Everglades National Park proposing entrance fee increases to pay for maintenance backlog

Everglades National Park is proposing entry fee increases — including for boats, cars, vehicles and walk-ins — to help fund a backlog of maintenance projects.

"A homeowner has to stay on top of maintenance in his or her home, and that is the same thing we have to do with the park," Everglades National Park Superintendent Pedro Ramos said.

The park’s backlog projects total close to $90 million. They include repaving miles of roads between the two entrances in Homestead; replacing boat markers along the Gulf Coast, Flamingo and Florida Bay districts; rehabilitating the Long Pine Key amphitheater; and fixing the sewage lift station at the Flamingo District.

The new fees would be phased in over the next two years. For the first time, Everglades National Park would charge boats the same entry fee as a car.

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The proposed seven-day vehicle and vessel entrance fee would go up from $25 to $30 in 2019 and up to $35 in 2020. The seven-day motorcycle fee would go up from $20 to $25 in 2019 and up to $30 in 2020. 

The seven-day entrance fees for a walk-in entry would go up from $8 to $15 in 2019 and up to $20 in 2020. The annual pass would increase from $40 to $55 in 2019 and go up to $70 in 2020. 

The boat launch fee would be eliminated, and backcountry camping permits would remain the same at $15 for a permit plus $2 per night.

“The question a lot of boat captains have is how will they enforce the new fees.” Everglades Area Tours Capt. Charles Wright said. "It seems like they want to put a lot of the enforcement burden on us permit holders."

Everglades National Park has updated its technology by setting up kiosks at some of the park's entry points and by creating an app and an online link for visitors to buy tickets before they come.  

“In the past, they’ve tried to establish an app where you can buy tickets, but there's no cell service in the park,” Wright said. "Its really hard for them to enforce who has a pass, so they want to put the administrative burden on the permit holders."

Everglades National Park increased its fees in 2015 for the first time since 1997. The park proposed raising the entrance cost last year, but that was put on hold after Hurricane Irma. 

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The park will receive Hurricane Irma relief money to fix the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City and other buildings that were damaged by the hurricane.

The Everglades National Park proposed fee increase would put it on par with parks of similar size. Just like Everglades National Park, Grand Canyon National Park encompasses more than 1 million acres. 

Grand Canyon National Park already charges $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per walk-in and $70 for an annual pass.

“Reasonable fee increase is appropriate,” said Cara Copp, Everglades restoration manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “But it cannot be on the back of the national park visitors alone to pay for the maintenance programs; it's on Congress to help fund most of the backlog.”

Everglades National Park received $18 million from Congress in 2010. Over the last six years, funding got as low at $15.9 million in 2013, and it has remained below $17 million every year.

Last year the park received $16.8 million from Congress. For the 2019 budget, the White House has requested Congress provide a little over $15 million in funding for Everglades National Park.

In 2018 the park received roughly $1 million more than the White House requested.

"People expect facilities like bathrooms and roofing to be up to date,” park superintendent Ramos said. “Our facilities have been in place for a long time, and we just haven't been able to keep up with the maintenance."

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Everglades National Park had over 1 million visitors last year. It’s the 24th most visited national park and has had over 900,000 visitors every year since 2009.

Nationally there is a $11.6 billion worth of backlog maintenance projects for the national parks. On July 24 a bill was introduced in Congress to provide $5.2 billion in funding to help solve some of the maintenance problems.

Florida Reps. Lois Frankel, Alcee Hastings, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Daniel Webster co-sponsored the bill.

"The parks are getting loved to death,” Ramos said. “We need to make sure we have the ability to keep them up."

Fee increase comments

The public can leave comments about the proposed fee increases at Everglades National Park through Aug. 31.

Email: ever_Information@nps.gov with the subject line: Public Comments - Fees 

Mail: Attn: Public Comments - Fees 
40001 State Road 9336 
Homestead, FL 33034-8733