Military National Park Passes Now Available for Veterans and Gold Star Families

The National Park Service, in partnership with Operation Live Well, has expanded the Interagency Annual Military Pass for its America the Beautiful program to include Veterans and Gold Star Families. The Military Pass grants free access to over 2,000 Federal recreation areas including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.

It is easy to obtain a national park pass for veterans. Simply present one of the following documents that verify Veteran status when entering any Federal recreation area with an entry fee:

Department of Defense ID card (CAC Card)
Veteran Health ID Card (VHIC)
Veteran ID Card
Driver’s license with Veteran’s designation

To receive a pass, qualifying Gold Star Families must complete this voucher and present to park staff upon entrance to a Federal recreation area such as a National Park.

It is important to note that a pass must be displayed on vehicle dashboards at all unstaffed sites, which means you will need to obtain a national park pass for Veterans or Gold Star Families in advance if you plan to visit any such site. A list of each Federal recreation area that issues passes can be found here.

Military national park passes are honored by The Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Visit each of their websites for details on specific locations where America The Beautiful Passes can be used.

USDA Forest Service: fs.fed.us
National Park Service: nps.gov
Fish and Wildlife Service: fws.gov
Bureau of Land Management: blm.gov
Bureau of Reclamation: usbr.gov
US Army Corps of Engineers: usace.army.mil