Are you planning a trip to a national park, national forest or other federal land in the United States this year? If so, you may want to purchase an Interagency Pass prior to leaving home. The Interagency Pass provides free or reduced-fee access to Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees.
America the Beautiful passes can be purchased at Shawnee National Forest offices and are honored nationwide. Eighty percent of all revenue from the sale of passes remains on the national forest where the pass is purchased.
Seven interagency passes that are honored nationwide.
* Annual Pass — $80 — Anyone 16 years and older can purchase
* Lifetime Senior Pass — $80 — Valid for the lifetime of the pass owner. Must be 62+ older, U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
* Annual Senior Pass — $20 — Valid for one year from month of purchase. Must be 62+ older, U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
* Access Pass — Free for lifetime with documentation of permanent disability, U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
* Volunteer Pass — Earned with 250 hours or more of volunteer service in public lands.
* Active Military Pass — Free to active military and the dependents of deployed military. Valid for one year.
* Every Kid in a Park Pass — Free to 4th graders. Valid for one year from September 1 to August 30 of the student’s 4th grade year. Must bring printed voucher from Every Kid in a Park website (everykidinapark.gov).
All seven passes (Annual, Senior, Lifetime Senior, Access, Active Military, Volunteer and Every Kid in the Park Pass for 4th grade students) apply to the pass holder and their passengers in a private vehicle, or the pass holder and up to three additional people at a per-person admission site.
Senior and Access pass holders may also receive 50 percent discounts at recreation areas with expanded amenities, such as overnight camping, highly developed boat launches and swimming areas. The discounts may not apply to federal sites that are operated by a concessionaire.
America the Beautiful interagency passes can be obtained through the mail by going on line to U.S. Geological Survey website: https://store.usgs.gov/recreational-passes. For more information, contact Shawnee National Forest at (618) 253-7114.
