If you are planning to visit more than one national park or unit overseen by the National Park Service, I highly recommend getting an annual American the Beautiful pass. An Annual Pass provides access to more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by five Federal agencies – National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
I have purchased one for the past 5 years and each one has paid for itself!
The Annual Pass costs $80 and lasts for 12 months from purchase rather than per calendar year. You can pre-purchase a physical pass online, which I do. Some locations allow you to purchase an annual pass on-site, but not all do, so do your research ahead of time.
Interagency passes include Annual, Military, Senior, Every Kid in a Park, and Access passes. If you are a Gold Star Family member or veteran, person with a medically determined permanent disability, or a senior, you can get a lifetime pass.
Each Annual Pass admits the pass owner and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas; and the pass owner plus 3 adults where per-person fees are charged. Children under 16 are always admitted free.
It saves money and saves time at each fee booth or visitor center.
Here’s an Example
Let’s walk through a recent example. During the first 6 months of my 2023 Annual Pass, I visited the below locations:
- Acadia National Park: $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass
- Kancamagus Scenic Byway: $5 per vehicle for day use at some stops
- Saguaro National Park: $25 per vehicle for a 7-day pass to both districts
- Chiricahua National Monument: No entrance fee
- White Sands National Park: $25 per vehicle for a 7-day pass
- Dripping Springs Natural Area: $5 per vehicle for day use
- Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument: No entrance fee
- Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge: $5 per vehicle for day use
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park: $25 per vehicle for a 7-day pass
- El Malpais National Monument: No entrance fee
- Petrified Forest National Park: $25 per vehicle for a 7-day pass
- Montezuma Castle National Monument: $10 per adult for a 7-day pass
- The fee covers Tuzigoot National Monument as well.
Total = $165 for two people to visit all of the above without an annual pass.
How to Use
For recreation sites with entrance stations or visitor centers, show your Annual Pass card and your ID. This may be all you need. At some sites, you may be given a paper receipt or paper hangtag to keep in your vehicle to show you are covered.
At Federal recreation sites that don’t have entrance stations, you need to display your pass or show proof of pass ownership to compliance officers via hangtag or decal. A pass can either be displayed on your rearview mirror using a free hangtag or on your dashboard with the signature side showing.
The Annual Pass does not cover expanded amenity fees such as camping, boat launching, parking, special tours, special permits, or ferries.
As I mentioned, I have always made my money back for the pass since I maximize visiting multiple sites per trip. It is also worthwhile if you live near a national park and tend to visit it multiple times per year.
Well that IS a savings!!! Thank you once again StephPurk.com