Passes for National Parks, USA

Let’s talk National Park passes. 

There are a surprising number of passes to national parks available.  In this guide, we’ll look at all the different US national parks passes so you can see which one is best for you.

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Regular National Parks Fees and Passes

If you aren’t eligible for a lifetime pass, don’t have a 4th grader, and are only going to visit one or two federal properties in a year (more on all that below), then it’s generally cheaper to just pay for the entrance fee for each park.

Most National Parks charge around $35 per vehicle for 7 days entry – though this is a just a general statement – always double check the fees for the parks you’re visiting before deciding this, though, as this does vary.

You can pay the entrance fee at the entrance gate for most parks. If there’s no gate or if the gate isn’t open when you go through, you can usually pay at the Visitor Center. Some parks will stop you on the way OUT to check you’ve paid and collect the fee if you haven’t.

I prefer to pay online in advance. You can pay the entrance fee for most parks on recreation.gov and print your receipt as proof of payment. Some parks have express lines for people who have already paid, so this can save you time getting into the park!

A few parks are free to enter. Check out the full list here. Though if you look at this list, you’ll notice that there’s a catch for most of them – like Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free to enter but they charge a fee to park.

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The America The Beautiful Pass

If you’re going to more than a couple of parks in a year, it generally makes sense to buy an America The Beautiful Pass before you go.

This pass covers all occupants in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee sites or up to 4 adults at sites that charge per person (kids 15 and under get in free). In addition to all NPS sites, it’s also honored at sites managed by the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers. That’s over 2,000 sites!

It cost $79.99 and is valid for 1 year from the month of purchase. 

The pass is available to anyone (including non-US citizens and residents) 16 years or older may purchase the pass (children under 16 are always admitted free).

You can get an America The Beautiful Pass here 

International purchases

If you live abroad and don’t have a US address, you can still get one, but it’s very old school.  There’s a form you need to fill in and mail or fax (!) it.  Purchase the pass here and after you add to cart, click the International button and it will then take you to form to print out and complete.

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National Parks Passes for Veterans and Military Members

If you’re a current military member, a veteran or a member of a Gold Star family, the United States government thanks you for your service and sacrifice by granting free access to all these 2,000+ federal recreation areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests. You can learn more about this program here. 

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National Parks Passes for Seniors

There are also two different America The Beautiful passes (annual and lifetime) available for seniors.

The annual pass is just $20 and the lifetime senior pass is currently $80.

The Senior Annual Pass and Senior Lifetime Pass are for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or older. 

The Senior Pass admits the pass owner and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas and pass owner and up to 3 adults at sites where per-person fees are charged. (Children under 16 are always admitted free.)

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National Parks Passes for Persons with Disabilities

There’s an Access Pass which gives free, lifetime access to all these properties to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability (does not have to be a 100% disability). 

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Passes for Fourth Graders 

Yes, this may seem random, but fourth graders are eligible for free national parks passes.  Every Kid Outdoors is an official government program for 4^th graders (or home school equivalent) that gives them free entry to hundreds of federal properties, including the national parks.  

By choosing one age and offering this every year, the idea is that every child in the US will have the chance to visit the parks free for a year. This age was chosen because research shows that kids ages nine to 11 are beginning to learn about the world around them. They’re open to new ideas, and they are likely to connect to nature and our history.

Kids fill out an online diary entry with things they’d like to see and do (it produces a fun diary entry) and then print out their pass and take it with them.  The pass is from September 1 – August 31.  

Now here’s the thing: children under 16 are always free.

However, it works because although it’s officially for fourth graders, if you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person, the pass admits up to three adults (and all children under 16, of course) for free. If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees, the pass admits all adults (and all children under 16) in up to one passenger vehicle.

(Commercial vehicles can’t use a pass to get in.)

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Did you find the right pass? Are there are any other types of passes for national parks that I missed?  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).  

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About the Author

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