One card, one year, entrance to every national park and to the other federal recreation lands. Since 2026 there are two prices, and for visitors from abroad the pass does a second job: it cancels the$100 nonresident fee for everyone in the car.
| Pass | Who can get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| America the Beautiful Resident Annual Pass | US citizens and residents | $80 |
| America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass | Anyone who is not a US resident | $250 |
| Senior Annual Pass | US citizens and residents aged 62+ | $20 |
| Senior Lifetime Pass | US citizens and residents aged 62+ | $80 |
| Military Annual Pass | Current US military and dependents | Free |
| Military Lifetime Pass | Gold Star Family members and veterans | Free |
| Access Pass | US citizens and residents with a permanent disability | Free |
| 4th Grade Pass (Every Kid Outdoors) | US 4th graders | Free |
| Volunteer Pass | Federal recreation volunteers with 250 service hours | Free |
Source: NPS Entrance Passes, last updated January 5, 2026. Only the $250 pass is open to nonresidents.
Passes are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. The holder must be present and show photo ID.
The break-even point is the number of park visits at which paying at each gate costs at least as much as the pass. Typical fees below are the median of the 39 national parks that charge an entrance fee, summer 2026: $30 per vehicle, $15 per person.
| Group | Parks | Per park, at the gate | Pass | Pays off from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US residents, one car | any parks | $30 | $80 | 3 parks |
| Nonresident solo, by car | the 11 surcharge parks | $135 | $250 | 2 parks |
| Nonresident couple, by car | the 11 surcharge parks | $235 | $250 | 2 parks |
| Nonresident couple, by car | other parks (Arches, Joshua Tree…) | $30 | $250 | 9 parks |
| Nonresident couple, on foot or shuttle | other parks | $30 | $250 | 9 parks |
The nonresident fee turns the math upside down. Without it, a foreign couple needed about 9 paid parks to make the$250 pass worth it. At the surcharge parks, the second visit is enough. A Southwest loop that avoids them entirely (Arches, Canyonlands, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Petrified Forest) costs a nonresident couple $140 at the gates: less than the pass. Check it in the calculator.
If someone in your car lives in the US, let them buy the $80 pass: it covers the whole car, nonresidents included, including the $100 fee. The NPS nonresident-fee FAQ says so in plain words. The holder has to be in the car at every park.
Some parks sell their own annual pass; some are for US residents only (Yosemite’s, for example). A few cover several parks: the Southeast Utah Parks pass (Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, Hovenweep), the Hawaiʻi Tri-Park pass (Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau), and the Sequoia & Kings Canyon pass. Prices are on each park page.
$80 for US citizens and residents, $250 for everyone else. Seniors (US, 62+) pay $20 a year or $80 for life; military, Access and 4th Grade passes are free.
No. Since January 1, 2026 the $80 pass requires proof of US citizenship or residency (US passport, US driver’s license or state ID, green card). Pass holders show photo ID at each park; someone holding a resident pass without being eligible is asked to upgrade to the nonresident pass.
No. It covers entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at federal recreation sites. Camping, tours and reservation fees are extra. The Senior Pass may give 50% off some amenity fees such as camping.
Yes, at sites of six agencies: the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers. It is not valid at tribal parks such as Monument Valley or Antelope Canyon, nor at state parks.
Annual passes are valid 12 months. A pass bought before January 1, 2026 is honored on its original terms for 12 months from purchase.
Updated . Fees retrieved from the National Park Service API on . Independent site, not affiliated with the National Park Service. Fees are set by NPS and can change; the park’s own page prevails.