If you’re planning to visit several national parks in the USA within 12 months, I have a great tip that will save you dozens of dollars on entrance fees. The America the Beautiful – Annual Pass is an annual pass for over 2,000 national parks, nature reserves, and recreation areas. The price for 2025 is set at $80, and you only pay it once. After that, you can visit as many sites as you like without paying additional fees.
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Table of Contents
How the America the Beautiful Pass Works
The America the Beautiful Annual Pass is essentially a pass that allows unlimited visits to parks and other sites. The pass is valid for 12 months from the month you purchase it.
A single pass can be used by everyone in the car. If the park charges an entrance fee per person (not per vehicle), up to three people aged 16 or older can use the pass along with the owner. Younger visitors enter for free. In practice, the three-person limit is often overlooked, and the entire car crew can enter the park with the pass.
When entering the park, you must show the pass along with your passport or driver’s license.
When you purchase the America the Beautiful Pass, you will receive a plastic card (the pass), an informational brochure, and a hangtag for your car. The hangtag serves as identification and must be placed in a visible spot behind the front window. The card has a field where the holder’s name is written with a marker. Starting January 1, 2024, there will be space for a single signature, whereas until the end of 2023, the card allowed two signatures.
The America the Beautiful Annual Pass covers only entry fees to national parks. Separate fees apply for parking, camping, entry time reservations, or boat rentals.
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Where the America the Beautiful Annual Pass is Accepted
The annual pass is valid at national parks (also shown on the map above), as well as in more than 2,000 national forests, nature reserves, rainforests, or desert and recreation areas. National parks are federal, so the America the Beautiful pass does not apply to state-run parks (e.g., Hearst Castle or Niagara Falls State Park).
With the America the Beautiful Pass, you can visit iconic national parks such as Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, or Death Valley. If you’re planning to visit three to four national parks, the America the Beautiful Pass will save you money since its price will be lower than the combined entrance fees.
You can find a list of all participating locations on the official Recreation.gov website.
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America the Beautiful Pass Price 2025
In 2025, the America the Beautiful – Annual Pass is sold for $80.
There are also annual passes available for seniors aged 62 and older; however, these can only be purchased by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
If you are already in the USA or Canada, you can buy the pass online. Orders from outside these two countries are complicated enough that it’s advisable to buy the pass on-site. It is sold at the information center of each national park, where payment by card is usually accepted.
- For more details, visit the official website
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Sell/Buy America the Beautiful Pass
The plastic America the Beautiful card purchased before the end of 2023 had space for two names. Some people bought a new pass, used it, and then sold it. This was against the rules, and the National Park Service was losing money, but it was still going unnoticed by visitors.
Starting in 2024, the card now only has space for one signature. This measure was likely introduced to prevent the resale of the America the Beautiful pass.
In the discussion below this article, there are offers to sell or buy the card. I tolerate the comments here. If you want to add an ad, for example, for an unused Annual America the Beautiful Pass, be sure to include your contact details. If you want to remove your ad after a successful transaction, simply write a comment with the same email address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Worth Buying the America the Beautiful Annual Pass?
If you plan to visit at least 3-4 national parks, national monuments, forests, or other included sites in the USA within 12 consecutive months, it is probably worth it. You can find inspiration in our itinerary for a road trip through USA national parks.The exact amount of savings depends on which places you visit. In some national parks, there is no entry fee, while in others, the entrance fees are quite high.
Where Can I Buy the America the Beautiful Pass?
You can purchase the America the Beautiful Pass at the visitor center in any national park, and it is usually possible to pay with a credit card. Buying it when visiting the first park is the best option; it takes just a few minutes, and you don’t need to arrange anything in advance.Can I Visit the Same National Park Multiple Times with the America the Beautiful Pass?
Yes. Unlike, for example, The New York Pass, the America the Beautiful Pass allows repeated visits to all parks without any restrictions. Before each visit, I recommend checking the park’s current opening hours, as some places may be closed during the winter.How Do I Show the Pass at Locations Without an Entrance Gate?
For these situations, the order includes a tag that hangs from the rearview mirror inside the car. The America the Beautiful Pass must be placed inside the tag so that the signature of the holder is visible from the outside. The tag itself, without the pass inserted, is not valid.What Is the Exact Validity of the America the Beautiful Annual Pass?
The pass is valid for 12 months, starting from the moment of purchase and ending on the last day of the same month in the following year. For example, if you buy the pass on May 21, 2025, it will expire on May 31, 2026.
US National Parks
- National Parks of the USA – Map, List and Annual Pass
- America the Beautiful Pass 2025 – How It Works, Cost & Parks
- Timed-Entry Reservation for US National Parks (2025 GUIDE)
Travel Guides to USA National Parks
Discussion (1)
Hi, I am selling an Annual pass with one signature valid 9/2024. Price £40, I will send by post :)