The American the Beautiful National Parks Pass is For Single User only Starting in 2024
The National Park Service is changing the rules for the popular “America The Beautiful” pass. There will only be one signature line for a single passholder starting in 2024, meaning you won’t be able to share the pass. This is part of an effort to “ensure consistency, prevent fraud and reduce revenue loss,” an NPS spokesperson told Fronterasdesk.org.
Our Take
Ultimately we believe this new rule change will not effect many. The National Park Pass has in recent history had two signature lines on the card for family members, allowing for example a Husband and Wife to share a card or maybe a Dad shares with his son. The intent was to allow family members who lived together to share a card if they had the opportunity to enjoy the park without the other pass holder. I am certain that the two signature line added plenty of opportunity for fraud over the years and allowed some to take advantage of the system. I wonder however if the parks system has any data to back that assumption up. They claim it is a way of reducing revenue loss, so how many people are using other peoples cards?
Personally I have my Son on my card, he has never used it, but he was the most likely to use it without me if given an opportunity.
The pass covers entrance fees at lands managed by the NPS and US Fish and Wildlife Service along with day use fees at lands under the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers.
Next year, the pass will be good for “the pass owner and all occupants in a personal vehicle at sites that charge per vehicle or, the pass owner and up to three additional adults (16 and over) at sites that charge per person. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free,” according to the NPS.
Those passes are also non-transferable and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. And remember, you have to show photo ID with each pass.
America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series
A pass is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees (day use fees) at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A pass covers entrance, standard amenity fees and day use fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or up to four adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 or under are admitted free.
4th Grade Pass
Cost: Free pass valid for the duration of the 4th grader’s school year though the following summer (September-August)
Available for: US 4th graders, including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age, with a valid Every Kid Outdoors paper pass
How to obtain:
- Step 1: Obtain a paper pass by visiting the Every Kid Outdoors website and following the instructions.
- Step 2: Exchange for the Annual 4th Grade Pass at federal recreation sites that charge entrance or standard mmenity fees (day use fee). Find a location to pick up this pass at a federal recreation site.
- NOTE: Digital versions of the paper pass, such as on smart phones or tablets, will not be accepted to exchange for an Annual Fourth Grade Pass.
Additional Information:
- Find detailed information about this pass on the Every Kid Outdoors website and the USGS Store’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
- Educators can also be involved! Learn more at the Every Kid Outdoors website.
