This news story about the new Military Veterans and Gold Star Families public lands pass is based on a November 8, 2022, National Park Service press release. You can read the original release here.
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that Military Veterans and Gold Star Families will be able to get a free lifetime pass to America’s public lands, starting on Veterans Day (November 11, 2022).
This free lifetime pass is available to all veterans of the U.S. Armed Service and Gold Star Families, the administration said. It will allow access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites, including all U.S. national parks, national forests and wildlife refuges.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Free Military Veterans and Gold Star Families Public Lands Pass
“We have a sacred obligation to America’s veterans. This new lifetime pass is a small demonstration of our nation’s gratitude and support for those who have selflessly served in the U.S. Armed Forces,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, whose father served during the Vietnam War.
Haaland said she’s “proud the Department of the Interior can provide veterans and Gold Star Families opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment from our country’s treasured lands.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also shared his support for this new national parks pass and his gratitude to veterans and American families affected by war, saying that “our national forests and grasslands represent so much of the beauty of the nation our brave service members have sacrificed so much for.”
“Though they can never be fully repaid, by connecting the families of the fallen and those who served with these iconic places, we can, in a small way, say thank you,” he said.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our federal teammates are proud to honor our veterans with free lifetime access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas across the nation,” said Lieutenant General (LTG) Scott Spellmon, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“This pass conveys our immense gratitude and respect for those who have given so much,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.
“As a veteran, I know firsthand the many sacrifices that members of the Armed Forces and their families have made in service to our country, and I am thrilled that Gold Star Families and military veterans can now enjoy lifetime access to national parks and other public lands,” Sams said.
Each lifetime pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle (or passholder and up to three adults at sites that charge per person) at national parks and national wildlife refuges.
It also covers standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Veterans can present one of the four forms of acceptable ID (Department of Defense ID Card, Veteran Health ID (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, or veteran’s designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or ID card) at participating federal recreation areas that normally charge an entrance fee. Gold Star Families obtain information, self-certify they qualify and download a voucher on NPS.gov.
Alexander Lofgran Veterans in Parks Act
The Alexander Lofgran Veterans in Parks Act, passed in December 2021, authorized free lifetime access to federal lands to veterans and Gold Star Families.
The new lifetime pass for veterans and Gold Star Families is in addition to the free annual Military Pass, which has been available to active duty servicemembers and their families since Armed Forces Day, May 19, 2012.
Federal recreational land management agencies offer additional lifetime passes, including a Senior Pass for US citizens or permanent residents over age 62 and an Access Pass for US citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability.
More information about national park passes is available on NPS.gov.