Increase in Campground Fee and New House Tour Fee Sought for National Lakeshore

Date: January 25, 2013
Contact: Bruce Rowe, 219-395-1609

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: The National Park Service is seeking an increase in the fee for camping to cover the cost of adding municipal water to the Dunewood Campground in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. A new municipal waterline was installed in 2012 and will go into service in 2013. The municipal water will improve the quality and reliability of the water supply compared to the previous well system and increases the capacity of hydrants to provide fire protection. The increased camping fee will cover the costs of paying the water company for the water used by the campground. 

The proposed $3 increase will boost the cost of a campsite to $18 per night at the Dunewood Campground. Even with this increase, the cost is below the range of $19.00 - $29.50 charged at comparable campgrounds in Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.

The National Park Service is also seeking authority to charge a new fee of $10 per person for the annual Century of Progress Historic Homes tour and for other historic homes tours as may be offered. The Century of Progress tour is exceptionally popular with all 800 available tour slots being reserved within days of the announcement each year. While partner groups, Indiana Landmarks and the Dunes National Park Association, have assisted with these tours by collecting fees for a shuttle service, the park has not been able to recover the other costs associated with this special event. The fee is comparable or lower than other historic properties that have similar limited public access.

Comments on these fees can be sent electronically to: [e-mail] or by writing to the Superintendent, 1100 North Mineral Springs Road, Porter, Indiana 46304. If you prefer to comment in person, there will an Open House on these fees on Monday, February 11, 2013 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center located at 1215 North State Highway 49, Porter, Indiana.

www.nps.gov/indu

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 398 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.