Date: August 8, 2017
Contact: John Kelly, 207-288-8703
BAR HARBOR, MAINE – The National Park Service (NPS) will be enhancing efforts this season to ensure visitors to Acadia National Park possess an entrance pass. Park rangers will issue a fee compliance notice for vehicles parked in any location in Acadia National Park that do not display a valid entrance pass. The operator or registered owner of the vehicle can avoid the $130 fine by obtaining an entrance pass or showing proof of having had an entrance pass that was not displayed within 24 hours at any one of the following fee collection locations: Sand Beach Entrance Station, Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Thompson Island Information Center, Blackwoods Campground, Seawall Campground, Schoodic Woods Campground, and Village Green Information Center.
“While not displaying entrance pass is a violation, we are offering visitors to Acadia National Park a second chance to obtain an entrance pass rather than pay a more costly fine,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “This effort follows several years of providing increased education to visitors and installing signs throughout the park that indicate the requirement to display an entrance pass.”
The NPS retains 80 percent of the fees collected from annual and weekly entrance pass sales to invest in critical improvements that directly benefit visitors at Acadia National Park, including maintaining and enhancing visitor facilities. Entrance pass revenues are essential for funding the operation of the Island Explorer bus system, which serves Acadia and its surrounding communities. The NPS uses the remaining 20 percent to benefit other sites in the National Park System. While the funds collected through the sale of entrance passes go directly to benefit visitors to Acadia National Park, monies collected from citations go directly to the U.S. Treasury.
