What are the perks of a National Parks pass? It’s $80, so it better be worth it, right?

Following up on my previous post, $80 for an annual pass may seem a lot of money, but it is $80 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. Always check with individual sites for details.

Information can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

Most season parks for amusement parks charge a similar amount for each individual through the end of the calendar year. Therefore, $80 for one vehicle and for 12 months from the date of purchase is a steal!

Not all National Parks charges admission, and it is best to check online to view what parks charges and who doesn’t.

I booked a a camping spot, do I still need to pay admission?
Check your reservation, and if it states you require to pay admission, then expect to be charge, which makes the National Parks Pass more valuable.

Where does it allow admission?
Entrance Fees By Park: https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm#CP_JUMP_5865822

Please note the most popular parks cost $35 per vehicle for 7-days. Visiting two parks almost breaks even the cost, and visiting three parks or one park three times will even out the cost.

Arches National Park.
Yosemite National Park – California
Big Bend National Park – Texas
Bryce Canyon National Park – Utah
Crater Lake National Park – Oregon
Lassen Volcanic National Park – California
Mount Rainier National Park – Washington
Muir Woods National Monument
Olympic National Park – Washington
Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado
Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming. Idaho, Montana

Buy a National Parks Pass: (Great Gift)
https://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html

Cost:
$80 per card and $5 process and handling fee

Where does my money go?
Link: https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/fees-at-work.htm

“Fees have become an important source of revenue used to improve the visitor experience, including recreational opportunities, in national parks. All the money from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service, and at least 80 percent stays in the park where it was collected.

Entrance fees for national parks predate the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916. For example, Mount Rainier National Park started charging an entrance fee in 1908. Factoring in inflation, the $5 entrance fee they charged in 1914 would be the equivalent of a $123 entrance fee today—more than four times the price of the new seven-day $30 vehicle pass.”