National Parks Lifetime Senior Pass: 3 Days Left For Floridians To Get Them Before Prices Jump

BRADENTON, FL — Florida seniors are joining hundreds of others across the country in the rush to get their hands on a National Parks Service Senior Pass before prices jump at the end of August. A dramatic increase – from $10 to $80 – was passed by Congress in December.

Starting Aug. 28, the price for the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass will rise to the new amount. The $10 pass price had not been increased since 1994.

While the lifetime Senior Pass will cost $80, the legislation also established an annual Senior Pass, valid for one year from the date of issuance, which will cost $20. The parks service also says that four annual Senior Passes purchased in prior years can be traded for a lifetime pass.

If you currently have a Senior Pass, rest assured it will remain valid for your lifetime. If you lost your pass or it was stolen, you will need to apply for a new one. Anyone who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident aged 62 or older is eligible for the Senior Pass.

The pass not only admits the pass owner for free but also allows free entry for traveling companions.

So, if you want to purchase a senior pass before the price hike goes into place, here's how:

1. Senior passes can be purchased at any federal recreation site, including national parks, that charge an entrance or standard amenity (day-use) fee. (See a complete list of sites where the pass is available.)

2. You can buy the pass online or through mail from the USGS, though that'll cost you an extra $10 processing fee.

The parks service said it is overwhelmed with demand — more than 250,000 online and mail-in applications have been submitted this year compared to previous highs of 33,000 passes — and to address the backlog it is printing and distributing hundreds of thousands of passes to sites that sell them. They are also increasing staff at the online processing center.

If you buy your pass online and haven't yet received your printed pass, you can use your order confirmation along with a photo ID to enter a national park. Similarly, if you buy your pass at a physical location that is out of printed passes, you will be issued a rain check that can be used to enter parks. The parks service advises anyone buying a pass at a physical location to contact the agency to ensure that it is not out of rain checks.

National Park Lands In Florida

The Sunshine State is home to more than a few national parks, preserves and recreational areas; not all charge access fees. National Park property in Florida includes:

• De Soto National Monument, Bradenton: No fees are charged for access to the park, its programs and events.
• Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee: No fees are charged for access to the preserve.
• Biscayne National Park, Miami, Key Biscayne and Homestead: The park has no entrance fees.
• Canaveral National Seashore, Titusville and New Smyrna Beach: The entrance fee is $10 per day per vehicle, including motorcycles. Commercial tour vehicles cost $100.
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine: The cost to enter is $10 for those age 16 and up. Kids get in free.
• Dry Tortugas National Park, Key West: The entrance fee is $10 for up to seven days.
• Everglades National Park, Miami, Naples and Homestead: The per-vehicle fee ranges based on the type of transit. Cars, for example, cost $25 for seven days whereas a bicyclist would pay $8. For more information, visit the National Parks Service online.
• Fort Caroline National Memorial, at the Timucuan Preserve in Jacksonville: There is no fee to enter.
• Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Augustine: There is no fee to enter.
• Gulf Islands National Seashore, Gulf Breeze, Florida, and Ocean Springs, Mississippi: Fees may vary. Check out the National Parks Service online for more details.
• Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville: There is no fee to enter.
• Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina: No fees are associated with access to the corridor.

For more information about parks in Florida and other states, visit the National Park Service online.

Patch's Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this story.

Photo of dolphins swimming along the Gulf Islands National Seashore via the National Park Service website.