America the Beautiful Senior Pass Only $10.00
By Hazel M. Freeman

America the Beautiful is welcoming senior citizens with open arms. If you’re 62 or over, and a U. S. citizen, or a permanent resident, the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is a super bargain. For just $10.00, pass holders can get in free at most U. S. national parks, forests, refuges, monuments, and recreation areas. And even better yet, the pass is good for a lifetime, and many benefits include your traveling companion(s) as well.

The pass is actually a collaboration of several participating Federal agencies: the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. To the general public the pass costs $80.00 and has to be renewed annually. So you can see what a bargain the Senior Pass is at only $10.00 and good for a lifetime. While the general public pass can be purchased at a park, over the phone, or online, the senior pass can only be purchased in person at a park, or a regional office. Proof of age, such as a driver’s license, is required at the time of purchase. The pass is nontransferable, and if it’s lost you must purchase it again, but at $10.00 it would still be a bargain if you had to buy one every year.

The pass can be used where per vehicle gate fees are charged for non-commercial vehicles. The pass holder and three additional adult passengers can get in with one pass. The Senior Pass is also good for 50% off on many facility fees and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch use, parking and tours. There are some instances where only the cardholder will get the discounted fee.

Here are ten of the most visited National Parks in America
· Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
· Grand Canyon, Arizona.
· Yosemite, California
· Olympic, Washington
· Yellowstone, Wyoming/Montana/ Idaho
· Rocky Mountain, Colorado
· Zion, Utah
· Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio
· Grand Teton, Wyoming
· Acadia, Maine

For former passes such as the Golden Eagle, Golden Age or Golden Access passes, some will be replaced free of charge and some will continue to be honored. You’ll have to contact the Park Service to find out the status of your existing pass. For more information about the National Parks Lifetime Senior pass you can visit http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm, or call 1-888-275-8747 (ASK-USGS)