Beginning Thursday March 31, 2022, entering the Indiana Dunes National Park will require an entrance fee or a federal lands pass. A release stated the new fee revenue will help fund a number of parking information improvements, deferred maintenance projects and visitor services. The park has seen its attendance increase from 1.7 million visitors to more than 3 million since its name change in February of 2019. This new fee only affects the national park and does not change the fee collected by the state for entrance into the Indiana Dunes State Park. You can find more information at recreation.gov or nps.gov/indu .
Depending on the method used to enter the national park, the fees vary. The per person/walk-in/bike-in/boat-in rate: $15.00 (up to a maximum of $25 per family), Motorcycle Pass: $20.00, One to Seven-Day Vehicle Pass: $25.00, Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass: $45.00 and Commercial Fee for a Motor Coach (Bus): up to $100.00.
This new fee is covered for holders of the following federal land passes: Annual Pass, Senior Pass, Veterans, Military and Gold Star Family Pass, 4th Grade Pass, Access Pass (for permanent disability), and the Volunteer Pass.
The Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass and other federal passes are available now at www.recreation.gov and at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. Starting March 31st, passes will also be available at the Paul H Douglas Center and beginning April 8th at the West Beach Entrance Station. Some local retailers near the park will sell some park passes. The first retailer is The Trail Stop, located in the pavilion at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. Information will be available on the park website as other vendors are added.
