National Park Passport Program
Dateline: 09/13/98
One of the e-mail requests that I get quite regularly is to explain the different types of entrance passes that are available to visit our national parks. Are there discounts available for seniors? Are the annual passes transferable? And so on. I will try to shed some light on these issues and to discuss some of the new fees that have been imposed in recent years.
Background
The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 was established so that visitors who use federal facilities and services for outdoor recreation may be required to pay a greater share of the cost of providing those opportunities than the population as a whole. Under the established guidelines, the National Park Service collects recreation fees of the appropriate type for its parks, facilities, and programs. The government has established the Federal Recreation Passport Program including the Golden Eagle, Golden Age and Golden Access Passports that when obtained allow the public to enter fee areas without additional charge.
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Introduction of the Fee Demonstration Program
In recent years, as the popularity of national parks has continued to rise and the number of visitors has continued to climb, government funding available for necessities such as road and building repairs, campground maintenance, visitor protection, and other services has not kept pace with demand. In 1996, to address an estimated $11 billion backlog of maintenance and repair projects, Congress directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to implement the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program in three of its agencies--the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under this program, parks keep 80% of all fees collected; the remaining 20% is to be deposited in a special account to be used in parks where fees are not collected.
The new fees, which are charged at 100 of NPS's 376 locations, generated $55 million in 1997 and are expected to generate close to $132 million more in 1998. These fees include a doubling in the price of the annual Golden Eagle Passport from $25 to $50, as well increases in car entrance fees and campsite fees. According to NPS, an overwhelming majority of national park visitors support the increase in fees through this trial program, with 83% of them saying they were either satisfied with the fees they paid or thought the charges were too low. Since the fee program was implemented, charges don't seem to have affected the number of national park visitors, but park officials plan to keep an eye on the numbers.
At the end of the demonstration program in 1999, each of the agencies will be responsible for providing Congress with a report that evaluates the fees and includes recommendations for further legislation on recreational fees.
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National Park Passports
The National Park Service features four congressionally authorized entrance fee passes, including the Golden Eagle Passport; the Golden Age Passport, the Golden Access Passport, and park-specific passes. Each is described in detail below. You can apply for any of the passes at any National Park Service (NPS) area that charges an entrance fee. You may want to call ahead to make sure the park has the pass available. The entrance passports are non-transferable; they belong to the person who signs it.
Golden Eagle Passport
This is an annual entrance pass to those national parks,
monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife
refuges that charge an entrance fee. It admits the passholder
and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. If entry
to the park is not by private vehicle, the passport admits the
pass holder, spouse, children, and parents. The Golden Eagle Passport
costs $50 and is valid for one year from date of purchase. Not
all NPS areas sell the Golden Eagle Passport; it is only available
at NPS facilities that charge an entrance fee. It also may be
purchased by mail by sending a $50 check or money order to:
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Room 138
Washington, DC 20242
Attention: Golden Eagle Passport
The Passport is valid for entrance fees only. It does not cover
or reduce use fees, such as fees for camping, swimming, parking,
boat launching, or cave tours.
Golden Age Passport
This is a lifetime entrance pass for people 62 years
or older, and has a one time processing charge of $10. You must
purchase a Golden Age Passport in person (it is not available
by mail or telephone), which can be done at any National Park
Service facility that charges an entrance fee. At time of purchase
you must show proof of age (62 years or older) and be a citizen
or permanent resident of the US. The Golden Age Passport admits
the passholder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle.
Where entry is not by private vehicle, the passport admits the
pass holder, spouse, children, and parents. The passport also
provides a 50% discount on federal use fees charged for facilities
and services such as fees for camping, swimming, parking, boat
launching, or cave tours. It does not cover or reduce special
recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.
Golden Access Passport
This is a free lifetime entrance pass available to citizens
or permanent residents of the US, regardless of age, who have
been determined to be blind or permanently disabled. It is free
of charge, but must be obtained in person at any NPS entrance
fee area by showing proof of medically determined permanent disability
or eligibility for receiving federal benefits under federal law.
The passport admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers
in a private vehicle. Where entry is not by private vehicle, the
passport admits the pass holder, spouse, children, and parents.
The passport also provides a 50% discount on federal use fees
charged for facilities and services such as fees for camping,
swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. It does not
cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged
by concessionaires.
Area-Specific Pass
This is an entrance pass to a specific park, monument,
historic site, wildlife refuge, or other recreation unit in the
NPS system or wildlife refuge system that charge an entrance fee.
The pass is good for a 12-month period that begins with the date
of purchase and ends on the last day of the purchase month one
year later. The pass admits the bearer and any accompanying passengers
in a private vehicle. Where entry is not by private vehicle, the
passport admits the pass holder, spouse, children, and parents.
The area-specific pass is valid for entrance fees only and permits
unlimited entries only to the specific unit in which it is purchased.
The cost of the pass varies by unit, and it may be obtained in
person from the NPS or US Fish & Wildlife Service unit where
it will be used.
Those who plan visits to a number of federal areas that charge an entrance fee may be better off purchasing the Golden Eagle Passport rather than purchasing park-specific passes or paying individual entrance fees.
