We've already mentioned there are only four days you can get into the national parks for free in 2018, but have you considered an annual pass?
It's called America the Beautiful- The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. This annual pass costs $80, and you get to experience over 2,000 recreation sites all year! Click here for all the details of the pass! Click here to buy the pass online, or contact someone here. It's available to everyone, and children 15 and younger get in FREE! Click here to see all of the options! Plus, Military Members and their dependents are eligible for FREE annual passes. That information can be found here.
To put it into perspective, we checked out a few in the top 10 most visited national parks, according to National Geographic. Four of the most popular start at $15 or $20 and go up to $30 for admission. That's not counting in additional costs, fishing, lodging or other activities. Once you add it up, you might only be able to see two parks for close to the price ($80) of the annual pass, that offers you the ability to visit as many parks as you want. So, if you're a traveler, the annual pass is the best option to save your cash!
On the state level, typical park admission in Arizona ranges from $2-$30. With additional activities, the cost can rise to about $70. Click here to see admission for all in-state parks. There are two different annual passes available for the state of Arizona. One costs $75 (+$7 handling fee) with some park exclusions, while the other is $200 (+$7 handling fee) with no exclusions. Click here to see more details on the annual pass options for Arizona. It could make for a great gift, so click here for more pass and gift card options.
In case you wanted it, here is more information on entrance fees for the Grand Canyon.
Reminder: There are only four days in 2018 that you can visit the parks for free.
The fee-free days for 2018 are:
- Jan. 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Apr. 21 - First day of National Park Week
- Sept. 22 - National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11 - Veterans Day