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If you are 62 years of age or older, make sure you get a US National Park Senior pass soon. Currently the pass is $10 for your lifetime. Legislation has been passed to increase the cost of a lifetime pass to $80 and a one year pass to $20. This pass allows the pass holder and the passengers in their vehicle free entry into any national park, national monument, national historic site. If the facility has separate individual admission charges, like Mammoth Caves, only the pass holder enters free. In addition, if you camp, the pass reduces the basic camping change by 50% in national parks and Core of Enginner Parks.
The good news on this price increase is that all the additional money raised will go directly to the national park service and not the general fund.
You can obtain a pass in person at any national park, monument, or historic site. They are always available via mail. See the National Park website for more details.
For anyone under age 62, the annual pass costs $80. So yes, even with the upcoming increased price the Senior Citizen Lifetime Pass is a great bargain.
(And I always buy an annual pass, just to help support the parks. I figure it's worth it even if I don't manage to visit a park that year, although sometimes I do.)
If the campground has a concessionaire the discount doesn't apply to camping. In some cases it applies to dry camp sites, but not sites with hookups.
I got mine years ago, best $10 I ever spent.
They are also good in National Forests and Bureau of Land Management campgrounds.
A few state parks also honor them.
It all does not apply to additional admission fees like cave entrances and "transportation fees" when the national park requires you to use their transportation rather than driving.
Be careful without a permit! I once got stopped by a ranger while hiking in the Grand Canyon to check my "backcountry permit". Of course I had a valid one but the way he treated it the situation like a law enforcement encounter and I did something wrong was truly stunning, I was shocked. I thought rangers were supposed to be nice. Not this particular one.
I don't think there should be special prices for seniors (or anyone) at national parks, but maybe I'll be singing a different tune when I'm old .
Well people are getting older and older, so if you buy that pass with 62 you still have like 20 or more years to enjoy the NPs. Doesn't really matter of its 10 or 80... other people have to spend $80 PER YEAR.
Well people are getting older and older, so if you buy that pass with 62 you still have like 20 or more years to enjoy the NPs. Doesn't really matter of its 10 or 80... other people have to spend $80 PER YEAR.
Even at $80 a year - the normal price, it is a screaming bargain. Doesn't a day or two at an amusement park cost about $125?
Last year, we spent about $100 for a Parks Canada pass and visited six Parks in BC and Alberta which also was well worth it.
Some of the best NPS sites are not well visited.
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