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Discounts at National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites
Date: January 27, 2006
Author: David Smidt, SeniorDiscounts.com

Visiting these areas can be a great way to vacation without spending lots of money. Many of you may be familiar with these national park discounts, but we thought it would be a good idea to review it once again.

The National Park Service has a variety of different passes available. The first is their Golden Age Passport. This is for those 62 and older and who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States. One of the other passes is the Golden Access Passport. This pass is for United States residents who are blind or permanently disabled. Both are lifetime entrance passes to national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges that charge an entrance fee.

Both the Golden Age Passport and the Golden Access Passport will admit the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle, if a park has a per vehicle entrance fee. Where a per person entrance fee is charged, these passports will admit the pass holder, spouse, and children. Both passes also provide a 50% discount on federal usage fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. In some cases where usage fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50% price reduction.

The Golden Age Passport must be obtained in person at a federal area (National Park, Historic Site, Wildlife Refuge, etc.) where an entrance fee is charged. There is a one-time $10 processing charge to obtain the Golden Age Passport and you must show documentation of your age.

A Golden Access Passport must also be obtained in person at a federal area where an entrance fee is charged. The pass is free, but you must also show proof of a medically determined permanent disability, or eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law.

If you are not yet 62 years of age, you can also obtain a National Parks Pass. This is an annual pass that provides admission to any national park charging an entrance fee. The pass costs $50 and is valid for one full year from its first use in a park.

Like the Golden Age Passport, the National Parks Pass admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle if a park has a per vehicle entrance fee. Where a per person entrance fee is charged, the National Parks Pass admits the pass holder, spouse, children and parents. You can obtain this pass in person at any national park where an entrance fee is charged, on the National Parks web site, through this toll free number: 1-888-GO-PARKS, or through the mail.

This information and more is available at the National Parks web site located at: http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm.

To find National Parks in your area, visit the SeniorDiscounts search page. Click here.

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