Since it is travel season I thought I would take a few minutes to post about federal passes to help you save some money and maybe give you a few tips to stretch your fee money. There is a lot of BS info on BS websites out there and you need to have the correct information.

The passes are good at all federal lands that charge entry fees and cover admission for a group of the passholder and up to three adults 16 & over. They are non-transferrable and ID is required. If you let someone else try to use your pass it will be confiscated.

The passes are a great way to save money, especially for families and/or if you plan to visit multiple federal areas. The entry fee at Badlands was $30 a car for 10 days, and some parks are $50 or maybe more. An annual America the Beautiful Pass is $80; if you plan to visit two or more parks it will save you a LOT of money. And, the Senior and Access passes get you a 50% discount on things like boat ramp access and camping! It is smart money to buy an annual pass. Some people will buy a park pass for one park, say Rocky Mountain National Park. Those are around $50, so for just $30 more you can use it for ANY federal land nationwide for a year!

There are a few different federal passes, and they are for different groups of people – Regular, Senior, Military, Access. The pass names and what is covered have changed a little over the years (I have been buying them a long time) so it is always good to check only official federal information like this website for the latest pricing and amenities.

Another website to check is about Every Kid Outdoors. This is for 4th-graders and gives every 4th-grader a free pass that the whole family can use but the 4th-grader must be present to use it! When I worked with US Fish & Wildlife and US Forest Service I had many 4th-grade families show up with a printout of the form to use to get entry. THIS is NOT the pass and this form has to be turned in to get the actual pass. You MUST use the actual pass so plan accordingly or you might get ticketed.

Tips

I never buy a pass until I need it. Why have it sit in the drawer for months if you are not going to use it right away? It is good for a year so get your money’s worth and make it last longer! I always wait until I get to the first federal land where I can use a pass and then I buy it.

I usually buy them ONLY at a US Forest Service ranger station, US Fish & Wildlife Refuge or National Park, and I try to buy them at a smaller, more remote park, refuge or ranger station if possible. Why? Because most, or all, of the money stays local where you buy it. If you buy them at a retail outlet the money goes straight into the General Fund so if you frequent a place often why not support that place you love by buying at a local federal office? And, while there, you can ask questions, get maps, and look at the stay limits, pet rules and such.

Another tip is buy your pass as early in the month that you can – preferably the first few days of the month. The passes are valid for 12 months so if you buy it early you get an extra month for free!

Different US Forest Service regions handle things differently so be sure you check posted notices. Some regions have a $5 permit they charge at trailheads. I never saw this (and I spent a lot of time in Colorado USFS lands) until I got to Washington State and worked in the forest there. If you are from an area in another part of the country that has no fees be sure to check; I had a visitor from Montana say they didn’t have that in Montana and I told them in Colorado we didn’t have it but Washington, Oregon, and parts of California do. The permit fee covers amenities at the trailheads and is a required fee unless you have one of the passes; you leave it visible hanging in a hangtag or on the dashboard, but the expiration date MUST BE VISIBLE.

If you have questions feel free to send me a message and I will respond. I have sold and checked many America the Beautiful Passes so I hope this information has been helpful for you since I worked with the passes, but while researching this information I saw a few changes. I made sure I got up to date on my pass, so be sure to check the regulations wherever you go and be safe and compliant while enjoying nature.

Happy Trails!

Shawn