America The Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass
You can obtain an Access Pass in person, with proper documentation, from a participating Federal recreation site or office. See Site Locations that issue the Access Pass.
Access Passes may also be obtained via mail order from USGS. Mail-order applicants for the Access Pass must submit a completed application, proof of residency and documentation of permanent disability, and pay the document processing fee of $10 to obtain a pass through the mail. Once the application package is received, the documentation will be verified and a pass, with the pass owner's name pre-printed on it, will be issued to the applicant. Documentation of permanent disability will also be returned to the applicant.
A free, lifetime pass - available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability - that provides access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by five Federal agencies.
At many sites the Access Pass provides the pass owner a discount on Expanded Amenity Fees (such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and guided tours).
See Access Pass Benefits section.
The Access Pass may be issued to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of any age that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability that severely limits one or more major life activities.
A permanent disability is a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.
The disability requirements for the Access Pass are not based on percentage of disability. To qualify for the Pass the disability must be permanent and limit one or more major life activities.
Some examples of acceptable documentation include:
Golden Age Passports are valid for a lifetime however, if they physically wear out you will need to obtain a replacement Access Pass with proper identification.
Yes. There is not an age requirement for this pass.
Please contact a site directly if you have a question about pass acceptance and fees.
The Forest Service, the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation honor the Access Pass at sites where Entrance or Standard Amenity Fees are charged.
In addition, the Corps of Engineers and Tennessee Valley Authority may honor the Access Pass for entrance or camping discounts.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) was not included in the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (REA), which gave agencies the authority to create the America the Beautiful - the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Although the Corps will not sell or issue the passes, the Corps will accept the Access Passes or Golden Access Passports as proof of eligibility for disability-related discounts. More information may be found at: http://www.CorpsLakes.us/fees.
The Access Pass admits pass owner/s and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas and pass owner + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, where per-person fees are charged. (Children under 16 are always admitted free.)
Note: Photo identification will be requested to verify pass ownership.
No. Only the vehicle with the pass owner is covered. The second vehicle is subject to an entrance fee, or must have (or buy) a second pass.
An Access Pass permits entrance for one motorcycle.
You will be required to pay the applicable Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee(s).
At Federal recreation sites that don't have entrance stations you need to display your pass or show proof of pass ownership to compliance officers via one of the two following methods:
HANGTAGS
A pass can either be displayed on your rearview mirror using a free hangtag or on your dashboard with the signature side showing. Remember, the hangtag itself is only a way to display your Pass, and is not valid for entry unless it holds a valid Pass.
DECALS
If you own an open-topped vehicle (jeep, motorcycle, etc.) you may obtain a free decal to attach to your vehicle that will serve as proof of payment at sites that don't have a staffed entrance station.
No. The Access Pass is valid only at participating Federal recreation sites. Visit http://www.recreation.gov for information about Federal recreation sites.
Please contact a site directly if you have a question about pass acceptance and fees.
At many sites the Access Pass provides the pass owner a discount on Expanded Amenity Fees (such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and guided tours).
The pass program is managed by five Federal agencies that operate under different regulations and have different fees. Therefore, the discount program for the Access Pass is not handled in the same way on all Federal recreation lands.
In general discounts are honored as follows:
No. The Access Pass does not cover discounts in on-site bookstores or gift stores.