America the Beautiful - National Park & Federal Recreational Land Passes
The America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands.
Passes cover entrance fees at National Park Service sites that charge them, (including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore) and national wildlife refuges, as well as standard amenity fees (day-use fees) at national forests and grasslands. Passes also cover day-use fees at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
In general, one pass covers the fees listed above for a driver and passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas or up to four adults at sites that charge per person. Children age 15 or under are admitted free. Some passes provide additional benefits. Check with individual sites for details.
The program has passes that range in cost from free to $80. There are passes for current US Military and their dependents; US Military Veterans and Gold Star Families; US citizens 62 and older; US 4th Grade Students; US citizens with a permanent disability, as well as annual passes for anyone to purchase.
America the Beautiful passes include:
- Annual Pass: $80
- Annual Military Pass for current US Military and their dependents: Free
- Lifetime Military Pass for US Military Veterans and Gold Star Family members: Free*
- Annual Fourth Grade Pass for US students in fourth grade: Free
- Annual Senior Pass for US citizens age 62 and older: $20
- Lifetime Senior Pass for US citizens age 62 and older: $80
- Lifetime Access Pass for US citizens with permanent disabilities: Free
- Annual Volunteer Pass: Free (250 hours of volunteer service at any of the six participating federal agencies is required)
*A new program that provides a free lifetime military pass for US military veterans and Gold Star Family members took effect November 11, 2022 as a way to thank them for their support of our country and to encourage them to explore recreational opportunities on their public lands and waters. Find detailed information about who qualifies, acceptable forms of identification, and how to download a Gold Star Family voucher.
At Pictured Rocks, these nationwide passes are sold/issued at the Munising Falls Visitor Contact Station when open. Passes can be purchased online as well. Visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm to learn more about these passes and their requirements. To purchase passes, go to: https://store.usgs.gov/recreational-passes.