America the Beautiful Pass

The America the Beautiful Pass (also known as the Interagency Pass) series comprises annual or lifetime passes that grant the holder entrance to more than 2,000 federally protected areas including national parks, national monuments, and other protected areas managed by six federal agencies: the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Army Corps of Engineers. ^[1] At per-vehicle fee areas, the pass entitles the holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle to admission. ^[1] At per-person fee areas, the pass entitles the holder and up to three additional adults to admission (children under 16 are always admitted free). ^[1] The pass was created by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and authorized by Congress in December 2004, ^[2] which is Division J, Title VIII of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Public Law 108–447, 118 Stat. 2809, an omnibus appropriations act. ^{[3] [4]} Passes are available at all National Park Service sites that charge entrance fees as well as online through the United States Geological Survey online store. ^[5] The passes have been described as one of the best deals in recreation. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

On November 25, 2025, it was announced that the 2026 America the Beautiful Annual Pass for US residents will feature Donald Trump's official presidential portrait for his second term. ^[10] The law that created the America the Beautiful Pass establishes that the imagery for the pass is to be chosen via an annual competition that is open to the public ^[11] - a process that was not followed for the 2026 design. ^[10] Critics of the new design have further noted the irony of President Trump's portrait appearing on the pass when his Department of Government Efficiency fired approximately 1,000 NPS employees, ^[12] which constituted 5% of NPS's workforce. ^[13]

On December 10, 2025, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit challenging the legality of the selected image. ^{[14] [15]}

Series

• Annual Pass – a 12-month pass available to everyone for $80. Beginning January 1, 2026, international visitors will pay $250 for the same pass. ^[16] Passes are valid through the last day of the month in which it is issued the following year.
• Annual 4th Grade Pass – a free pass under the Every Kid Outdoors program available to U.S. 4th graders (or children 10 years of age) that is valid from September through the following August. While children of this age are generally admitted free already, the pass allows free entry for their parents and others accompanying them.
• Military Pass – Members of the U.S. military and their dependents are eligible for a free 12-month pass (with a separate design that distinguishes it from the Annual Pass). These passes, like the Annual Pass, are valid through the last day of the month in which it is issued the following year, but can be renewed each year indefinitely so long as the holder remains eligible. In December 2021, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 authorized veterans of the U.S. military and Gold Star families to receive a free lifetime pass.
• Senior Pass – a lifetime pass for $80 (or annual pass for $20) available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents aged 62 or older. It replaced the Golden Age Passport that functioned similarly and is still valid for those possessing one.
• Access Pass – a free lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. It replaced the Golden Access Passport that functioned similarly and is still valid for those possessing one.
• Volunteer Pass – a free annual pass for volunteers (including Volunteers-In-Parks) acquiring 250 service hours with participating federal agencies.

The Senior and Access passes additionally provide a 50% discount on some amenity fees such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and specialized interpretive services at some sites. ^[1]

See also

• List of fee areas in the United States National Park System
• List of the United States National Park System official units

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service .

1. "America the Beautiful Passes". nps.gov. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
2. Authorizing Legislation
3. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Public Law 108-447, 118 Stat. 2809 (full text).
4. Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA)
5. "USGS store". USGS.gov. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
6. Elliot, Christopher. "National Parks Pass: The best $80 you'll ever spend". usatoday.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
7. Scott, Douglas. "Seven Reasons Why You Should Buy an America the Beautiful Pass". outdoor-society.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
8. "America the Beautiful Passes". parksandpoints.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
9. Webb, Ted. "5 Benefits of an America The Beautiful Pass". nationalparkwanderlust.com. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
10. Heidt, Amanda (2025-12-04). "Trump's face on national parks pass is illegal, experts say". SFGate . Retrieved 2025-12-06.
11. "16 U.S. Code § 6804 - Recreation passes". Legal Information Institute . Retrieved 2025-12-07.
12. Kile, Meredith (2025-12-02). "Donald Trump's Face Appears on New National Parks Passes After Attacks Toward Public Land". People (magazine) . Retrieved 2025-12-07.
13. Jones, Benji (2025-02-19). "The crisis coming for our national parks, explained in two charts". Vox (website) . Archived from the original on 2025-02-23. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
14. Grumbach, Gary (2025-12-11). "Environmental group sues in bid to get Trump's image removed from new national park passes". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2025-12-11. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
15. "Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief" (PDF). Center for Biological Diversity . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-12-11. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
16. "Department of the Interior Announces Modernized, More Affordable National Park Access - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2025-12-07.