NPS Lifetime Senior Pass, Another Reminder

Above, a natural bridge or arch at Bryce Canyon National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The National Park Service lifetime senior pass is currently at $10.00, but that will change in the not too distant future, according to the Williams-Grand Canyon News.

The price hike to $80.00 (still a "steal") will likely come by the end of the year, according to the headline. Three national parks visits to parks that charge $30.00 for 7-days per carload will more than pay for the pass once the price hike is in place.

According to the Williams-Grand Canyon News:

Up until now, older Americans have been able to access more than 84 million acres of federal land protected by the National Park Service (NPS) for only $10, but that will soon be changing. 

The lifetime Interagency Senior Pass, previously known as the Golden Age Passport, will be eight times more expensive soon — costing $80 for Americans who are older than 62. And while the federal governiment is uncertain when the price surge will take effect, the beginning of summer is a good opportunity to remind older Americans to purchase their passes before the price goes up. 

The NPS system includes 417 areas covering land in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. 

The agency offers a variety of passes for Americans to enter the 137 sites that charge for admission. Smaller parks have lower entrance fees, but larger parks, such as the Grand Canyon, charge $30 a carload for a seven-day pass.

The lifetime senior pass can be ordered online (Google it), but an additional processing fee of $10.00 is tacked onto the price.

To read more, go here.