· UNITED STATES ·
America the Beautiful Pass – Is it worth it and will it save you money?
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 20 Aug 2024
Everyone recommends getting an America the Beautiful pass when visiting the United States, but will it actually save you any money? Here, we talk about what it is, what it can (and cannot) be used for and whether it is worth it for your trip!
I realise we’ve mentioned the ‘America the Beautiful pass’ all over our American southwest posts, but not really explained what it is, what it covers, who can buy it, how much it costs, if it is worth it and where to buy it. Given that it is one of the best-value purchases ever, this seems to be a serious oversight.
So here, we try to quickly answer everything you might need to know as a first-time visitor to America’s national parks (this might also help you budget for your trip!).
IN THIS GUIDE //
America the Beautiful Pass – will it save you money?
WHAT IS THE AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASS?
WHAT DOES THE PASS COVER?
– PARKS LIST
WHERE TO BUY AN AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASS
USING YOUR NATIONAL PARK PASS
IS THE AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASS WORTH IT?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
– DOES THE NATIONAL PARK PASS COVER CAMPING?
– CAN INTERNATIONAL VISITORS BUY AN AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASS?
– DOES THE NATIONAL PARK PASS REPLACE A TIMED-ENTRY PASS?
– DOES THE PASS PROVIDE ENTRY TO NATIONAL MONUMENTS?
– WHO IS COVERED BY THE NATIONAL PARK PASS?
ARE THERE VETERAN AND SENIOR NATIONAL PARK DISCOUNTS?
OTHER NATIONAL PARK PASS TIPS
FINAL THOUGHTS
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What is the America the Beautiful Pass?
The America the Beautiful pass, also referred to as the ‘national parks pass’ or ‘interagency pass’, is an annual pass which grants you (and your car, plus passengers) free access to over 2000 parks and sites across the United States. Usually, these have entry fees varying from around $3 to $35.
Its full name is ‘America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Lands Pass’.
The pass specifically covers federally managed sites, so ensure to check if your chosen park is covered. This includes the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
It comes in the form of a card (like a credit card) which you present on arrival with valid photo ID.
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL – AT A GLANCE
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COST – $80
LENGTH – Annual or lifetime
VALID FOR – All federal lands
NUMBER OF PARKS COVERED – 2000+
CREATED – 2004
TYPES OF PASSES – 6
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What does the America the Beautiful pass cover?
It’s very easy to tell what parks the pass covers without Googling because, generally, they all have the word ‘National’ in them!
So, for example, these are all covered by the pass:
⬩ Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
⬩ Yosemite National Park
⬩ Tonto National Monument
⬩ Mojave National Preserve
⬩ Manzanar National Historic Site
⬩ Inyo National Forest
State, county and Native American-managed sites are not covered. Definitely anything with the word ‘State’ in the name will not be included. Some examples:
⬩ Dead Horse Point State Park
⬩ Valley of Fire State Park
⬩ Cathedral Gorge State Park
⬩ Monument Valley
These are not covered and will have a separate entry fee (although for state parks you can also purchase a relevant pass to bypass these costs if you plan to visit enough of them).
Alcatraz Island, in California, is a rare example of when a pass will not save you any money, even though it is a federally managed site (as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). This is because it is organised by a private concessionaire. Occasionally, in national parks, things like cave and boat tours might be privately managed, so check ahead on nps.gov for prices if there are any activities that involve buying a separate ticket.
America the Beautiful parks list
If you are looking for an America the Beautiful Pass parks list – there is not an obvious, complete one available online. However, there is a pretty comprehensive list on the National Parks Service.
For more information on many of the parks, consider downloading the official NPS app.
Where to buy an America the Beautiful pass?
It is possible to buy an America the Beautiful pass at the online USGS Store or at the entry to most federally managed parks (this is the recommended way according to official websites). They can even be bought in any REI or L.L Bean store. REI donates 10% of the sale to charity.
Check online to see if your intended park sells the pass (almost all do, especially the national parks).
The annual pass costs $80 and cannot be downloaded. It must be sent to your address if you order online (international shipping available).
Using your America the Beautiful pass
First, ensure you’ve signed the back of the card.
