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Contact: Lisa Myers, 231-326-5134
Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to announce that effective Friday, July 7, 2006, visitors to North Bar Lake, located within the boundaries of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore near Empire, will be able to purchase park passes through a self-registration system there. All visitors to the Lakeshore need to display a pass (i.e., park entrance, annual, Golden Age, Golden Access or NationalParksPass) on the dashboard of their vehicle when recreating in the park. Many people who have received “fee reminders” on their vehicles have asked for more convenient ways to buy passes. Sleeping Bear Dunes is not like most national parks that have limited access roads and entrance stations. Here, fees are collected along the 35-mile stretch of National Lakeshore by rangers at Platte River Campground, PhilipHartVisitorCenter, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Dune Climb, DH Day Campground and LelandHarbor (for island visitors). By installing a pipe safe in the NorthBarLake parking lot, people will be able to fill out an envelope and pay for a pass with cash, check or credit card. The envelopes will have a detachable receipt that must then be displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard. “We have plans to install other self-registration facilities at various popular Lakeshore destinations in the future,” said Shultz. Entrance fees are: PARK PASS per vehicle Valid 1-7 Days From Date of Issue $ 10.00 ANNUAL PARK PASS Valid for One Year from Month of Purchase $ 20.00 GOLDEN ACCESS PASSPORT Lifetime, Disabled No Charge GOLDEN AGE PASSPORT Lifetime, U.S. Citizen, 62 Years and Over $ 10.00 NATIONAL PARK PASS Valid for One Year from Month of Purchase $ 50.00 GOLDEN EAGLE Valid for One Year from Month of Purchase $ 65.00 The 2005 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act enacted by Congress created a multi-agency fee authority for the National Park Service and four other federal land management agencies allowing them to retain the majority of the fee revenues collected at the site and use them for improvements related to visitor use and enjoyment. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage. Shultz said, “Eighty percent of the fees visitors pay in the Lakeshore stays right here, where they are used for projects that directly benefit park visitors. As visitors travel throughout the Lakeshore and enjoy maintained trails, accessible restrooms, improved campgrounds, and restored historic structures, they can readily see how the fees are put to good use.” To obtain more information or provide comments, please visit the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/slbe or write the Superintendent at 9922 Front Street, Empire, MI 49630. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015