America the Beautiful Pass 2024 – How It Works, Cost & Parks

by Petr Novák, ? The accuracy of the information provided in this article was last verified on this date. If you spot any errors, please let us know in the comments. Thank you. :-) Updated 05/21/2024 How to Save $$$, National Parks

If you’re planning to travel to several national parks in the US over the course of 12 months, I have a great tip that will save you tens of dollars on entrance fees. The America the Beautiful – Annual Pass is a one-year permanent pass to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges and recreation areas. You pay for it once $80, and then you can visit as many places as you want without paying again.

1. Table of Contents

   1. How America the Beautiful Pass Works
   2. Where Can I Use America the Beautiful Pass?
   3. America the Beautiful Pass Price 2024
   4. Buy/Sell America The Beautiful Pass
   5. Frequently Asked Questions

   How America the Beautiful Pass Works

   The America the Beautiful Annual Pass is essentially a season pass that allows unlimited visits to parks and other venues. The pass is valid for 12 months from the month in which you purchased the pass.

   The entire car crew can travel on one pass. If the park charges per person (and not per car), three other people aged 16 or older can use the pass along with the owner. Younger persons are admitted free of charge. In practice, the three-person limit is often disregarded and the entire car crew can enter the park on the pass.

   In addition to the pass, a passport or driver’s license is required to enter the park.

   When you buy an America the Beatiful Pass, you get a plastic card – the pass, an information booklet and a car tag (hangtag). This is used for identification and should be placed in a visible place behind the front window. There is a box on the card in which the holder’s name is written in marker. As of 1 January 2024, there is space for one signature on the card, and by the end of 2023, two signatures will fit on the card.

   The America the Beautiful Annual Pass only covers entries to national parks. There is a separate fee for parking, camping, reserving entry times or renting boats.

2. 

   Where Can I Use America the Beautiful Pass?

   The annual pass is valid in national parks (also shown on the map above) and more than 2,000 national forests, wildlife refuges, rainforests, or desert and recreation areas. National equals federal. America The Beautiful does not apply in state-established parks (e.g., Hearst Castle or Niagara Falls State Park).

   Of course, with the America the Beautiful Pass, you can visit national parks such as Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite or Death Valley. If you’re planning to visit three or four national parks, America the Beautiful is well worth the price of the pass, as it will cost less than the sum of the admission prices.

   Visit the official Recreation.gov website for a list of all the places you can use the Annual Pass.

3. America the Beautiful Pass Price 2024

   The prie of America the Beautiful – Annual Pass in 2024 is $80.

   Annual passes for seniors aged 62 and older are also available, but these can only be purchased by Americans and permanent residents.

   If you are already in the US or Canada, you can buy a pass online. Ordering outside of these two countries is so complicated that it is worth buying your pass locally. They sell it at the information center of each national park, where you can usually pay by credit card.

   • Details can be found on the official website

4. Buy/Sell America The Beautiful Pass

   There was room for two names on the America the Beautiful plastic card purchased by the end of 2023. Some people bought a new pass, used it, and then sold it. It was against the rules and the National Park Service lost money, but visitors got away with it.

   As of 2024, there is only room for one signature on the card. This measure was apparently intended to prevent the trading of the America the Beautiful Pass.

   In the discussion below this article, there are offers to sell or buy the card. I tolerate comments here. If you want to post an ad for, say, an unused Annual the Beautiful Pass, be sure to include contact information. If you want to delete the ad after a successful trade, just post a comment with the same email address.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

   Is America the Beautiful Annual Pass Worth Buying?

   If you are planning to visit at least 3-4 US National Parks, National Monument Forests or other included sites in 12 consecutive months, it’s probably worth it.

   The exact amount of savings depends on what places you visit. Some national parks don’t charge at all, while others have relatively high entrance fees.

   Where Can I Buy an America the Beautiful Pass?

   You can buy an America the Beautiful Pass at a visitor center in any national park, and you can usually use a credit card to pay. Buying it when you visit your first park is the best solution, it takes a few minutes and you don’t have to make any arrangements in advance.

   Can I Visit the Same National Park More Than Once?

   Yes. Unlike The New York Pass, for example, America the Beautiful allows repeat visits to all parks without any restrictions. I recommend checking the current park hours before each visit, as some places may be closed over the winter, for example.

   How Do I Show My Card in Places Where There Is No Entrance Gate?

   For this purpose, a tag is included in the order and is hung behind the rear view mirror inside the car. The America the Beautiful card must be inserted into the tag so that the holder’s signature is visible on the outside. The tag itself is invalid without the pass inserted.

   What Is the Exact Validity of the America the Beautiful Annual Pass?

   The pass is valid for 12 months, starting from the time of purchase and ending on the last day of the same month in the following year. For example, if you purchase your pass on May 21, 2024, it will expire on May 31, 2025.