Free Access To National Forests And Parks For Military
Sonora, CA – U.S. military members who are eligible can get lifetime passes to national treasures for their service to the country.
If you are active duty, a veteran, or a military dependent, you may be eligible for standard amenity fees waived at Forest Service land, as well as free entrance to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites, including Yosemite.
Forest officials relay that “America the Beautiful” annual and lifetime passes are available for free to those groups if received in person at any of their ranger district offices. You can also get the passes online at the USGS Store website, but a $10 processing fee will be charged. The pass admits the owners and any accompanying passengers in a private non-commercial vehicle to per-vehicle fee areas, or the pass owner and up to an additional 3 adults (16 and over) at sites that charge per person, according to forest officials. Also, documentation is required; click here for those rules.
The USGS site provides the following information on those who do not qualify for the annual interagency military pass:
- Foreign military members (including those stationed in the U.S. and who have a CAC card)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees
- Public Health Service (PHS) members
- Inactive U.S. Reservists
- Civilian military contractors
- Civilian military employees
