America the Beautiful National Parks Pass
Did you know that the United States is home to 59 National Parks and 117 National Monuments? There is so much natural beauty in the US just waiting to be explored. Three years ago we set out on our first family roadtrip to one of the top national parks in the country, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. While there we purchased the standard 7-day pass for the park, but quickly upgraded to the America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass when we realized what a great deal it was.
National Park entrance fees will run you about $30 per car for a 7-day pass for one park. This is an amazing deal when you consider the costs for a family of five to go to Disneyland for just four days is around $360. If you live nearby and plan to visit often, you can purchase an annual pass for a specific park for just $50, but the best deal of them all is the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass for $80. With this pass you have access to ALL the national parks, national wildlife refuges, national historic sites and national monuments for an entire year! This annual pass also includes up to four adults at sites that charge per person and children under 15 are always admitted for free. For example, one day last year I took two friends and their boys (for a total of 3 adults and three 11 year olds) to nearby Fort Vancouver using my national parks pass and all 6 of us were admitted for free!
The first year we really strived to get the most of our national parks pass, so not only did we use it to get into Yellowstone for a week, but we also stopped by Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon and EBR-1 on the drive home. The last two were places that weren’t even on our radar, but thanks to the listings in our National Parks Passport, we worked our return trip home so that we could get a few additional cancelation stamps in our passports! Over the Christmas break we drove down to California and experienced Joshua Tree National Park. All in all, we used our pass to get into 5 different national parks and landmarks.
The following year we set out for even more road tripping adventures at Lassen National Volcanic Monument, Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon (North Rim), Canyonlands, Red Rock Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Lake Mead, Fort Clatsop and Fort Vancouver! With so many beautiful places to see on our roadtrip through Utah and the desert southwest, we were able to check off 11 different national parks and landmarks by the time our annual pass expired. I’d say we got our $80 worth and then some!
This year on our way to Crater Lake we purchased another annual parks pass. We used it at Crater Lake and the Newberry Crater National Volcanic Monument while in Central Oregon and we have plans to see Mount Rainier, the south rim of the Grand Canyon and possibly Death Valley by the year’s end.
We love having an excuse to explore our National Parks. Here is my list of 10 Reasons to get a National Parks Pass.
You may qualify for a FREE pass if any of the following apply:
If you are interested in purchasing your America the Beautiful Annual Pass, you can order them online HERE, or pick up in person at any of the National Parks and Federal Recreation areas listed HERE.
Related posts:
10 Reasons to get a National Parks Pass
Family Adventures with our National Parks Passport
Price for the National Parks Senior Pass will Increase next Month
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One Day in Rocky Mountain National Park
Surviving Timeshare Presentations in Los Cabos
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Top 10 Things to Bring on a SW Desert Road Trip
