Per this article and this article, the cost of a Senior Pass is increasing from the current $10 to a whopping $80. It's still a lifetime fee, though.

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The fee for a lifetime pass for citizens 62 and older will go from $10 to $80. An annual pass will cost them $20, which they can apply to the cost of a lifetime pass at a later point if they decide they want one.


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But if you get a lifetime pass before the change is implemented, it will cost only $10. Passes can be purchased online for an additional service fee of $10 or at any of the parks without an extra charge.

National Park Service officials are unsure how long it will take to implement the change, but it’s expected before the end of 2017. Meantime, they are spreading the word informally.


If you are age 62 or over and don't yet have your Senior Pass, better get it soon before the increase hits! Out here in the Pacific NW, it can be bought at Forest Service ranger stations (take proof of age with you). That won't work if you live in an area where the Forest Service doesn't charge an admission/parking fee. You can order by mail,, but that costs an extra $10. You need to send a photocopy of your proof of age/citizenship when ordering by mail.

Note that this pass is not just for National Parks but for all Federal lands (BLM, Fish and Wildlife, National Forests, Corps of Engineers) that charge admission. Out here in the Pacific NW, it substitutes for the NW Forest Pass, required for parking at most trailheads. Here in the Mt. Hood National Forest, some concessionaires don't recognize it, which, IMHO, is probably illegal.

There is no mention in either article if the 50% discount on campground fees for Senior Pass holders will continue. I hope so; I've used it a lot!
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey