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

Hundreds of seniors 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 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.

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 today, 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.

Photo by Matt York/Associated Press