Everglades Nat Park Fees

[Jeremy Clark]

Good evening, The NPS is closing comments about proposed fee changes for Everglades National Park this Friday. Follow the link below for more info. $30 park entrance fee, $25 boaters course, $25 boater launch fee, $5 per person/per night back country fee, etc.

https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/management/proposed-changes-to-fee-p...

[Jeremy Clark]

I got a response to my inquiry:

Dear Sir or Ma'am,

We appreciate you reaching out to us with your questions.  However, to better address your concerns, I need to ask three questions:

1. Will you be entering the park by vessel or by vehicle when you start your trip (e.g. driving to flamingo and launching from there or leaving from key largo and entering by vessel)?
2. How many vessels
3. Are the vessels motorized or paddle craft

With that said, I'm going to provide you with some information that may answer your question without having to respond to me:

1. Only the operator of a motorized vessel needs to take, and pay for, the boater education course.  This means if you are paddlers, there is no $25 boater education fee
2. Backcountry camping permits are now $5 per person per night 
3. If you enter the park by paddle craft for a week the fee would be $12 per vessel for 7 days ($25 for a motorized vessel and all it's occupants).  If you drove into the park in a car with the vessel/vessels in tow, it's $25 for the vehicle and all it's occupants.

I hope this helps paint a picture of the actual costs, if not, please respond answering those three questions above and I can tell you the 2017 costs for the 6 day / 2 person trip you made last year.

STAY SAFE!

Mike Michener

Chief Ranger

Everglades National Park

w: [phone]

c: [phone]

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph..."-Thomas Paine