Going on a tour in the U.S. National Parks is definitely a wonderful experience. When planning this kind of trip, it is easy to get carried away and decide to visit several national parks, despite the distance between them, and embark on an exciting road trip adventure in the West of the United States.
I’m certainly not going to suppress your adventurous spirit, but maybe you could use some information to better plan your tour and save some money. For this reason, today we’re discussing the America the Beautiful Pass, or more simply the National Parks Pass, let’s see what it is and what it’s used for…
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How Much Does It Cost to Visit the US National Parks?
Well yes, if you want to visit these beautiful natural landscapes, you’ll have to pay first. Therefore, while organizing your itinerary, take into account not only the fuel needed for traveling, but also the cost of each individual park.
The price for the entrance can range from $10 up to $40, but if you focus only on the most famous and popular national parks, the price will be between $30 and $40. The cost is not per person but per vehicle, and this could adversely affect your budget, especially if you decide to visit a dozen national parks like I did :). Here is an official page where you can find all the updated national parks entrance fees.
How Much does the National Park Pass cost?
If you have decided to visit several national parks there is a solution for you. When you get to the first stop of your trip, ask for the National Parks Pass, an annual pass (also known as the America the Beautiful Pass) that costs $80 and that will allow you to visit the National Parks in the USA and come back whenever you want without having to pay again (which is very useful, because if you want to explore a national park in depth, you will find it difficult to accomplish in only one day).
- Military Annual Pass: there is a completely free annual pass for members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Employees of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Guard can also apply for the free pass. You can apply for it in person at the appropriate offices, or online.
- Military Lifetime Pass: this is also a free pass, but unlike the Military Annual Pass, the Military Lifetime Pass is not annual but lasts for life. Both veterans with a valid Veteran ID and Gold Star Families with a valid Gold Star Family Voucher can apply for it.
- 4th Grade Pass: this free pass is for all children attending 4th Grade, including the summer following the school year. Precisely, it is valid from September of the year in which students start 4th Grade, until August of the following year. To obtain it, it is necessary to follow the instructions on the dedicated website.
- Senior Pass: there are two passes dedicated to U.S. citizens, or permanent residents, age 62 and older. The annual pass is only valid for the year for which it is applied for, while the lifetime pass is always valid from the time it is applied for. To apply for the passes, an ID must be presented to prove age. It can be ordered online or purchased at one of the appropriate offices. These two passes also entitle you to a 50 percent discount on certain services within the parks.
- Annual Senior Pass: 20$
- Lifetime Senior Pass: 80$
- Access Pass: the Access Pass is completely free and is valid for life. It can be applied by all U.S. citizens, or residents, who have permanent disabilities. The pass can be applied online, in person through the appropriate offices, or by mailing in the form that can be downloaded from the official website. To obtain this pass, proof of the applicant’s disability must be presented.
- Volunteer Pass: the Volunteer Pass is free and valid for one year. Volunteers who have completed 250 hours of service with federal agencies participating in the Interagency Pass Program can apply for it. To obtain it, you must contact your volunteer coordinator.
What Parks are Included in America the Beautiful Pass?
The America the Beautiful Pass will give you access to all the parks managed by the NPS, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers.
It is therefore very important to know that it will not be used for example:
- The parks found on Indian reservations, such as Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon. This is due to the fact that the beautiful parks on the reservations are managed by the Native Americans (Navajo, Hualapai or others) and not directly by the National Park Service (which, by the way, omits to give this information on its website).
- State Parks: each state offers the possibility to buy a specific pass to visit these areas.
The National Parks Card will therefore be a convenient solution for those planning to visit at least 3 national parks (excluding the kinds of parks mentioned above).
Here is a document that includes all the federal recreation areas and all national parks (natural and not) that can be visited with the national parks pass (and also the information on where to buy it).
One more thing: With the national park pass you can visit the Grand Canyon National Park, both in the North Rim and South Rim (the latter is usually the most visited), but not Grand Canyon West (the Skywalk area), an area that is not as frequently visited, that is usually overlooked by the most common tours, but still accessible, for example through a helicopter tour from Las Vegas.
In a Nutshell: What Does the America the Beautiful Pass Offer?
- Entrance to the U.S. National Parks for one car and all its passengers (up to 14 passengers for those traveling with the bigger vehicles!) since the national park entrance fees are considered per vehicle, with the exception of the parks run by Native Americans and those few where there is an entrance fee is per person (per-person fee).
In the latter case the America the Beautiful Pass will cover for a maximum of 3 adults in addition to the card holder: the others will have to pay the ticket. More information here (question 3 of the second section). This page of the official website explains in detail which Parks have a “per person fee” and which ones allow you to access with the “per vehicle fee”. - Possibility to return to a national park in the following days without having to pay again.
Possibility to give away the pass to friends or third parties by putting their name on the back of the pass. With the cards issued starting January 1, 2024, unfortunately, it is no longer possible.- Valid for one year: the pass is valid from the first day of the month that it is purchased and it expires at the end of that same month the following year.
