Are you an avid visitor of the National Parks? Maybe you head out exploring every weekend to escape a 9-5 job? Or perhaps you’re a family of four just starting to discover the great outdoors? Have you ever wondered if there was an annual Pass to make your wanderlust a touch more affordable? There’s any number of labels that we can assign ourselves and our friends that explore, or want to explore, the great outdoors. Thankfully the National Park Service and their sister Federal Agencies provide us a cost-effective way to visit and explore America’s backyard. I present to you, the America The Beautiful Pass! Officially referred to as “The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass”. I think I’ll stick with the “America The Beautiful Pass” on this one! 1. Provides Access to Over 2,000 Federally Managed Sites I remember the first time that I fully realized the potential of an annual pass. It was last year while I was exploring Sedona, Arizona for two days. There are numerous sites, viewpoints, and hiking trailheads that require the purchase of a Red Rock Pass. The Red Rock Pass is managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. As such it falls under the interagency list of sites that can be found below. A daily pass in Sedona for the sites that require a Red Rock Pass will run you $5 per day. You can also pick up a weekly pass for $15 if you’re going to be around for three or more days. Being there for two days saved me $10 since I already had an America The Beautiful pass. This is just one of the 2,000+ locations that will accept a the pass as a means of entry. So if you find yourself outside every weekend, going on multiple vacations throughout the year, or even live out of your car (like I’m planning to do later this year), you’re going to want to brush up on this handy PDF that was created to list every interagency site that you will have access to.   2. An Annual Pass Quickly Pays For Itself Following my two days in Sedona, I headed towards Grand Canyon National Park for two more days of hiking and exploring. The Grand Canyon entrance fees cover your vehicle for seven days at the cost of $30 per vehicle. This means that over the course of four days, between Sedona and the Grand Canyon, my fees would have totaled $40, half the cost of an annual pass. With 361 more days in the year the fees could add up quickly, making an $80 (one time fee) pass a no-brainer in my book. This becomes even more important as many parks consider raising their entrance fees with parks such as Yellowstone and Zion are considering raising theirs. Now this may eventually mean that the price for interagency passes such as these goes up, but I would be perfectly okay with that. I believe that the pass is worth its weight in gold. Granted it doesn’t weight much, but it’s a vital asset for anyone who loves exploring the great outdoors. 3. You Can Share America The Beautiful With Friends and Family I can advocate for both exploring the outdoors yourself, and for exploring the outdoors with friends and family. While this isn’t the place to discuss the merits of either of those options, an annual pass does provide great opportunities to share these experiences with others. This means that you will have admittance to National Parks and other federally managed lands for you and up to three other individuals in your cars. This is for locations that charge admittance fees. So if you have friends that have always wanted to visit that local National Park or National Forest site but always seemed to cheap out, this may be your opportunity to get them outside. This has come in handy for me on two distinct occasions. First was when my family (myself, mother, grandmother, and sister) were out in Washington for a funeral. During that trip I requested a stop at Mount Rainier National Park. Now while I barely even got to see Mount Rainier, the experience of having my family along on the visit was extremely memorable. Then three months later the same crew (minus my sister) drove down to Tucson from my parents home in Phoenix, Arizona to visit Saguaro National Park. While I still expect to go back and hike in Saguaro, having my mother and grandmother there to learn about the desert ecology and Saguaro cacti is a memory I will cherish. I have also learned, as a photographer, sometimes it’s great to bring friends and family along. Too often I am always behind a camera and never have any other proof that I was actually where I said I was. So thanks to my sister for snapping this photo of me at Mount Rainier. On her iPhone nonetheless! 4. Support the Continued Funding for America’s Public Lands It’s no secret that the National Park Service currently has nearly $12 Billion in maintenance backlogs. There are countless numbers of projects that need funding across all of America’s public lands. By purchasing an annual pass, especially if you don’t make use of the full $80 value, you’re investing in the improvement of these lands. The brochure that comes with your brand new pass lists the following projects that have been funded by its purchase: Restoration of the historic Kilauea Lighthouse at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii. Environmental education programs at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois. Provide law enforcement services at New Melones Lake, California. Repair and maintenance of the Catwalk National Recreational Trail, Gila National Forest, New Mexico. Purchase visitor shuttle buses at Zion National Park, Utah. Improve visitor access routes into Imperial Sand Dunes, California. As you can see, even this small list boasts huge improvements to many national recreational areas. I would like to point out that only one of the projects on that list took place at a National Park. So while National Parks may be the main draw for the annual pass, the project benefits for public lands is far-reaching. 