National parks Senior Pass Price.

[John From Detroit]

I got my Golden age pass for 10 bucks back in 2013 and my wife in 2006 (Alas she died in 2013, Got my pass 2 days later since her's "expired" with her.. It is a lifetime pass.. I handed the lady my driver's license and a $10.00 bill and she handed me the pass.

Well, the LInked to PDF it appears, just passed the house (I checked the link provided it is to the official congressional web site and confirms the PDF)

http://www.daysenddirectory.com/senior.pdf

 

[RedandSilver]

Well I hope the bill to raise the price doesn't go through - because I'm not old enough to get the $10 lifetime pass.

Not that I want to age any faster than I am doing right now
but I was looking forward to someday getting that pass and then visiting
more Federal/National - sites/parks.

Oh well I guess they are just trying to take away a benefit that they feel is to good for us to have.
That and of course they either can afford a much higher pass fee or they don't visit any Federal parks so
they have nothing to lose by raising the price a 1000% or more over someone's lifetime. 

 

[NCsleeves]

Looks like the proposal is for a lifetime senior pass to cost $80 instead of $10  OR  another option would be a annual senior pass for $20.

From The National Parks Traveler:  http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2016/12/congress-trying-pass-national-park-service-centennial-act

"As passed by the House, the National Park Service Centennial Act would increase the price of a lifetime pass for senior citizens 62 and older to $80 from its current $10 lifetime fee. Seniors who don't want to pay the $80 could purchase an annual pass for $20."

That seems a lot more reasonable than $80/yr.  Not great, but not terrible.

 

[Wendy]

At $80 for a LIFETIME pass, it's still a tremendous bargain. Use it 3 or 4 times for park entrance, and it's paid for itself.

 

[winona]

Yes, even at $80 it's a bargain.  And it's also good for a half-price fee at COE campgrounds.  All of $11 bucks a night in Arkansas last summer!

 

[SeilerBird]

If you have any type of disability then you qualify for a Golden Access Pass. There is no cost, no age limit and it is a lifetime pass. I have had mine since 2003 and it has saved me a whole bunch of money in entrance fees to the parks. It is good at all 400 of the areas governed by the Park Service. It also saves you 50% on campground fees and on certain attraction fees (Lehman Caves at Great Basin for example). All you need to do is take any proof of your disability to any ranger station.

 

[Larry N.]

It is good at all 400 of the areas governed by the Park Service.

But at Mt. Rushmore, for example, they have a third party parking vendor that will not accept that pass, so effectively it's no good there (try find some other place to park - hah! ). I don't know whether any other parks/monuments are so affected.

 

[SeilerBird]

But at Mt. Rushmore, for example, they have a third party parking vendor that will not accept that pass, so effectively it's no good there (try find some other place to park - hah! ). I don't know whether any other parks/monuments are so affected.

Correct. The concessionaires do not honor the passes but they are a very small percentage of places to spend money. At the Grand Canyon they have a full hook up campground called Trailer Village and it is ran by Delaware North so there is no discounts.

 

[jackiemac]

At $80 for a LIFETIME pass, it's still a tremendous bargain. Use it 3 or 4 times for park entrance, and it's paid for itself.

Totally agree. A very small price to see some incredible places. You folks are so lucky, the US is a wonderful country.

 

[SeilerBird]

At $80 for a LIFETIME pass, it's still a tremendous bargain. Use it 3 or 4 times for park entrance, and it's paid for itself.

Yes is a bargain. A one day adult pass to Disney World is currently $105 a DAY.

 

[catblaster]

If you have any type of disability then you qualify for a Golden Access Pass. There is no cost, no age limit and it is a lifetime pass. I have had mine since 2003 and it has saved me a whole bunch of money in entrance fees to the parks. It is good at all 400 of the areas governed by the Park Service. It also saves you 50% on campground fees and on certain attraction fees (Lehman Caves at Great Basin for example). All you need to do is take any proof of your disability to any ranger station.

The Lady checking me in at Stephen Foster state park in Georgia saw my pass and gave me a hefty discount....cant beat it with a stick...I didn't even have to ask.

