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Park Pass

Experience Your America

What's better than visiting a National Park? Visiting all of them. Now, for $50, you can purchase a National Parks Pass that allows pass holders entrance into all National Parks that charge an entrance fee.

Design Continuum, a West Newton, Mass. based research, design and development firm, created the image on the pass for the past two years. The first pass was a wintry landscape, picturing Yellowstone National Park—the first national park--on the first National Parks Pass. This year, the pass sports a more summery scene, an eastern seascape that contrasts with the prior year's wintry landscape.

The National Parks Pass admits the pass signee and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle if a park has a per vehicle entrance fee. Where a per person entrance fee is charged, the National Parks Pass admits the pass signee, spouse, children and parents. The National Parks Pass is nontransferable and does NOT cover or reduce use fees such as charges for camping, parking, tours, and concessions.

The pass, accompanying brochure, map and logo were designed to:

• Promote "stewardship" purchases to support the Parks

• Encourage participation in an annual pass renewal program

• Provide a convenient way to share the Parks experience through gift pass purchases

• Motivate and inspire financial support for the Parks, beyond pass or other fee purchases

Continuum's Design Strategy Group completed direct observation of National Parks visitors by donning park ranger uniforms and immersing themselves in retail operations such as fee collection. They also assessed analogous fundraising organizations and associations. This research was performed in order to develop design concepts intended to establish a strong bond between pass holders and the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, and to identify a functional solution for implementing a new national pass system.

The Golden Age Passport also provides a 50% discount on federal use fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. In some cases where use fees are charged, only the pass signee will be given the 50% price reduction. The Passport is nontransferable and does NOT cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires. A Golden Age Passport must be obtained in person at a federal area where an entrance fee is charged. There is a one-time $10 processing charge to obtain the Golden Age Passport. It is available only to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who are 62 years of age or older. You must show proof of age, such as a state driver's license, birth certificate, or similar document.

Consumers can purchase the pass directly from the National Parks Foundation at http://buy.nationalparks.org or by calling 1-800-GoParks. For $50, the owner of the pass is entitled to free entry to parks charging entrance fees for one year from the date of purchase. The type of entrance fee dictates how many people can use the free admission of the pass. In addition, more than $40 goes directly to the Parks to support vital programs. More information is also available at http://nationalparks.org.

Edited by Dave Shultz

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