Key Largo and South Florida News

Everglades National Park Announces Fee-Free Days and No Entrance Fee Increase for 2020

The National Park Service has designated five entrance fee-free days for 2020, the first one on Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. On each of these significant days of celebration or commemoration, all national parks will waive recreation entrance fees. Everglades National Park is one of 110 National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee.
The dates for 2020 are:
? Monday, January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
? Saturday, April 18 – First Day of National Park Week
? Tuesday, August 25 – National Park Service Birthday
? Saturday, September 26 – National Public Lands Day
? Wednesday, November 11 – Veterans Day
The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, transportation, and guided tours.
Additionally, the proposed entrance fee increase at Everglades National Park for 2020 will be delayed until 2021.
“Until we have a full complement of services in Flamingo, including overnight lodging, we will maintain our entrance fees at the 2019 level in keeping with the standardized fees for the National Park Service,” said Superintendent Pedro Ramos. “These entrance fees are vital to providing and maintaining the facilities and activities our visitors expect at a world-renowned national park.”
Eighty percent of the collected entrance fees remain in the park’s budget, while the other 20% support National Park Service units across the nation that do not charge fees, such as Biscayne National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Revenues are used to provide visitor amenities, with at least 55% of the fees used to fund deferred maintenance projects. Everglades National Park has some ambitious plans over the next few years to improve visitor facilities and services.
Since January 2019, visitors entering through the park’s maritime boundary by boat, paddle craft or guided tour are also required to have an appropriate entrance pass. Private vessels pay fees consistent with motor vehicles, including the ability to use the annual pass, which covers every passenger in a vehicle or vessel.
Standard entrance passes are valid for a full week across all park locations. Free or discounted passes are available for senior citizens, current members of the U.S. military, families of fourth grade students, and disabled citizens.
Additionally, the annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks.
Entrance passes may be purchased at Everglades National Park’s main entrance in Homestead, Shark Valley entrance, Gulf Coast Visitor Center, and online. For more information: https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/fees.htm
www.nps.gov

About Everglades National Park: Everglades National Park protects the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States with more than 1.5 million acres of sawgrass prairies, pine rocklands, hardwood forest, and an extensive mangrove estuary leading to Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity, Everglades National Park is home to many critically threatened and endangered species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile and the West Indian manatee. The park is also the main source of drinking water for residents of South Florida.

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