The Senior National Park Pass costs $80 for life or $20 for one year. It is for US citizens and permanent residents aged 62 or older, and it covers entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites. We read the NPS and USGS store pages on 25 October 2026.
Price and who can buy it
Price: Senior Lifetime Pass $80. Senior Annual Pass $20. Both are versions of the America the Beautiful pass (NPS, Entrance Passes page, last updated 9 Oct 2026, read 25 Oct 2026)
Note: You must be a US citizen or permanent resident aged 62 or older and show proof of age and of citizenship or residency. You cannot buy it as a gift, because the owner has to prove they qualify (same page)
Note: USGS adds that you must have turned 62 before you buy. Owning property or paying US taxes does not make you eligible by itself (USGS store, Senior Lifetime Pass page, read 25 Oct 2026)
| Pass | Price at a park | Price on the USGS store |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Lifetime | $80 | $92.50 ($80 + $5 processing + $7.50 handling) |
| Senior Annual | $20 | $32.50 ($20 + $5 processing + $7.50 handling) |
USGS also lists shipping charges for mailed passes. We did not price them.
Where to buy it
Buy it at a park if you can. You pay only the pass price, and you can use it the same day.
Booking: In person: buy or pick up the pass at more than 1,000 federal recreation sites. NPS calls this the recommended way (NPS Entrance Passes page, read 25 Oct 2026)
Booking: Online: the USGS store sells physical passes only. Upload a photo of your ID, such as a US driver's license, green card or US passport. USGS checks it against public records, prints your name on the pass and mails it. An order receipt does not work in place of the pass (USGS store, read 25 Oct 2026)
Booking: By mail: send a paper application with copies of the same documents and the $7.50 handling fee to USGS (same page)
Note: USGS ships within 5 business days. Then USPS takes about 5 to 10 business days, FedEx Ground 3 to 5. NPS says an online order may take up to three weeks. If your trip is less than 4 weeks away, USGS suggests buying the pass at the first site you visit (NPS and USGS pages, read 25 Oct 2026)
NPS also says you can get a digital pass on Recreation.gov and use it right away. The Recreation.gov pass page we read listed only single-site digital passes, so a digital Senior Pass is not confirmed.
What it covers
Note: Entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at federal recreation sites, including national parks. Where the fee is per vehicle, the pass covers the owner and everyone in one private vehicle. Where the fee is per person, it covers the owner and up to three more adults aged 16 and over (NPS and USGS pages, read 25 Oct 2026)
Price: About 50% off some amenity fees, such as camping, swimming, boat launches and some guided programs. It generally does not cover special recreation permits or fees charged by concession companies (NPS Entrance Passes page, read 25 Oct 2026)
Note: Carry a photo ID with the pass. It is valid only at federal sites, not state or local parks (NPS and USGS pages)
To compare, Grand Canyon charges $35 for a private vehicle for 7 days, or $20 a person on foot or bike (NPS Grand Canyon fees page, last updated 20 July 2026, read 25 Oct 2026). At that price, the lifetime pass pays for itself on the third visit.
Note: Nonresidents aged 16 and over pay an extra $100 at 11 parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon. It does not apply to people who enter with an annual or America the Beautiful pass (NPS Entrance Passes page, read 25 Oct 2026)
Note: The 2026 free entrance days include 11 November (Veterans Day). NPS says free entrance on these days is for US citizens and residents only. Timed-entry fees may still apply (same page)
Annual or lifetime
If you plan to keep visiting parks for four years or more, the lifetime pass costs the same as four annual passes. You do not lose money on annual passes either, because they count toward the lifetime pass.
Price: Swap annual passes for a lifetime pass, even expired ones: 1 annual pass plus $60, 2 plus $40, 3 plus $20, or 4 for no extra cost. This is done in person at a site that issues passes, not on the online store (USGS store, read 25 Oct 2026)
Note: Old Golden Age Passports are still honored and can be swapped for a free Senior Lifetime Pass in person, with the old pass and a photo ID (NPS Entrance Passes page, read 25 Oct 2026)
Lost passes and other rules
Note: Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen (NPS Entrance Passes page, read 25 Oct 2026)
Note: The pass does not pass to a surviving spouse (USGS store, read 25 Oct 2026)
If a couple both qualify, each can buy a pass. One pass already covers a spouse riding in the same car at a per-vehicle park.
If you live in the US but are not a US citizen
Permanent residents qualify on the same terms as citizens. USGS lists the green card as an accepted ID. That applies the same way to Indian, Filipino and Chinese nationals with a green card. We found no official page that treats those passports differently.
People on a visa (F-1, H-1B, L-1 and others) are not named as eligible. NPS and USGS say "citizens and permanent residents" or "citizens or residents", and neither page says whether a visa holder counts as a resident. That is not confirmed, so ask at the park before you buy. If you do not qualify, the Resident Annual Pass is $80 for US citizens and residents, and the Non-Resident Annual Pass is $250 (NPS Entrance Passes page, read 25 Oct 2026).
What we checked and what can change
Read on 25 October 2026: NPS's Entrance Passes page (last updated 9 October 2026), NPS's Senior Pass page (last updated 7 January 2026), the USGS store's Senior Pass pages, Recreation.gov's pass page, and NPS's Grand Canyon fees page (last updated 20 July 2026).
Not confirmed: whether a digital Senior Pass is sold on Recreation.gov, USGS shipping charges, and whether visa holders count as residents. Prices and fee rules are set by the federal agencies and can change, so check the NPS page before you buy. We did not buy a pass for this page.