5. You Now Have An Excuse To Get Outside This one is fairly straightforward, at least it seems like it. Speaking from experience, getting outside has a massive benefit on my mental and physical health. Nothing is better than hiking that next mountain on your list or crossing off another bucket list trail or park. You wouldn’t want to spend money on an annual pass and then let it gather dust or get lost in your purse/wallet now would you? No! By having this pass staring you in the face you are more inclined to get outside and experience America’s backyard. Now while some weekends call for hanging out in your own backyard, nothing beats heading out into the wilderness to experience all that nature has to offer. And with the list of accessible locations growing for the interagency uses of the pass, you’re going to have plenty of options for that next weekend getaway. So grab the kids, dogs, or beers and get outside! Bonus: An Annual Park Pass Makes a Great Gift I actually received my most recent Annual Pass as a Christmas gift from my parents this last year. At the time they didn’t know that I was going to be setting off in just a few months to visit 27 National Parks. However, even with the logic of bullet point 2 above you’ll still find this as a perfect gift. This is especially true for individuals that live in areas where you can reach out and touch multiple National Parks and Recreation Sites. Currently living in Louisville, Kentucky does not offer as many options to use the pass as say California, Colorado or Utah. Outdoor lovers will still see this as an incredible gift, I know I do! Especially since the pass works at over 2,000 sites, you’ll never know when someone might be saving a few dollars on their next camping trip or weekend adventure. It is completely possible that by gifting one of these passes you can be giving them their most used gift of all time. The best part about gifting a pass is that, even if you purchase it at a park, you’re not the one signing your name on the back. So the individual receiving the pass will still have full usage of the pass and won’t have to worry about your name being attached to it. Friendly reminder: always make sure you bring your hang tag with your annual pass. The pass IS NOT valid without the hang tag, unless you have a valid alternative for open top vehicles.   Information on all Available Passes directly from NPS.gov and Recreation.gov Annual Pass Cost: $80 Available to the public and lasts one year. Expires at the end of the month one year after purchase. Provides admittance for all National Parks and other Federally managed sides (over 2,000) which charge an entrance or admittance fee. Note: some parks such as Mammoth Cave and the Great Smoky Mountains don’t have entrance fees. Also provides admittance for passengers in the same vehicle as the pass holder. This is capped at three adults plus the pass holder. Annual Pass for U.S. Military Cost: FREE Available for current U.S. military members and dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard as well as Reserve and National Guard members. Obtained in person at Federal Recreation Sites and Parks. Required to have a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID (Form 1173) when signing up. Provides admittance for all National Parks and other Federally managed sides (over 2,000) which charge an entrance or admittance fee. See note above about entrance fees. Annual 4th Grade Pass Cost: FREE Valid for the duration of the 4th grade school year though the following summer (September-August) Available for U.S. 4th graders (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age) with a valid Every Kid in a Park paper pass The paper passes can be obtained by visiting the Every Kid in a Park website Senior Pass Cost: $80 Lifetime, $20 Annual Available for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. Must provide legal documents to show proof of age. $20 Annual Pass for senior citizens who may be on a strict budget. The $80 senior pass is a lifetime pass, and does not need to be renewed each year. Protect this pass with your life. Many Park Rangers have warned of cars being broken into as thieves find the $80 lifetime pass a prized possession. At some parks this pass may provide a 50% discount on some amenity fees. This includes fees such as camping, swimming, and boat launching. Please check with the individual park for more information on available discounts. Non-transferable Acts much like the Annual Pass in regards to people allowed in vehicle and site usage. Golden Age Passports (former senior pass program) are still honored. However, you can get a replacement card by exchanging your Golden Age Passport for a new pass at parks where passes are sold. Access Pass Cost: FREE Available for: U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Applicants must provide documentation of permanent disability and residency or citizenship. The Access Pass may provide a 50 percent discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and specialized interpretive services. Please check with the individual park for more information on available discounts. Golden Access Passports (former access pass program) are still honored. However, you can get a replacement card by exchanging your Golden Access Passport for a new pass at parks where passes are sold. Volunteer Pass Cost: FREE Available for: Volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program Contact your local federal recreation site for more information about volunteer opportunities or visit Volunteer.gov.

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