Time is running out on one of the greatest recreational deals around for seniors and if you’re over 62years old you have until Aug. 27 to take advantage of it.
For several years, an America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Lifetime Senior Pass cost just $10. The senior Pass has been $10 since 1994. Beginning on Aug. 28, the price for the lifetime pass for senior citizens shoots up to $80. The lifetime seniors pass is an incredible deal. And even at $80, I believe it’s still a great deal. But if you don’t have yours yet, you still have time to purchase one for just $10. Why is the lifetime senior pass such a great deal?
The Discovery Center in Big Bear, California sells the Lifetime Senior Pass.
The America the Beautiful Senior Pass is honored nationwide at all Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Fish & Wildlife Service sites charging entrance or standard amenity fees.
It admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private non-commercial vehicle toa site such as a national park.
At per-person fee areas, such as a national park, it admits the pass holder and up to three persons at nocharge. Persons 15 and younger are admitted free of charge.
Additionally, the senior pass holder receives a 50 percent discount on some expanded amenity fees such as campgrounds (does not include hookups for water/sewer/electricity), highly developed boat launches and swimming sites and for specialized interpretive services.
It generally applies to single family campsites, highly developed boat launches or swimming sites, as well as guided tours, movies and seminars (the pass holder only). It does not apply to additional campsites not occupied by pass holder or flat fee for a group campsite, or separate fee for utility hookups.
How do you use it? At staffed sites, you show your pass to the booth attendant. At unstaffed sites, use a hangtag or clear plastic holder to display your pass from the rear-view mirror of your vehicle. Hangtags should be available wherever you purchase a pass. At per-person sites, just present your pass upon request.
To qualify for the senior pass, you must be Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. You must be 62 years of age or older, you must obtain in person and you must show proof of age, which may be a state driver’s license showing birth date, a birth certificate, or similar document.
Currently, a qualifying senior can purchase the Lifetime Senior Pass online. The website can be found at https://yourpassnow.com/ParkPass/park/senior/SeniorPassInfoCollect.
A variety of federal recreation areas offer the senior pass and a comprehensive list of locations can be found at https://store.usgs.gov/sites/default/files/PassIssuanceList.pdf. In the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California, for example, a senior pass can be purchased at the Discovery Center in Big Bear.
The pass can be used at over 2,000 federal recreation sites across the nation, including National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and many National Forest lands. For seniors, especially those on a budget, this is a great deal. For $10, it’s a fantastic deal. If you don’t have one, get yours today.
