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62 or older driver? Taking a Road Trip to drive into a National Park or Recreational Land?

General Discussion
#1

Senior Lifetime Passes are available. The passes have been available to seniors for only $10, since 1994. Beginning August 28, 2017 the lifetime Senior Pass will increase from $10 to $80.

A pass is your ticket to more than 2000 Federal Recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges

•For U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over.

•A pass covers entrance and standard amenity fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or up to 4 adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 and under are admitted free.

•May provide a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services.

Demand has been brisk. I bought mine today at a U.S. Forest Service Office. If you are interested, here’s a link…
https://www.recreation.gov/marketing.do?goto=acm/faqs/America_the_Beautiful___The_National_Parks_and_Federal_Recreational_Lands_Pass_Series.htm
CSA

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#2

I concur with @common_sense_answer advice. We just returned from a trip where we visited the Chesapeake and Ohio National Park and then went on to Harper’s Ferry. The attendant at the gate sold me a senior citizen’s pass at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National park. It paid for itself a couple of hours later at Harper’s Ferry.

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#3

I ordered mine, Thank You for the info :grinning:

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#4

47The MAY part can get you. May provide a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services.
Went to Alexander Springs in Florida. My GF, her 9 yo son and myself. Still charged $15.00 with the pass.
But still better than full price.

#5

I picked up my pass today at a U.S. Forest Service Office at a National Forest campground (went right inside a large, beautiful building in a wilderness forest area) and was informed that camping, with the pass, would be discounted 50 percent. I believe it was $9, rather than $18 per night.

So, I guess it depends on where and what. However that’s the expanded amenities. It’s nice to have the admission fees waived for up 4 people in a vehicle, forever.

There are a couple thousand places one can use the pass. Bottom line: It wouldn’t take one long to recover that 10 bucks!

I called before I drove a distance to purchased the pass, so before I went, I called to get their hours of operation and to make sure they had the passes. I would advise doing that.
CSA

#6

Good tip. Sincere thanks.

#7

“It’s All Yours.”
Here’s an interesting link to a US. Forest Service website that allows people to search and find destinations and activities.
https://www.fs.fed.us/visit/destinations
CSA

#8

We discussed this topic here a month or so ago in another thread. At that time the last day to buy a Senior Lifetime Pass for the $10 rate was thought to be July 31, so I bought mine earlier in July. The NPS officer who sold the pass to me explained that Senior Lifetime passes been selling like hotcakes and the park service extended the deadline past July 31. August 28th now apparently.

#9

Good tip!

Also, if you’re active military you get a $10 pass. And if you have a permanent disability you get a lifetime pass for $10.

#10

Having driven over 350,000 miles since I retired in 1997, I am past the desire to visit US national parks, or anywhere else for that matter. After so much driving, it now brings new meaning to the word ennui.

However if I did have that desire, I don’t think the new $80 fee is intolerable. Though of course the $10 is even better if you can get it.

#11

They are Really, Really popular. Call ahead if there is a national panel near you to make sure they have passes. I drove to my local national park a couple of weeks ago and they were out! I left my phone number, and they called later in the week. I went the day after the call, about an hour after the park opened. They had already sold 300 of the 1000 they just received. I got mine!

Unfortunately, I had to get home. Mrs JT was going out as soon as I got there. We had workers cleaning a carpet damaged during a rain storm (leaky roof). It was fixin to rain anyway. A fitting day to visit Fort McHenry. It rained the night the British navy visited and went home empty handed. If you are ever near Charm City, drop by Fort McHenry or see where the United States was saved. Hey, it’s free now that you have your senior pass.

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#12

We are truly addicted to our government “freebies”…

;-]

#13

It’s not free, it costs ten bucks!

Besides, I earned it. I’ve paid a lot in taxes over the past 45 years. Just because you haven’t doesn’t change anything.

#14

Rationalization at its best…

;-]

#15

I got confirmation of order, must be like a 6 o 8 week process?

#16

I think I read somewhere on the nps website you can use your confirmation order as your pass while waiting for the actual pass. If you want to do a visit before you get your pass in the mail that is. This is a work-a-round to compensate for the long processing delay caused by the unexpected demand.

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#17

Everyone from the minimum wage worker to the billionaire CEO likes discounts. One reason discounts are provided is that they can increase business activity. For example when I drove to San Francisco to buy my pass last month, I spent $175 at the local businesses while there, restaurants, gifts, made a donation to a SF animal support group, etc all benefitted.

#18

Thanks for the heads up on this! I just turned the requisite age 62 a few weeks ago. Went yesterday to a National Monument less than ten miles from my home and got my lifetime pass for the $10.

Time flies; in the summers of 1990 and 1991, I took my mom on driving trips throughout the western states. We used her then free Golden Age pass in some two dozen national parks and monuments. Put 13k and 15k+ miles on my '87 Olds those two summers. Great fun.

#19

I’ve had the Senior Pass now for seven years, and it’s the best $10 I’ve ever spent on camping. I highly recommend it for those who are eligible. (Even at $80, it’s a bargain if you camp a lot on Forestry Service land. For $10, it’s an absolute steal.)

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