An annual pass can pay for itself in two or three park visits. It won’t pay for your campsite, though, and in 2026 the rules changed for visitors from abroad.
If you camp at federal sites a few times a year, the interagency pass is one of the best deals around. It’s also misunderstood. People expect it to cover their campsite, or assume a friend’s senior pass covers a whole carload at a per-person site. Here’s what each pass actually does.
The passes
The America the Beautiful series covers sites run by six federal agencies: the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers.
| Pass | Who can get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Annual pass (residents) | Anyone, at the resident price with a U.S. ZIP code and photo ID | $80 a year |
| Annual pass (non-residents) | Visitors who don’t live in the U.S. | $250 a year, from January 1, 2026 |
| Senior pass | U.S. citizens and permanent residents aged 62 or older | $80 for life, or $20 a year |
| Access pass | U.S. citizens and permanent residents with a permanent disability | Free |
| Military pass | Current service members and their dependents; veterans and Gold Star families | Free |
| Volunteer pass | Volunteers with 250 hours at participating agencies | Free |
Prices change from time to time, so check the National Park Service’s passes page before you buy.
What the pass covers
The pass covers entrance fees and standard amenity fees, such as day-use fees at many national forest recreation sites.
- At places that charge per vehicle, the pass covers the pass holder and everyone in one private, non-commercial vehicle, or two motorcycles.
- At places that charge per person, it covers the pass holder and up to three other adults aged 16 or over.
- Children 15 and under don’t pay entrance fees anyway.
The pass holder has to be present and may need to show ID. Passes aren’t transferable, and two-signature passes can be used by either signer, but only one at a time.
What it doesn’t cover
Most expanded amenity fees are extra. That includes:
- campground and cabin fees
- boat launches at some sites
- special tours and permits
- reservation fees on Recreation.gov
There’s one useful exception. Senior and access pass holders often get a 50% discount on camping and some other expanded amenity fees at federal sites. Many campgrounds are run by private concessionaires on behalf of the agency, and the discount may work differently there, so check the campground’s fee information before you count on it.
Good to know
Reserving a campsite and paying park entrance are separate. Our guide to reserving campsites explains how campground bookings work.
The 2026 changes for visitors from abroad
From January 1, 2026, the Interior Department introduced separate pricing for non-residents:
- The annual pass costs $250 for non-residents.
- At 11 of the busiest national parks, non-residents aged 16 or older who don’t hold an annual pass pay a $100 surcharge per person on top of the standard entrance fee. The list includes Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Glacier, Grand Teton, Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Everglades.
- Fee-free days are for U.S. citizens and residents only.
If you’re hosting friends or family from overseas, it’s worth working out whether one $250 pass is cheaper than paying surcharges for each adult at one of those parks.
Is the annual pass worth it?
Entrance fees at the larger national parks are typically $30 to $35 per vehicle, so two or three park visits in a year usually cover the $80 resident pass. Add national forest day-use sites and wildlife refuges, and it pays off faster.
For a camping trip, budget for the campsite separately. If you’re planning to skip campgrounds altogether, our guide to dispersed camping explains where you can camp for free on national forest and BLM land.
Camp notes
- The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance and standard amenity fees at federal recreation sites run by six agencies, including the National Park Service and the Forest Service.
- Camping fees are usually extra, though senior and access pass holders often get 50% off camping at federal sites.
- From January 1, 2026, the annual pass costs $250 for non-residents, and non-residents without it pay a $100 per-person surcharge at 11 popular national parks.
- U.S. residents buying the annual pass give a ZIP code and show photo ID to qualify for the resident price.
Questions campers ask
Does the annual pass cover my campsite?
Generally no. Campsites are an expanded amenity fee that the pass doesn’t cover. Senior and access pass holders may get a 50% discount on some camping fees, depending on who runs the campground.
Who does one pass cover?
At sites that charge by vehicle, the pass holder and passengers in one private vehicle. At sites that charge per person, the pass holder and up to three other adults. Children 15 and under are free.
Can I buy the pass online?
Yes. Recreation.gov sells digital passes you can use right away, and physical passes are sold at many park entrances and through the USGS store.
Do fee-free days still apply?
Fee-free entrance days continue for U.S. citizens and residents. Under the 2026 changes, they don’t apply to non-residents.
Rules, fire restrictions and closures differ by park, forest and district and can change quickly. Check with the land manager before your trip. This guide is general information, not professional safety advice.
