If you’re young or still physically able to travel and enjoy the great sights and scenes the U.S. is blessed to offer, I want to tell you about something that will make these places available at no cost. This item is the Senior Lifetime National Parks Pass. It is sold by the National Park Service and officially called “The America the Beautiful Senior Pass.” The only requirements to own the pass are that you be at least 62 years old, a U.S. citizen, or permanent resident, and pay the one time fee of $80. The pass is good for life; you never pay another dime.
The pass covers entry fees for the holder, and occupants of the car in which the holder is traveling, for all National Parks, National Forests, federal recreation sites, wildlife refuges, and any memorial or monument managed by the National Park Service. We bought ours many years ago, well before we moved to Arizona, at the Walnut Canyon National Monument east of Flagstaff, AZ. The price was $20 at the time. It has since gone up to $80 and is still a bargain. If you use it for a carload of people once or twice it has paid for itself.
The pass can be purchased at any National Park store, headquarters, online, or by mail. It is not transferable so only the holder can use it, and ID must be shown when it is used. But the pass holder and any occupants of their vehicle are entitled to free park/monument entry. When you live in Arizona, friends and family visit often. The Grand Canyon is the number one destination for AZ visitors so having the Senior Parks Pass and using it for guests to accompany us to the canyon is a deal for you and them. We have been to The Canyon 11 times. Nine of those trips were free for us and guests because of the Parks Pass.
The pass is also good for entry into historic places such as Gettysburg and Yorktown National Memorial sites, and since the NPS manages them, I suspect the Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, et al monuments in Washington, DC are included as well. If you love American history (who doesn’t?), the America the Beautiful Senior Pass is a must buy for you.
