National Parks Lifetime Senior Pass: Last Day To Get Yours Before Prices Jump (Here's How)

Hundreds of senior citizens are rushing to get their National Parks Service Senior Pass before the price for the lifetime pass increases dramatically at the end of the month, thanks to legislation passed by Congress in December. The price of the America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass will go up to $80 starting Monday, Aug. 28.

Currently, the pass costs $10, and the price has not gone up since 1994, so naturally the parks service is seeing a huge surge in demand and is struggling to keep up. 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.

Maryland has eight national parks, according to the MSA website, which give the public access to historic homes, Civil War battle sites, mountain trails, and a view of the Atlantic Ocean. (SIGN UP: Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

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 jumps, 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.

Maryland’s national parks are:

• C & O Canal National Historical Park, with a Western Maryland Railway Station Center at 13 Canal St., Room 304, Cumberland
• Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine, 2400 East Fort Ave., Baltimore
• Hampton National Historic Site, 535 Hampton Lane, Towson
• Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont
• C & O Canal National Historic Park, Brunswick Visitors Center, 40 West Potomac St., Brunswick
• Monocacy National Battlefield, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick
• C & O Canal National Historical Park, Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center, 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac
• Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo
• Fort Washington National Park, 13551 Fort Washington Road, Fort Washington
• Greenbelt Park, 6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt
• Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg

There also sites like the Appalachian Trail, Assateague Island -- part of the National Seashore -- the Harriett Tubman Underground Railroad site and many more spots that share both Maryland and the nation's history.
Spring is typically a great time to visit parks, as the number of visitors is much smaller than during peak summer travel. More than 37 million people visit the country's National Parks annually, generating $1.6 trillion in economic benefit.

Need more inspiration? Browse National Parks and Monuments in Maryland.

— Includes reporting by Patch Editor Feroze Dhanoa

»Photo of Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, from the National Park Service