Fees & Passes

 

Key Information

1. Get an entrance pass

   All visitors must have one of these entrance passes:

   Pass	Price
   Standard Pass	$25.00
   Annual Pass	$45.00
   America the Beautiful Pass (includes Senior Passes)	FREE–$80.00

   Help me choose an entrance pass

2. Plan to go cashless

   This park does not accept cash.

Choosing an Entrance Pass

Do you have or qualify for a discounted America the Beautiful Pass?

If you already have an America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, that's the only entrance pass you need. Seniors, military, visitors with a permanent disability, and families with a 4th grader are eligible for a free or discounted America the Beautiful pass.

America the Beautiful Pass

How often do you plan to visit national parks in the next 12 months?

If you don't qualify for a discounted America the Beautiful pass, we recommend choosing an entrance pass based on your trip plans.

I'm visiting...	We recommend
This park, once	Standard Pass
This park, multiple times	Annual Pass
More than one national park or federal recreation site	America the Beautiful Pass

Entrance Passes

• Standard Pass
• Annual Pass
• America the Beautiful Pass

Standard Entrance Pass

$25.00

Buy pass

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore charges a variety of fees, depending on how a visitor arrives at the park, and whether they're part of a commercial tour group or not.

For Vehicles

If you enter the park in a motorized vehicle, your entrance pass covers both you and your passengers. Your passengers do not need a separate pass.

Costs for vehicles with more than 15 passengers are listed below under Organizations and Businesses.

Private Vehicle

$25.00

Entrance pass - vehicle 1-7 day.

In-person Purchase Locations

• Philip A. Hart Visitor Center

  Credit/Debit Only

• D. H. Day Campground Group Campground

  Credit/Debit Only

• Platte River Campground & Ranger Station

  Credit/Debit Only

For Individuals without a Vehicle

If you enter the park on a bicycle or on foot and are at least 16 years old, you need your own entrance pass. Children under the age of 16 don't need an entrance pass.

For Organizations & Businesses

Commercial Sedan (1-6 seats)

$25.00

Sedan 1-6 Person Capacity $25.00 + $10.00 Per Person 16 years or older (up to a maximum of $40.00)

In-person Purchase Locations

• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

  Credit/Debit Only

• Philip A. Hart Visitor Center

  Credit/Debit Only

Commercial Van (7-15 seats)

$40.00

Van 7-15 Person Capacity $40.00

In-person Purchase Locations

• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

  Credit/Debit Only

• Philip A. Hart Visitor Center

  Credit/Debit Only

Commercial Mini-bus (16-25 seats)

$40.00

Mini Bus 16-25 Person Capacity $40.00

In-person Purchase Locations

• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

  Credit/Debit Only

• Philip A. Hart Visitor Center

  Credit/Debit Only

Commercial Motor Coach (26+ seats)

$100.00

Motorcoach 26+ Person Capacity $100.00

In-person Purchase Locations

• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

  Credit/Debit Only

• Philip A. Hart Visitor Center

  Credit/Debit Only

Show less about Standard Entrance Pass

Annual Entrance - Park

$45.00

Sleeping Bear Dunes Annual Pass

In-person Purchase Locations

• Philip A. Hart Visitor Center

  Credit/Debit Only

• Platte River Campground

  Credit/Debit Only

• D. H. Day Campground

  Credit/Debit Only

Show lessabout Annual Entrance - Park

America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

Covers entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at lands managed by

• National Park Service
• US Fish & Wildlife Service
• US Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• US Army of Corps of Engineers

Depending on the type of entrance fee charged at a site, covers
One private vehicle fee
or
Four per person fees

Type	Available to	Price
Annual Pass	Everyone	$80.00
Senior Annual Pass	US citizens and permanent residents 62+ years old	$20.00
Senior Lifetime Pass	US citizens and permanent residents 62+ years old	$80.00
Military Annual Pass	Current US military and dependents	Free
Military Lifetime Pass	Gold Star Family members and veterans	Free
Access Pass	US citizens and permanent residents with permanent disability	Free
4th Grade Pass	US 4th graders	Free
Volunteer Pass	Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours	Free

America the Beautiful Passes are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. Passholders must show valid photo identification (ID) with each pass.

How to Get an America the Beautiful Pass

In Person (Recommended)

Passes can be purchased or picked up at over 1,000 federal recreation sites.

Purchase and pickup locations

Order Online, Receive by Mail

To receive your pass by mail, order online at the USGS Online Store . Online orders are for physical passes, not digital passes, and may take up to three weeks to be processed and delivered. Order receipts may not be used in place of a physical pass. We recommend ordering at least three weeks in advance of your visit, or picking up a pass in person instead.

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2025 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:

• Thursday, January 9 — National Day of Mourning for President James Earl Carter Jr.
• Monday, January 20 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 19 — First Day of National Park Week
• Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
• Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
• Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day

 

Cashless payments

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be moving to cashless payments at all of our staffed locations starting March 1, 2023 for all fees and permits. It saves a significant amount of money, helps us be safe, secure, and effective, and allows us to spend more time with you. Nine different self-pay locations are available throughout the park for visitors who don't have a debit/credit card.  

Most credit cards and digital forms of payment are accepted including Discover, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Diner's Club, JCB, Union Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.  

 

Buy a Digital Pass

Purchase Passes

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Buy Your Pass Online Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov

Digital Pass

The 7-day pass can be purchased up to six months in advance through recreation.gov.

National Lakeshore 7-day and annual passes can also be purchased at these area businesses.

• Crystal River Outfitters

• The Homestead Resort (7-day pass sales only)

• Indigo Bluffs RV Park and Resort (7-day pass sales only)

• Leland Lodge

• Manitou Island Transit (Interagency America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass and Manitou Island Backcountry passes also sold here)

• Riverside Canoe Trips

PLEASE NOTE - FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PARK PASS MAY RESULT IN A FINE.

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School Groups

An Academic Fee Waiver is required for organized groups visiting the Lakeshore for education.Organized, educational groups of children who are less than 16 years of age may enter the park free of charge and do not need a fee waiver. (See section 10.1.1) However, the park requires a waiver application to account for the free entry of adult chaperones and to manage park resources. Adults in personal vehicles with an organized youth group visiting for the sole purpose of recreation are not exempt from the entrance fee.

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Commercial Visitors

Commercial bus tours are subject to a separate fee schedule based upon the seating capacity of the bus.

Sedan
1-6 Person Capacity
$25.00 + $10.00 Per Person 16 years or older (up to a maximum of $40.00)

Van
7-15 Person Capacity
$40.00

Mini Bus
16-25 Person Capacity
$40.00

Motorcoach
26+ Person Capacity
$100.00

Passes for motorcoach busses (26+ Person Capacity) is $100.00. Payment must be made at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center or the kiosk station at Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

Checks can be made out to NPS and MUST include a tax id number.

Credit Cards are also accepted.

Step-on-guides
As of January 1, 2025, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has discontinued its step-on guide service for commercial tour companies. This decision comes in response to a significant increase in requests for the service, which has risen over 50% in the last three years. While the Lakeshore may explore alternative options to provide a similar service in the future, it encourages commercial operations to seek step-on guide services from other businesses that hold commercial use authorizations with the Lakeshore in the interim.

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Your Fees Benefit the Park