Voyageurs National Park officials will continue discussing a proposed campsite reservation and amenity fee program with the public.
Officials will take the discussion to Maple Grove Parks and Recreation Community Center in Maple Grove from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15.
The public is invited to come to the meeting. Park officials have created a phone number (218-283-6708) for the public to call and be able to express their concerns or support for the reservations and costs for campsites. Park officials also plan to reach the public in Duluth over the next month – a date and time for visiting Duluth is yet to be determined.
This is the final year of a three-year civic engagement discussion to determine if Voyageurs National Park should move to a reservation system. Discussions will include charging for campsite use by night to ensure future maintenance and upkeep of the sites. Interior campsites and boats on the Kabetogama Peninsula will also be finalized based on comments received over the last few years. Day-use sites will not be included in these discussions.
“We believe we have come up with the best formula to maintain the sites while passing on a low cost to the user,” said VNP Superintendent Mike Ward. “Now it is time to discuss it with park neighbors and users and get their opinion of whether we should implement it or not, We realize that when we engage our users in important decisions such as this we make better decisions.
In discussions with communities adjacent to the park, many people have said they feel the park should charge for sites and offer reservations in order to bring new users to the area. Many new users will not consider camping in Voyageurs without a reservation system, especially since it is completely a boat-in park. All sites are currently first-come, first-served and will remain so if not reserved by midnight the night before for that individual day.
