Lake Lanier parks, ramps go cashless

Dusk at War Hill Park, Lake Lanier. Starting April 1, fees for day-use parks and boat ramps must be paid using automated credit card machines; cash will no longer be accepted. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS via Facebook

Dusk at War Hill Park, Lake Lanier. Starting April 1, fees for day-use parks and boat ramps must be paid using automated credit card machines; cash will no longer be accepted. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS via Facebook

Starting April 1, the day-use parks and boat ramps at Lake Lanier managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will no longer accept cash from visitors – only credit or debit cards.

The practice will end of putting cash into yellow user fee envelopes and dropping them into a brown metal vault box, the Army Corps says. Instead, patrons will use the automated credit card machines being installed at 12 day-use parks.

They are Buford Dam Park, Burton Mill, Keiths Bridge, Lanier Park, Little Hall, Long Hollow, Lower Pool East, Lower Pool West, Old Federal Day Use, Two Mile, Van Pugh North and West Bank. Fees will remain $5 per vehicle; $2 per person for walk-ins; $5 per boat launch; $20 per commercial vehicle, and $40 for an annual pass.

Those planning to use Corps-managed boat ramps must properly display a federal recreation pass – the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Annual Pass, America the Beautiful Senior Pass, America the Beautiful Access Pass, or America the Beautiful Annual Pass. There will be no cash vault or credit card machine at these parks.

Six ramps will be accessible to recreational pass holders only: East Bank, Balus Creek, Little River, Vanns Tavern, Tidwell and Thompson Bridge. Starting March 18, the Lake Lanier Project Management Office pass sales room will be open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Information: http://bit.ly/2d32DR5