To use your national park pass, just show up at the pay point at your chosen park (sometimes this is in a visitor centre, other times it is a booth at the entrance to a park). You will need some photo identification (a driving license is fine) that matches your signature on the card – present both together and that’s it! You must have the national park pass with you, in person, as neither proof of purchase nor a photograph of the America the Beautiful pass will be accepted.
If there are no pay points, sometimes you just leave your pass on the dash of your car if you’re going for a hike, in case a ranger pops around.
Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it?
This depends on how many parks you intend to visit in one year (the duration of the pass). If you are a tourist, roadtripping the American southwest, for example, it would absolutely be worth buying an America the Beautiful Pass.
If you are doing a weekend city break to New York, possibly not!
Here are some examples from our most recent trip, to demonstrate how much money the park pass saved us:
⬩ We visited 15 national parks and 18 national monuments, plus countless national forests and recreation areas (which often incur day-use fees for non-passholders).
⬩ The typical price for a national park is between $20-35 for a 7-day pass, per private vehicle. We visited many of the more popular parks, like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, who charge $35. Our average was around $30 per park.
⬩ This means that with national parks alone, we would have spent $450 on entry fees.
⬩ National monument entry fees vary a little bit more, often between $10-20 and occasionally free. Assume $15 per park entry.
⬩ That makes a total of $270.
So, we would have spent more than $820 on federal park entry fees, instead of just $80 for a pass, saving more than $700.
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America the Beautiful pass: frequently asked questions
Does the national park pass cover camping?
Generally, no, the standard America the Beautiful pass does not cover camping fees within the national parks, forests and monuments.
Many campgrounds are reservable on recreation.gov, or are payable on arrival. The pass does not get you any discounts.
The pass also doesn’t include permits, such as backcountry day-use or overnight trips.
Can international visitors buy a national park pass?
Yes, thankfully anybody can buy an America the Beautiful pass! They cost the same $80, no matter where you are from in the world.
For park entry, the process is the same as for U.S. citizens – just show your pass with some photo identification (with a signature on it). We generally used our UK driving license.
Do I still need a timed-entry permit with the national park pass?
Some popular parks, like Zion, Yosemite and Arches National Parks, use timed-entry permits to reduce crowding and traffic during busy periods. These parks only allow entry to those who have purchased a specific timed entry permit in advance.
These permits are still necessary, even with an America the Beautiful Pass. Check on nps.gov for your relevant park to see if there are any entry restrictions.
Does the America the Beautiful pass provide access to national monuments?
Yes, the America the Beautiful pass covers national monuments. It covers almost any park with the word ‘national’ in it, which includes all monuments.
Who is covered by the national park pass?
Your pass covers a standard passenger vehicle and all occupants. This makes them particularly good value for families and groups. It also covers up to four people where there is a per-person charge.
Under 16s always go free.
Are there veteran and senior discounts?
Yes, there are discounts for seniors and veterans for the America the Beautiful pass.
For seniors (U.S. citizens and Permanent residents, 62+) the annual pass is $20. A lifetime pass is $80.
For veterans, current military, their dependents and Gold Star Families, the national park pass is free.
For more information, check the National Park website.
Other national park pass tips
♦ Sign up to the recreation.gov mailing list (make an account) – they send out national park tips
♦ There are six fee free days – check the National Park Service for dates
♦ Get a free month – if you buy your pass at the beginning of the month, it does not expire until the end of that month the next year
♦ Be very careful with your pass – if it is lost or stolen, it cannot be replaced
♦ If you have a child in fourth grade, you can get a free pass! It’s called the Every Kid Outdoors program and means that the family of any fourth grader gets free access to the parks.
Final Thoughts: America the Beautiful
If you are intending to visit more than two major national parks on your trip, buying an America the Beautiful pass is definitely worth it! By visiting just three parks at $30 dollars a time, you will save money on the very reasonable $80 pass fee.
You don’t even need to go out of the way to buy one – just purchase it on arrival!
Buying a national park pass is one of the first things we do on arrival to the American southwest (it’s extremely helpful in that particular region of the United States). Even if you were visiting a lot of historic parks on the east coast instead, it would likely be useful for that, too.
We hope that answers all your questions, have a great trip!
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