Starting March 1, 2023, Michigan residents will pay $13 for a recreation passport, according to a February 10, 2023 release from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The release states it is the first increase in three years. The fee increased by $1 for vehicles and motorcycles.

On March 1, the resident Recreation Passport fee will increase:

• From $12 to $13 for vehicles.

• From $6 to $7 for motorcycles.

• From $24 to $26 for two-year vehicle registrations.

New nonresident Recreation Passport fees, including the nonresident annual pass that increased from $36 to $39 on Jan. 1, 2023.

The Recreation Passport permits year-round vehicle access to state parks and other outoor recreation, states the DNR. This includes boating access, state forest campgrounds and other outdoor spaces.

The DNR State Park System includes:

• 103 state parks and recreation areas; 140 state forest campgrounds; 357,000 acres of state park land (with 257,155 acres of that land open to hunting); and 13,496 state park campsites.

These include the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, in Ontonagon County; Twin Lakes State Park and McClain State Park, both in Houghton County; the Baraga State Forest and State Park, in Baraga County; and the Fort Wilkins State Park, in Keweenaw County.

Michigan state parks are largely self-supporting.

A breakdown of the parks system revenue is listed on the DNR’s State Parks System webpage:

Approximately 97% of state parks funding for operations and maintenance is generated by user fees and royalty revenues. This includes:

• Camping and lodging reservation fees (54%).

• Recreation Passport sales (25%).

• State-owned, oil, gas and mineral royalty revenues – which feed the Michigan State Parks Endowment Fund (12%).

• Concessions, shelter reservations and miscellaneous sources (6%).

• Michigan’s General Fund tax dollars provide the remaining 3% of state parks funding.

All revenue generated by Recreation Passport sales goes into a restricted fund that supports state park infrastructure and operations, a local grant program for community recreation agencies, state forest campgrounds and nonmotorized pathways and trails, cultural and historic resource restoration, and marketing and promotion.

The moderate fee, says the release, is a result of a statutory provision that ensures Recreation Passport funding keeps pace with the economy. Basically, (Michigan) law says that the DNR does not determine the cost of the Recreation Passport; instead, fee adjustments are based on the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The notice of change was provided by the Michigan Department of Treasury in November, 2022.

The state’s parks and recreation system is largely self-supporting, states the DNR’s Recreation Passport Park Here webpage.

“Funds derived from the Recreation Passport go right back into maintaining and improving the outdoor spaces we all love, and protecting natural resources for the next generation.”

While In fiscal year 2022, 40% of eligible vehicles in Michigan had the Recreation Passport, the release also says that state parks receive a total of 30 million visitors a year (average based on 2022 data).