T + L: Ultimate Guide To Senior National Park Pass

Above, rock formations in Arches National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Baby boomers are now in retirement age. The recognized generation of baby boomers are those born from 1946 to 1964. This means US citizens or residents 62 years or older are eligible for a Senior Pass to U.S. National Parks.

According to Travel + Leisure:

Senior Passes are honored at sites managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Park Service. 

I bought mine when I turned 62 in 2016 for the then-fee of $10.00. Senior Passes now cost $80.00, which is still a bargain considering they are good for a lifetime and if used.

The Senior Pass is only good for entering the parks. They are not good for camping.

Travel + Leisure posted their "ultimate" guide to the Senior National Park Pass.

They begin it with:

With jaw-dropping natural beauty, national parks are the crowning jewel of the United States' landscape—and an important part of American history and culture. President Ulysses S. Grant founded the country's first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872, while President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service (NPS) into existence in 1916.

Now, more than 100 years on, people flock from across the U.S. and the globe to see the natural wonders within the most popular of the 433 parks. NPS has created a variety of passes, both annual and lifetime, to encourage Americans to visit national parks, monuments, and federal recreational lands. But it's the national park pass for seniors that allows unhindered access. Here are some key details on the Senior Pass.

Above, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I last used my Senior Pass at Arches National Park in Utah and Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana last summer.  

To read more, go here.