National Parks Senior Discounts
State Parks Also Offer Free or Discount Admissions to Older Visitors
Seniors with Golden Age Passports for free entrance to national parks can still use plastic version, but new $10 Senior cards are now in effect; campgrounds discounts too
April 22-29 is National Parks Week, a good reason to point out a change in passes for seniors 62 and older for free entrance to every park -- from the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone to Ellis Island in New York harbor Many state parks also offer seniors discounts, too.
Many senior travelers go around the country with Golden Age Passports that cost them only $10 and allows access to all national parks and monuments under the banner of the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Corps or Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service. Not to worry --if you have the plastic version, it's still valid.
However, the U.S. Department of the Interior has switched to what it calls the Senior Pass as of January 2007. Same price: $10. The point of Senior Passes is that they allow you to enter for free any Federal recreation site that charges an entrance or "standard amenity fee."
The Senior Pass also gives holders a discount on some "Expanded Amenity Fees." like park campgrounds, highly developed boat launches and swimming sites and for specialized interpretive services.
The Senior Pass covers passholders and passengers in their vehicle, with a limit of 4 adults at per-person fee areas. Children under 16 always admitted free.
It's not clear why these passes have a new name. The important thing is, if you don't have a Golden Age Passport, get yourself a Senior Pass at the entrance to the first park you visit. Otherwise, you'll pay $25 at Yellowstone and other popular spots.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the one place that remains free to all without any passes. That was part of the deal the state of Tennessee made when it transferred ownership of the road going into the park to the Feds in 1936.
State Park Discounts
Many state parks also offer some form of senior discount. The majority of senior discounts offered at state parks are for those 62 years of age or older, although some discounts start at age 50 or 55. They for seniors vary from state to state-- sometimes one pass can be used at all of the parks, while others offer a discount on the entrance fee individually.
To find info on specific national parks, go to the official site or simply Google a park name. To find State Parks in your area, try this Web site devoted to them, or use Google to search for a park by its name or the name of the state you are in or plan to visit. That state's official Web site for parks is usually at the top of the resulting Google list.
