Senior national parks pass fee to increase
A $10fee for a lifetime of free entry into the nation’s national parks and public recreation lands is about to increase.
KINGSTON, N.Y. » It’s considered one of the best deals around for senior citizens — $10 for a lifetime of free entry into the nation’s national parks and public recreation lands.
But that’s about to change, the result of Congressional legislation approved last December.
The price of the Senior Pass, the card that gives free entrance to those 62 years and older (as well as three accompanying adults) at all public lands and recreation areas operated by six different federal agencies, is increasing a whopping 700 percent, to $80 for the lifetime pass.
The price increase takes effect on Aug. 28. “The legislation aligns the lifetime senior pass with the regular annual pass,” said Kathy Kupper, a public affairs specialist with the National Park Service.
The National Park Service offers a variety of park passes to encourage people to visit the roughly 2,000 public lands or recreation areas operated by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Board of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
The pass can also give its holders up to 50 percent discounts on other fees, such as camping fees, at some of the sites.
Locally, the pass can be used to obtain free tours of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site, the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion Historic Site in Hyde Park. It provides a discounted entrance fee to the FDR Library and Musuem.
Prior to 1994, the senior passes were free, Kupper said. In 1994, she said, Congress enacted legislation establishing the current $10 annual pass fee.
“Some people make it a ritual on their 62nd birthday to go out and get a park pass,” said Kupper. “We recognize that this is a steep increase.
Hopefully, they’ll see $80 as still being a great value.”
Kupper said that because the agency recognized the price hike for the senior pass “is a steep one,” the agency will also offer an annual senior pass for $20 a year. She said the agency will allow seniors to accumulate four annual passes and trade them in for a lifetime pass “so it’s almost an installment payment.”
In addition to the Senior Pass, the agency offers an annual pass available to everyone for $80 a year, as well as free annual passes to those in the military and in the fourth grade, and free lifetime passes to the disabled and to people who volunteer more than 250 hours annually for anyone of the participating agencies.
There will be no change in the cost of the annual pass or to any of the free passes that are offered.
Of the 417 national parks, 118 have entrance fees ranging from $10 and $30 per vehicle.
Kupper said already issued senior passes will continue to be recognized and accepted at all participating agency lands.
Senior passes can be purchased for the current $10 lifetime fee through Aug. 27 at any of the National Park Service locations that charge an entrance fee, Kupper said. They can also purchased online, however, there is an additional $10 processing fee and a backlog in filling orders, Kupper added.
Money raised through the passes and entrance fees stay within the agency and are used to help enhance visitor services and public programs, Kupper said.