Reasons to buy an America The Beautiful Pass and List of National Parks

America-the-beautiful-pass-Arches-National-Park

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.

Rocky-Mountain-National-Park-America-the-Beautiful-Pass

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.

America the beautiful pass - Arches. National Park

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.

America the beautiful - Download list of 63 national Parks in the US

Alaska

  • Denali
  • Gates of the Arctic
  • Glacier Bay
  • Katmai
  • Kenai Fjords
  • Kobuk Valley
  • Lake Clark
  • Wrangell-St. Elias

American Samoa

  • American Samoa

Arizona

Arkansas

  • Hot Springs

California

  • Channel Islands
  • Death Valley
  • Joshua Tree
  • Kings Canyon
  • Lassen Volcanic
  • Pinnacles
  • Redwood
  • Sequoia
  • Yosemite

Colorado

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

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.

America the beautiful - Download list of 63 national Parks in the US

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:

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I am Elen, and I help 9-5ers plan their next getaway. I curate travel experiences, from places to sip a coffee to stays in boutique hotels, so you can save time when planning your next vacation. Here you will find travel guides, tips, and the best itineraries for your next trip.

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