The fees help remedy years of neglect at some parks. Sleeping Bear Dunes' budget hadn't been increased for 10 years before the fee program began in 1997, Miller said. Fees now represent a 37-percent increase over the park's typical budget. That's a healthy infusion of money for critical needs, said park service spokesman Kevin Schneider. The parks keep 80 percent of fees they collect, and the remaining money is shared among sites that don't charge.
Most fees are new, and some parks have more than one fee for different activities.
Despite some complaints, the fees haven't slowed traffic at parks. The number of July visitors at Sleeping Bear Dunes was up 14 percent over last year. Hiawatha National Forest spokeswoman Lee Ann Loupe said most complaints come from local people who are accustomed to using parks for free. From an economic standpoint, it is not a substantial cost. Most people recognize that and are happy to pay a fee.