Attention: Starting January 1st, 2024, the America the Beautiful Pass will have only one space for a single signature. It will be linked to only one holder and therefore it will no longer be possible to transfer it to others. The NPS has announced that this change was made necessary for various reasons, including consistency with other passes and reducing fraudulent uses. All passes purchased in 2023 will, however, remain valid until their expiration.
It’s a pretty simple operation. On the back of the pass you will find space for 2 signatures. The first one is for you, the second one is for the eventual future owner. The only thing the new owner will have to do is to write his signature in the second space, and that’s it. Below you will find images of each side of the pass.
Where Can You Buy the America the Beautiful Pass?
You can buy it at the entrance of any National Park. All you have to do is just ask a park ranger. Alternatively, you can also purchase it online on the official website and the websites listed below.
On REI
REI is an American retailer specialized in hiking and sports equipment. REIÂ allows you to buy the national parks pass for the standard price ($79.99). While completing the purchase you will be asked how you prefer to receive the pass. You will have two different options:
- Shipment directly to your home (free shipping within the United States).
- Pickup at one of the REI stores in the USA (free). You can find the map of the REI stores at this link: as you will see many of the stores are located in the cities where you usually start the tour of the national parks.
If you decide to have the America the Beautiful Pass sent by REI not to your home, but directly to the first hotel on your road trip (or to the one that is most convenient), remember to write the name and address of the hotel for the shipment, and to inform the hotel in advance that they will receive a package for you (you can write directly to the hotel). And of course don’t forget to pick it up at the reception desk!
Buy the America the Beautiful Pass on REI
On Viator
You can also purchase your national parks pass online in advance on Viator. At the price of $79.99 you can receive the annual America the Beautiful Pass without any additional cost. The website offers free shipping by mail, and the delivery is very fast. I ordered the pass on Tuesday May 14 and it arrived on Monday May 20, ready to use in the current month, with a brochure and a small plastic holder to keep it in the car (see photo).
Three recommendations/tips:
- Write your shipping address in the additional notes (under “Special Requirements“) when purchasing the pass;
- When asked to select the number of adults, keep in mind that Viator refers to the number of vehicles interested. For example: if your group of friends is made up of 5 adults and you are all traveling in the same car, you will only have to buy 1 pass, then select “1 adult”;
- In the description you will see “Visit: Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida”. Don’t worry: the pass is not just valid for Everglades and does not necessarily need to be “activated” in Everglades, although this specification may be misleading. You are purchasing a regular America the Beautiful Pass, valid for all national parks listed here.
You will receive a shipment confirmation within a few days from Viator’s customer service and, if you have any concerns, you can send an email with your questions. You will get a response within a few hours.
Warning:Â You can also provide the address of the hotel where you will be staying during your road trip. Let the hotel know about the package they will receive for you (you can get in touch with the hotel directly through the specific Booking contact form).
On eBay
As already mentioned, passes issued from 2024 onwards will no longer be transferable to third parties, so you will only be able to buy a used pass for a short period more. If you are interested in saving a bit of money, you can also buy a used pass on eBay. If you don’t find a suitable price following that link, try the one below which uses a different search engine.
Hi, if I have an America The beautiful pass, do I need a reservation for Yosemite NP in addition ? Thank you.
Hello! You will find an answer here.
My husband is a veteran and I am a senior what do we need for a pass to enter National parks this summer?
Hi. In national parks that charge an entrance fee, a veteran will need to present one of the following forms of identification to receive a free Interagency Military Pass:
– Department of Defense Identification Card (non-expired CAC Card)
– Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
– Veteran ID Card
– Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card
For a senior the price are:
– $80 for a Lifetime Senior Pass
– $20 for an Annual Senior Pass
Thank you, this is very interesting information, we will use it in our work.
Hello,
Can you help me with some information, the cards are also for people who are not residents of the USA, for example tourists who come to visit the USA? And if so, for a car with 6 adults traveling, would 2 cards be enough for entrance?
Thanks!
Hi Dan, the card is also available for tourists and non-residents of the US. As you read in the article, one card per car is sufficient, whatever the number of passengers.
Thanks!
These passes are also available at no charge for anyone who has a certified disability.
Hello. Will a D.L. need to be provided to prove the “senior” cardholder’s age? I’m not quite 62. Thank u.
Hello Diane, as you can read in the USGS faq, “owning property or paying taxes in the U.S. does not automatically qualify you for a Senior Pass. You must be a permanent U.S. resident, or a U.S. citizen with identification such as U.S. Driver’s License, Green Card or U.S. Passport”.
I want to buy a lifetime pass to our National Parks as a graduation present for my 18-yr-old niece graduating from high school. Is this possible? I only see lifetime passes for seniors, what about for my 18-yr-old niece? I’m willing to pay what it costs, but can’t FIND the cost.
Thanks for the help.
I’m sorry, but there isn’t a lifetime pass for people under 62.
How much is the
“Senior lifetime” national park pass and can I purchase it on here?
Thank you
David Nelson
Hello David, the “Senior Lifetime” National Park Pass is $80 plus a $10 processing fee. You can buy it here.