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Juneau meeting to discuss fee increases for Tongass National Forest

Published 11:30 am Saturday, June 20, 2026

By Alexander Vaz

Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon Tourists walk to and from a viewpoint at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center on May 14, 2025. Proposed changes would raise the day-use fee at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center from $5 to $15 per person.

Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon

Tourists walk to and from a viewpoint at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center on May 14, 2025. Proposed changes would raise the day-use fee at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center from $5 to $15 per person.

The public can have their say on proposed fee changes at two visitor centers and a new cabin in the Tongass National Forest.

The Forest Service is set to host a meeting on Wednesday (June 24) from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Juneau Ranger District Office, 8510 Mendenhall Loop Rd. The public is invited to attend and share their opinions and discuss the topic with Forest Service staff and make official comments for review.

Citing rising visitation, operating costs and the addition of the new False Bay Cabin, the Forest Service opened a 60-day comment period on fee adjustments under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to gather feedback on the proposal. The period began on May 22 and ends July 20.

The proposed changes would raise the day-use fee at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center from $5 to $15 per person, with a new $20 per person season pass replacing the prior season and late season group rates, and increase fees at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan from $5 to $10 per person daily.

The changes would also introduce an overnight fee for the newly constructed False Bay Cabin on Chatham Strait.

“Recreation fees help the Tongass National Forest meet public expectations for high-quality recreation sites, amenities, and opportunities,” said Barb Miranda, Tongass National Forest deputy supervisor.

The Forest Service added that at least 80 percent of the revenue from recreation fees stays in Southeast Alaska, as it is directly reinvested in the local recreation sites and facilities where the fees were collected.

Comment submissions can also be made via mail, email, or online.

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