Visiting Acadia National Park in Maine Could Soon Cost You More Money

In just the last several years, Acadia National Park has gone from a quiet respite tucked away in Maine to drawing crowds that rival the opening of Disney World. But visitors already planning their trips to the extremely popular national park may encounter something new in 2023: a higher entrance fee.

According to Parkplanning.gov, the National Park Service has requested that the entrance fees for Acadia National Park be increased. Because of the increased traffic, maintenance inside the park has become more costly. Another side effect of more people visiting has been the need to make improvements to enhance the experience while inside the park.

The National Park Service has requested these fee increases:

• Individual: From $15 to $20
• Vehicle: From $30 to $35
• Motorcycle: From $25 to $30
• Annual Pass: From $55 to $70

The public will have until December 29 to comment on the proposed fee hike. For transparency, roughly 80% of the entrance fees collected stay with Acadia National Park. The remaining 20% is distributed to other national parks who bring in less entrance gate.

Acadia entrance fees have been pivotal in funding many of the improvements the park has seen in recent years. That includes completing new hiking trails, installing the bog walk, and replacing some of the bridges throughout the park's trail system. There's also been substantial improvement to park facilities, like campground restrooms and hazard trees in heavy traffic areas.

If the fee increase is approved, Acadia National Park will move into a tier with Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon as the most expensive national parks in America to visit.