 

[xrated]

As they say........timing is everything.  I just turned 62 ......26 days ago, and I just ordered my "Senior" Lifetime Pass.  Looks like I beat the price increase.  Thanks to John from Detroit for the timely heads up.

 

[kjansen]

I hope 100% of the new fee goes to the park service.

 

[Dreamsend]

I hope 100% of the new fee goes to the park service.

Actually, the two bills as written, provide no revenue directly to the NPS.  Both provide that UP TO 10M annually will be placed in an endowment to be managed by the National Park Foundation. First problem -- no requirement that any money actually be allocated.  Second problem, IMHO, is that it funds a private Washington-insider so-called foundation where you can expect that at least 10-20%+ of the money will be used by them for "administrative" costs which, on a good note I guess, includes lobbying. But, the foundation's interest and political health will always be #1 on their agenda.  Each bill then specifies a second annual amount to be placed in another private fund for NPS projects but these monies can only be released when matching private funds are raised on a project by project basis. Hmmm . . How many devils are in those details?  The only real winners are the lobbyists (which pushed for this source of funding) and the private contractors who'll be awarded the work.  Okay, I guess roads without potholes benefit us all IF funding is directed by the NPF for such non-sexy purposes.  This whole privatization thing of the NPS, forest service, really irks me and if there really is a 12B $ shortfall (another GAO report), then something is not working.

I'm a proponent of user fees.  But I gotta ask--if you're raising the discount prices for senoirs, why are entire military families, 4th graders, disabled folks, and volunteers still gonna get FREE access?  I'm not arguing that any one group is more or less deserving than another so please don't go there.  But in terms of equity, it seems the pain could have been spread a little more evenly.

At the projected revenue stream, 250,000 new senior passes would need purchasing every year at the new rate.  Is this even reasonable? 
END of rant.

On a positive note, I also would like to thank John for his original post.  I did a 3 hour RT road trip yesterday to a COE dam office and purchased a pass.  Yah, I spent some additional on gas, but I got peace of mind on several levels.

Linda

 

[SeilerBird]

John made a lot of people happy with this thread. ;D

 

[John From Detroit]

Well Tom and Linda.. You are welcome.. My primary reason for posting was "Buy now, don't wait" so as to insure the lower price.

I got mine already.. I'm also a bit ticked off about the price increase even if "I got mine".  and reading what Linda wrote.. Even more ticked off.. But teh best thing we can do is.. If you qualify (62 years old) and do not already have one.. GET ONE NOW.. You can order online, or drive, as I did, to the local Federal Parks office.. used to be you could get 'em at the gate.. Did that when my wife got her's (At Grand Canyon) turned out it was cheaper to get the 10 buck pass (Free admission to GC) than to pay the day pass fee for the car... So the clerk had an easy sale .

But we used hers till she died, than I had to get mine...2 days later.

 

[UTTransplant]

I turned 62 a couple of weeks ago, and we were going to pick up my pass at the next park we went to. After reading about the price increase here and other places, I went by a local BLM and picked mine up. We have been using my husband's pass, but it is more convenient if we both have one. I think the $10 cost is ridiculously low, and we always drop another $10-$20 in the inevitable cash container inside the visitor center. That extra money stays in the park. Before we qualified for the senior pass, we would just buy a yearly America the Beautiful pass for $80. We did that for years since we love the public lands and spend a lot of time in them. That pass doesn't have any camping discount, so making the senior lifetime pass the same cost as the America the Beautiful pass is still a great deal.

 

[hedhunter9]

I got my pass last year and have used it several times..  It has been accepted at a few State parks as well..
I told the wife it was a good reason to keep me around...! If I die she will have to get one... LOL

Bob

 

[Robert_B]

DW already has one. I got mine yesterday. Park office didn't know about any possible increase.

 

[jhskick]

DW and I got ours last year. Each got one. Ranger on duty said you only need one. I told him we wanted two because he needed the money.  Don't mind paying when I know were money is going.