Super Mom Hacks

How To Visit National Parks For Free!

How would your family like to visit national park sites in the United States for FREE, for an entire year? Did you know that some families can qualify for a free annual pass to visit all the parks they want? And whether you qualify has nothing to do with financial status!

Sound too good to be true? That’s what I thought when I first heard about this amazing program, which is now in its fourth year.

With 417 sites to visit, the National Park Service (NPS) is truly one of the gems of the U.S. Department of the Interior. My baby bro Evan is a career employee of the NPS, so I’ve been a big fan of the NPS for decades. I’m happy to spend my money on entrance fees to support his paycheck.

But I had no idea until last month, when we were camping in a national park a few hours from home, that from Sept. 1 of this year through August 31 of next, our family (or rather, one member of our family) is eligible for a free annual pass, allowing us to avoid entrance fees at all national parks that charge them!

Want to know the secret? Then read on!

How'd you like to visit national parks in the US for FREE for an entire year? If your family includes a student in 4th grade, this post tells you how!

How Your Family Can Visit National Parks For Free!

The girls making s’mores last summer at a national park.

Why National Parks?

But first: why should you visit national parks with your kids?

What’s the Secret to Visiting National Parks for Free?

The trick is having a fourth-grader in your family. Fortunately, that includes us, since Kimmie is now in fourth grade!

This is Kimmie’s pass! (We haven’t exchanged it for a laminated one yet.)

The Every Kid In A Park program was an initiative first created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NPS in 2016; Congress has so far renewed it every year since. This means every fourth-grader (or homeschool equivalent) is eligible for a FREE annual pass to our national parks. Compared to buying an annual park pass for $80, that’s a huge savings!

All you have to do is have your fourth-grader (or homeschooled fourth-grade-equivalent child) follow this link and complete a simple online activityYou need to be near a printer to do this, because at the end, you’ll get a paper pass to print out. And if you visit a participating park, your child can trade in their paper pass for a more durable laminated version!

A few things to note:

The girls’ Junior Ranger vests plus some of the badges they’ve earned.

Other great NPS activities for kids:

And another way kids (and grownups!) can explore national parks:

Did you know Chimani makes a National Parks app that includes info on all NPS sites, from photo galleries to hiking information? The app itself is free with ads, though there’s an in-app upgrade option. Leah Nieman writes about National Parks and other nature and science apps that are great for outdoor adventures. You’ll want to read her recommendations as you plan your next outdoor adventure in our national park system.

Which NPS sites have you visited? What is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!


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