Fees & Passes

Ranger collecting fees at the entrance station

You are required to pay an entrance fee in order to access Prince William Forest Park. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, national parks like Prince William Forest Park keep almost all of the fees collected in the park and use that money to fund projects that improve services and protect resources. Thank you for your support!



NOTE: Starting May 1, 2023, Prince William Forest Park will no longer accept cash for park entrance fees. Entrance fees and passes can be purchased with credit/debit card, mobile payment app, or online through recreation.gov.

NOTE: Starting January 1, 2024, all Interagency and Park-Specific Annual Passes sold on or after this date will have one signature line for a single passholder to ensure consistency and fairness and reduce fraudulent misuse.

 

Overview of entrance requirements

All visitors MUST have

Entrance Passes

Standard Entrance Pass

$10.00–$20.00

A valid entrance pass must be presented or purchased to access the park. Vehicle, motorcycle, walk-in, and bike-in passes are valid for seven (7) consecutive days.

Valid seven (7) consecutive days.

In-person Purchase Locations

  • Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center

    Credit/Debit Only

Valid seven (7) consecutive days.

In-person Purchase Locations

  • Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center

    Credit/Debit Only

Valid seven (7) consecutive days.

In-person Purchase Locations

  • Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center

    Credit/Debit Only

Annual Entrance - Park

Annual Entrance - Park

$35.00
The Prince William Forest Park annual pass provides unlimited entry to the park for one year through the month of purchase (example - a pass purchased on January 1, 2022 will be valid through January 31, 2023). The pass covers admission for the passholder (who must be present) and all individuals in a single vehicle, or for the passholder and three adults who walk into the park. The pass can be purchased at the visitor center or entrance station (when in operation).

In-person Purchase Locations

  • Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center

    Credit/Debit Only

2024 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:

 
Entrance Station
Entrance fees can be paid at the entrance station or visitor center.

NPS

Camping Fees

All camping reservations, with the exception of those for the Prince William Forest RV Campground, must be reserved through Recreation.gov. All reservations can be made online or by calling (877) 444-6777. A permit is required to enter the Chopawamsic Backcountry Area and can also be obtained on Recreation.gov.

Camping fees do not include admission to the park. All visitors must pay an entrance fee in addition to any applicable camping fees.

Camping Current Fee Time Frame
Oak Ridge Campground $26 Per site, per night
Oak Ridge site with Senior or Access Pass $13 Per site, per night
Chopawamsic Backcountry Area Free 7 consecutive days or 14 days total per calendar year
Turkey Run Group Campground 25-person site $65 Per site, per night
Turkey Run Group Campground 40-person site $80 Per site, per night
Turkey Run Group Campground Amphitheater $40 Per day
Prince William Forest RV Campground call 888-737-5730 for rates Operated by concessionaire
Individual Cabin Fees at Cabin Camp 3
4-person cabin $50 per cabin, per night
6-person cabin $60 per cabin, per night
10-person cabin $70 per cabin, per night
 

'America the Beautiful' Annual and Lifetime Passes

The 'America the Beautiful' National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at all National Park Service sites and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army Corps of Engineers.

How Does It Work?

Passes can be purchased or obtained at the Prince William Forest Park visitor center or entrance station (when in operation), or at any National Park Service site that charges an entrance fee. Valid criteria is required to purchase/obtain some passes (see information specific to each pass below). Select passes are also available for purchase at USGS.gov.

Annual passes are valid for one year through the month of purchase (example: a pass purchased/obtained on January 1, 2021 is valid through January 31, 2022). Lifetime passes are valid for the duration of the passholder's life.

A pass covers entrance and standard amenity fees for the passholder and all passengers in a personal vehicle, or for the passholder and up to 3 other adults at sites that charge a per-person fee. Children ages 15 and under are admitted free. The passholder must be present in order for the pass to be used. Passes cannot be purchased/obatined as gifts with the exception of the 'America the Beautiful' Annual Pass which requires no criteria to purchase.


