Fees Will Rise At Apostle Islands In 2016

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is raising its park fees in the new year.

Camping, boat, program and parking fees will increase anywhere from $5 to $15. The extra money will go toward park services and maintaining trails.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore superintendent Bob Krumenaker said the increase will more than double the amount of money on hand each year for general upkeep.

“It will be more money for people, and we regret that,” he said. “We’d love it if the park could be free, but we will be able to bring a lot more money into trail and campground maintenance and interpretative programs. We think that the benefits will outweigh the costs.”

Higher fees aren’t the only changes planned: Krumenaker said people can now reserve campsites online.

“I think we were holding onto the way we did it worked for us, but it was pretty labor intensive and it was working less satisfactorily for other people,” he said. “A lot of people want to do their planning and thinking at three o’clock in the morning and without a ranger.”

The online reservation system includes a $10 fee.

While most fees are going up, Krumenaker said the fee to see the ice caves will remain at $5. The park expects to raise around $40,000 more for projects. Overall, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has a maintenance backlog of more than $8 million.