023. Additionally, the new phase will institute fees for commercial tour vehicles.
As of January 1, 2023, the following fee increases will go into effect at the park:
- Per person walk, bicycle, snowmobile, or boat-in (good for 7 continuous days): $10.00 (Previously $5.00)
- Seven-day motorcycle pass: $15.00 (Previously $10.00)
- Seven-day vehicle pass: $20.00 (Previously $10.00)
- Pictured Rocks Annual Pass (good for 12 months): $30.00 (Previously $20.00)
A vehicle pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle.
Children aged 15 or under are admitted free.
The following fees for commercial tour vehicles will also go into effect on January 1, 2023 (fees based on vehicle seating capacity):
- 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
“Visitors planning to buy a Pictured Rocks Annual Pass may want to do so before the price goes up,” said Susan Reece, Chief of Interpretation for PRNL. “Passes bought this December at the current price of $20 will be good through next December.”
Currently, weekly and annual passes can only be purchased online. Those who purchase passes will have access to the digital pass, which can be 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.
Phase 1 of the park’s fee increase plan began in March 2022. The following prices for Phase 3 will begin on January 1, 2024:
- $15 per person walk, bicycle or boat in (good for 7 continuous days)
- $20 seven-day motorcycle pass
- $25 seven-day vehicle pass
- $45 Pictured Rocks Annual Pass
PRNL included the following in a release about the purpose of the park’s fees:
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.
You can keep up to date with PRNL by checking out the park’s website.
