Is the $80 America the Beautiful Pass worth it?

Three visits. That's the whole answer for most people. The big parks charge about $30 a carload, the pass costs $80 a year, and if you'll pull up to three fee gates in the next twelve months, buy it. Two visits leaves you $20 short of breaking even, and you'd be surprised how many people buy the pass in June and never take the third trip.

It covers every National Park System unit plus Forest Service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife, and Bureau of Reclamation sites. One pass, the whole federal map. It admits your entire vehicle at per-car parks, and kids under 16 are free everywhere regardless.

Don't buy it if you're eligible for something better

This is where people waste money. The $80 pass is the worst deal on the list for anyone who qualifies elsewhere:

• 62 or older? The Senior Pass is $80 once, for life. Or $20 a year.
• Military, veteran, or Gold Star family? Free.
• Have a fourth grader in the house? Free family pass all school year, printed at everykidoutdoors.gov.
• Permanent disability? The Access Pass is free, for life, and discounts camping too.

Also don't buy it if

You mostly visit monuments, historic sites, seashores, and recreation areas. Most of the park system charges nothing at the gate. Check the park's page here first; if there's no fee table, you probably don't need a pass to visit it.

Where to buy

Any staffed entrance station sells it with no extra fee, or the USGS store online adds a few dollars of shipping. One warning from hard experience: the fee you pay at the gate today does not get credited toward a pass tomorrow. Decide in the car, before you reach the booth, not on the drive home.