Looking to get outdoors, see beautiful places, and visit the National Parks of the United States? Then you should definitely consider getting the America the Beautiful Pass. In this post, you’ll find all the reasons to purchase this annual pass and a list of parks where it’s accepted (with a printable version for download).
What Is The America The Beautiful Pass?
America the Beautiful Pass is the annual entrance pass of the US National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands that gets you into 2,000+ recreation sites across the US, including all the 63 National Parks.
This annual pass is valid for one year from the date of purchase, and up to 100% of the proceeds are used for maintenance and improvements of services within the parks and areas managed by 5 Federal agencies – the Forest Service, the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation.
How Much Is It?
The pass costs US$ 80 per vehicle with up to 4 people. Considering most parks’ entrance fee is approximately US$ 30 per car, then you’ll only need to use your America the Beautiful Pass at 3 National Parks to get your money’s worth!
How To Buy It?
The pass can be purchased at one of the federal recreation locations where the passes are issued. Alternatively, and easiest of all, you can buy the America the Beautiful Pass online, at the USGS store, and wait for it to arrive at your home via either USPS or FedEx.
Once you receive your pass, don’t forget to sign it, as you’ll have to present it along with your ID at the entrance of the National Parks you’re visiting.
Why You Should Buy It?
If you are wondering if it’s worth getting the America the Beautiful Pass – I truly believe it is.
As I said before, after visiting 3 National Parks you’ve already got your money’s worth. So, if you want to visit several National Parks, such as the 5 Mighty in Utah, or several other parks in other states such as Colorado, California, and Arizona, this is an incredibly affordable way to visit all of them. What’s more, once you have the pass in your hand (or car), you’ll be finding reasons to visit even more parks!
Owning the pass is also a great way to encourage yourself to be outdoors, in contact with nature, and visit beautiful and well-preserved natural places throughout the US. All of this without worrying about how much it’ll cost you, since with US$ 80 you can visit as many places as you want in a 1-year period. How great is that?
List of National Parks That Accept America The Beautiful Pass
As of today (after the latest addition in 2021), there are currently 63 National Parks in the US. I’ve listed all of them below with links to my guides in order to help you plan a trip to visit each of them.
Also, here is a downloadable and printable version of the National Park Checklist, with all the 63 National Parks grouped by state.
Alaska
- Denali
- Gates of the Arctic
- Glacier Bay
- Katmai
- Kenai Fjords
- Kobuk Valley
- Lake Clark
- Wrangell-St. Elias
American Samoa
- American Samoa
Arizona
- Grand Canyon
- Petrified Forest
- Saguaro
Arkansas
- Hot Springs
California
- Channel Islands
- Death Valley
- Joshua Tree
- Kings Canyon
- Lassen Volcanic
- Pinnacles
- Redwood
- Sequoia
- Yosemite
Colorado
- Black Canyon of Gunnison
- Great Sand Dunes
- Mesa Verde
- Rocky Mountain
Florida
- Biscayne
- Dry Tortugas
- Everglades
Hawaii
- Hawaii Volcanoes
- Haleakalā
Indiana
- Indiana Dunes
Kentucky
- Mammoth Cave
Maine
- Acadia
Michigan
- Isle Royale
Minnesota
- Voyageurs
Missouri
- Gateway Arch
Montana
- Glacier
- Yellowstone
Nevada
- Great Basin
New Mexico
- Carlsbad Caverns
- White Sands
North Dakota
- Theodore Roosevelt
North Carolina / Tennessee
- Great Smoky Mountains
Ohio
- Cuyahoga Valley
Oregon
- Crater Lake
South Carolina
- Congaree
South Dakota
- Badlands
- Wind Cave
Texas
- Big Bend
- Guadalupe Mountains
Utah
Virgin Islands
- Virgin Islands
Virginia
- Shenandoah
Washington
- Mount Rainier
- North Cascades
- Olympic
- West Virginia
- New River Gorge
Wyoming
- Grand Teton
- Yellowstone
Other Places To Visit With The Pass
Beyond the National Parks, the pass is accepted at many national recreational areas such as Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the beautiful place where Horseshoe Bend is located, and where you can visit Lake Powell for water-based sports.
Also, you can see the National Forests and visit other areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, such as the Valley of the Gods near Monument Valley.
Lastly, as the list of places accepting the America the Beautiful Pass is always changing, be sure to check regularly to see if the National Park, Forest, or another place you want to visit accepts it.
You can confirm where the pass is accepted on each of the Federal agencies’ websites:
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- USDA Forest Service
- National Park Service
