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Contact: Lisa Myers, 231-326-5134
Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to announce that the National Park Service will be offering three fee-free weekends this summer so visitors to all national park sites, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, can enjoy these special places for free. There are 391 National Park Service sites located across the country in 49 states. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, along with the other 146 sites that charge fees for entry, will waive entrance fees during the weekends of:
Fees waived include entrance fees and commercial tour fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tour, concession, and those fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the fee-free weekends at a press conference on June 2 at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families. I encourage everyone to visit one of our nation’s crown jewels this summer and especially take advantage of the three free-admission weekends.” Secretary Salazar went on to say, “National Parks also serve as powerful economic engines for local communities and we hope that promoting visitation will give a small shot in the arm to businesses in the area. National park sites in the Great Lakes states, for example, attract eight million recreation visits a year that bring $211 million into the local economies. Spending by visitors from out of the area supports 4,400 local jobs. So these areas need to maintain and expand this vital tourism.” More information about the fee-free weekends can be found at www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm. For more information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, please call 231-326-5134. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015