Do you love visiting the National Parks and the National Forests of the US? Did you know depending on your different abilities or needs you can get different passes to over 2,000 federal recreation areas? It’s one of my favorite things to do in the outdoors and is one of the most accessible places for different abilities in the outdoors. To obtain most of the passes below, click on this link. Here is a guide to the different park passes and how to get them to save you money during your travels to these beautiful parks.
Let’s start with the pass I discovered over 5 years ago and fell in love with:
Access Pass
This access pass is completely free to US citizens or permanent residents who live with a permanent disability. I found this out over five years ago from a family member and since then have gotten to enter the parks for free along with those in my car.
If you have a permanent disability here is how to get a lifetime access pass: Visit your doctor who can provide you with documentation of your permanent disability. I called my orthopedic doctor and had him write me a letter that he signed and sent to my home. After receiving my letter I went online to the website linked above to find the closest parks building to get my pass.
Other pros of having the access pass:
- It is a lifetime pass. That means you never have to worry about the hassle of applying or going in to buy another parks card.
- Depending on the park it provides a 50 percent discount on some fees such as camping and accessible tours.
Annual Pass
This pass is available to everyone. The cost of the pass is $80 and you do need to purchase a new pass every year. To purchase you can visit the link above to find a location near you. Some outdoor equipment stores such as REI do sell annual passes.
Military Pass
This pass is available to US Military members and their dependents in the Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, Reservists and National Guard members, and US military veterans. This pass is free but it’s an annual pass so it does need to be renewed each year.
To obtain one of these passes please visit this site to check the requirements and go to the link above to find a location near you to get your parks pass.
4th Grade Pass
This pass is available to US 4th graders including home-schooled and free choice learners 10 years of age with a valid Every Kid Outdoors paper pass. This pass is free and goes from September until August of the following year.
To obtain this pass make sure to have your paper by visiting the Every Kid Outdoors website and then use the link above to find a location near you to pick up your pass.
Senior Pass
This pass is available to any US citizen over the age of 62. There are two different passes you can obtain. There is the lifetime pass for $80 or annual pass for $20.
To obtain this pass you can fill out an application online on the National Park Service webpage or go to the link above to visit a location near you to pick up your park pass.
Perks of the Senior Pass
- Depending on the park it provides a 50 percent discount on some fees such as camping and accessible tours.
Volunteer Pass
This pass is available to volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program. To obtain this pass volunteers should contact their volunteer coordinator for more info. The volunteer pass is valid for 12 months from the date it was issued.
Reach out to me on Instagram if you have any questions about these passes and tag me when you get yours! Can’t wait to see more of my friends adventuring to these beautiful parks.