Golden Age Passport
Encyclopedia
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
until January 1, 2007. It has been replaced with the Senior Pass of the new pass series now called America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
It is a lifetime entrance pass to United States national parks for those 62 years and older. To obtain this a senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
need only go to any National Park Service facility that charges an entrance fee with the following:
- Proof of age (must be 62 years or older).
- Proof of citizenship (must be citizen or permanent resident of the United States)
- Ten Dollars cash (the one-time processing fee as of January 1, 2008).
Some consider this one of the best travel bargains in the United States.
Conditions
The National Park Service words the Senior Pass on their website as:This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. Valid at Federal recreation entrance or standard amenity fee sites for: pass holder and occupants of single, private, non-commercial vehicle OR one motorcycle; OR pass holder and three persons (16 and older) where per person fees are charged. The pass can only be obtained in person at the park. The Senior Pass provides a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services. In some cases where Expanded Amenity Fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50 percent price reduction. The pass is non-transferable and generally does NOT cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.
Series
There are similar passes within this series:- Annual Pass - a 12-month period pass, $80 as of January 1, 2008, increased from $50 of previous years.
- Access PassAccess PassThe Access Pass is a card provided at no charge by the United States Federal Government to people with a permanent disability. The pass, which works just like the Golden Age Passport, allows the disabled person to enter any United States National Park for free, and to bring up to 3 other people...
- a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. - Volunteer Pass - a pass for volunteers acquiring 500 service hours labor.
The current fees for these should be verified at the National Park Service website which will also provide additional answers to frequently asked questions.
Participating agencies included in the pass series are the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Forest Service), Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
and Bureau of Reclamation. Some Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
sites may honor the Senior Pass and the Access Pass for camping discounts.
See also
- National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
- United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
- United States Bureau of ReclamationUnited States Bureau of ReclamationThe United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
- United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
- Bureau of Land ManagementBureau of Land ManagementThe Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...