NPS Lifetime Senior Pass Going from $10 to $80

[Requiem]

The National Park Service will raise the cost of the Lifetime Senior Pass from $10 to $80 on August 28. Must be 62 to qualify.

On August 28, 2017, the price of the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass increased for the first time since 1994. The additional revenue will be used to enhance the visitor experience in parks.

Why is the price of the Senior Pass increasing?
The price of the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass is increasing as result of the Centennial Legislation P.L. 114-289 passed by the US Congress on December 16, 2016.


Who is eligible for a Senior Pass?
US citizens or permanent residents 62 years or older are eligible for the Senior Pass.

What does the Senior Pass provide?
Annual and lifetime Senior Passes provide access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by six federal agencies:


National Park Service
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
US Forest Service
US Army Corps of Engineers


The passes cover entrance and standard amenity (day-use) recreation fees and provide discounts on some expanded amenity recreation fees.


NPS Link (https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/senior-pass-changes.htm)

[Edited to add: Must apply in person at a national park for the $10 rate. Online and mail applications are $20 due to a "processing" fee. Still, a nice deal if you frequent (or even infrequent) any of our National Parks or other national lands.]

S.

[JJ_BPK]

I applied July 13,, Just yesterday I received a note from USGS saying I should receive the pass by the end of the month..

Business as usual in the swamp.. :mad:

[PedOncoDoc]

My parents got these last year and fly in to SLC to visit with us before taking trips to the parks (Yellowstone and several large parks in Utah are within a 4-6 hour drive from here). My father's many years of working 12+ hour days 7 days/wk with living modestly have afforded them to enjoy retirement.

[PSM]

Online and mail applications are $20 due to a "processing" fee.

S.

The fee includes having your name printed on the card. I got one several years ago. The only time we've used it, so far, was to cut through Zion NP as a short cut to the I-15 from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Pat

[PSM]

Love this. You have to pay to use public proprty that you are already taxed to keep up.

It's a way to limit, economically, access. We just got back from spending 1 week camping in the Pole Mountain area on FS land for free. We camp for free a lot on BLM and FS land, as do many homeless people. Imaging how many homeless would be living in Yosemite or Yellowstone if there wasn't an entry fee. One reason I haven't actually used my card to visit the parks is that they are so crowded. We camp to get away from people.

Pat

From camp site last week:

[JJ_BPK]

From camp site last week:

Pat
Is that a 1000Y target out between the two conifers?? :lifter

[Ret10Echo]

It's a way to limit access. :

Track budgets.... Reductions in NPS budgets and reductions in staff are continuing all the while the number of visitors to parks is on the increase.

Yup, something has to give.
If you look around the interwebs you'll see a lot of "Friends of (Insert park name here)". Volunteers and private organizations are becoming more and more essential to keep parks operating.

R10

[PSM]

Track budgets.... Reductions in NPS budgets and reductions in staff are continuing all the while the number of visitors to parks is on the increase.

Yup, something has to give.
If you look around the interwebs you'll see a lot of "Friends of (Insert park name here)". Volunteers and private organizations are becoming more and more essential to keep parks operating.

R10

I edited my post to define what was being limited. Thanks.

Pat