Starting today, a visit to a state park is going to cost you more.
The Florida Park Service has raised state park day-use entrance fees for vehicles with two to eight people an average of $1 to $3. Single-occupant vehicle fees has gone from $3 to $5 statewide. An annual pass, which is good for day use entrance at all but three of the 160 state parks, has jumped 50 percent to $60 for individuals and $120 for families up to eight.
The hikes - the first price increase since Jan. 1, 2004 - are because of budget constraints that could have led to the temporary closing of some parks and shorter operating hours for others, said Jessica Kemper, Florida Park Service information director.
The higher fees avoid closures, although no Southwest Florida parks were slated to close.
"With rising costs and increased visitation, this is what we need to do to keep parks open and high-quality visitor service and resource management," Kemper said.
All park fees are deposited into one pot, and money is given to each park as needed.
Lee County has seven state parks, including the Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero and Cayo Costa State Park in Pine Island Sound.
"There are only eight parks going up to $8 and those are the parks with annual attendance of 500,000 or more visitors," Kemper said.
In Southwest Florida, Lovers Key is the only state park that falls into that category. Its entrance fee hiked from $5 to $8 per vehicle with two to eight people. In 2007-2008, 819,359 people visited Lovers Key. Its operating budget was $516,741.
The rate increase is still a bargain, Kemper said.
"People are looking for affordable recreation," she said. "Taking your family of eight to (Lovers Key) state park is only $8. You can't buy a movie ticket for a couple for that price. People are looking for that right now, staying close to home."
Cape Coral resident Serena Mommaerts is a fan of Lovers Key, but she questioned the fee increase.
"This is by far my favorite beach. I do crafts, and so the shelling is wonderful. The beach - it's all natural, don't have any big condos," said Mommaerts, 73.
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"That's terrible because it was hard when it got to be $5," she said. "It's just so hard to understand. The economy is so poor."
But it won't keep away her and her husband, Louie. "I really like the beaches where you can just pay a certain amount and you don't have to worry about the meter," she said.
Louie Mommaerts, 78, said he appreciated the recent paving of the tram road to Lovers Key's beach.
The $42,000 resurfacing project used water-permeable asphalt, which helps limit erosion and makes for a smoother, less dusty ride.
The park also reopened its boat ramp this week after a $50,000 renovation.
Mark Trachsel, 45, of Kentucky, shelled at the beach Monday with his wife, Lenora, their two daughters and a friend.
"Tax dollars go to the park to begin with. Why do we need to pay more in fees? But I'd come back anyway," said Mark Trachsel, noting it is a way to charge out-of-state residents.
"I'd come back because of the shelling. The children really like it here. It's a nice park," Lenora Trachsel said.
Melissa Nyman, 30, who lives in Lehigh Acres, considers the increased fees reasonable. "You got to pay parking for any beach," she said before hiking on Lovers Key trails. "I'd probably pay even more. To me, it's comparable to anything else you want to do around the beach, around the water."