BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas — The National Parks Service will now be offering a free lifetime pass to US veterans starting on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11.
An annual free pass has been previously available to active duty service-members, but thanks to the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act veterans and Gold Star families will now be eligible for the lifetime pass.
This new pass will make over 2,000 sites available to veterans and their families.
Veterans can order the pass from the USGS online store, though shipping and handling fees apply, or they can visit the nearest location that can provide a pass for them.
Lifetime passes cover entrance fees for the passholder and either all passengers in a personal vehicle or up to three other adults, depending on how the site charges people.
When arriving at a recreation site, veterans will need to present one of the following four accepted forms of ID:
- Department of Defense ID Card
- Veteran Health ID (VHIC)
- Veteran ID Card
- Veteran’s designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or ID card
In addition to this pass, NPS offers senior passes for those over the age of 62, access passes for this with a permanent disability and several more.
To learn more about how to obtain these passes, you can click or tap here.
Certain holidays, such as Veterans Day and the first day of National Park Week, are free entrance days to National Parks across the United States. You can learn more about these days on the NPS website.