For Pass Program Definitions and more detailed information, please visit this page for more information. (USDA, FS, NPS, FWS, BLM, BOR, ASACE)

 
2023 Annual Pass, red with a large photo of a rocky mountain
2023 'America the Beautiful' Annual Pass

USGS

'America the Beautiful' Annual Pass

Cost: $80
Duration:
Annually
Eligibility: No criteria needed - available to everyone (non-U.S. citizens included)
Additional Information:

  • The 'America the Beautiful' Annual Pass is the only pass in this series that can be purchased as a gift for someone else. All other passes are non-transferrable and require criteria to purchase/obtain.
 
2023 Senior Passes, annual stacked on top of lifetime, annual is gray with a photo of a rocky mountain and lifetime is gray with a photo of a bighorn sheep
2023 Senior Passes

USGS

Senior Annual and Lifetime Passes

Cost and Duration: $20 - Annual, $80 - Lifetime
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents ages 62 and over. A valid I.D. showing proof of age is required.
Additional Information:

  • Provides a 50% discount on camping fees at Prince William Forest Park.
  • Seniors who purchase the annual Senior Passes each year can save expired passes to trade four of them in for a Lifetime Senior Pass at no additional charge.
  • Information about the changes made to the Senior Pass program in 2017 is available here.
 
Lifetime Access Pass, blue with a photo of an owl flying over tan grass
Lifetime Access Pass

USGS

Access Pass

Cost: Free
Duration: Lifetime of the passholder
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. No age requirement.
Additional Information:

  • Provides a 50% discount on camping fees at Prince William Forest Park.
 
2023 Military Pass, purple with a photo of a rocky mountain
2023 Annual Military Pass

USGS

Active Duty U.S. Military Pass

Cost: Free
Duration: Annually
Eligibility: Available for active duty U.S. military personnel and the dependents of active duty military personnel with Active Duty ID

Acceptable forms of ID to receive this pass:
Active Duty Military- Common Access Card (CAC)
Active Duty Dependents- Dependent ID (DD Form 1173)

 
Military Lifetime Pass, purple with a photo of the American flag flying in front of a snow covered mountain
Veteran and Gold Star Families Lifetime Pass

USGS

Veteran and Gold Star Families Pass

Cost: Free
Duration:
Lifetime
Eligibility: Available for U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Family members

Acceptable forms of ID to receive this pass:
Veteran - DD Form 2 or DD Form 2765, VA Medical ID, Choose VA, or State-Issued Drivers License noting Veteran status. NOTE: Form DD-214 will not be accepted as a valid form of proof for veteran status.
Gold Star Families - Must present a valid Gold Star Family voucher.

Additional information on veteran and Gold Star family requirements is also available. Dependents of retired military personnel are not eligible for this pass.

 
2022 4th Grade Pass, yellow with a photo of kids looking down at something
2022 4th Grade Pass

USGS

Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass

Cost: Free
Duration: September - August of the year that the passholder is in 4th grade or eligible learning equivalent
Eligibility: U.S. 4th graders (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age). A valid Every Kid Outdoors voucher must be presented in order to receive the pass. Paper copies only - emails and screenshots cannot be accepted.
Additional Information:

  • 4th grade educators and group leaders can help their students or group receive the Fourth Grade Pass by visiting EveryKidOutdoors.gov.
 
2023 Volunteer Pass, green with a photo of a rocky mountain
2023 Volunteer Pass

USGS

Volunteer Pass

Cost: Free
Duration: Annual
Eligibility: Individuals with 250 service hours with the National Park Service or other federal agencies that participate in the 'America the Beautiful' Interagency Pass Program.

For more information on volunteering at Prince William Forest Park, please review the volunteer page or visit Volunteer.gov

Last updated: October 9, 2023

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

18100 Park Headquarters Road
Triangle, VA 22172

Phone:

703-221-7181

Contact Us