NPS Senior Pass cost going up!

Posted by: OregonMouse

NPS Senior Pass cost going up! - 12/21/16 10:44 AM

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.

Quote:
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.


Quote:
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!
Posted by: BZH

Re: NPS Senior Pass cost going up! - 12/21/16 10:47 AM

can I buy one now to go into effect in 2039?
Posted by: balzaccom

Re: NPS Senior Pass cost going up! - 12/21/16 10:51 AM

Already got mine. Best value for money in America!
Posted by: hikerduane

Re: NPS Senior Pass cost going up! - 12/23/16 10:01 PM

I think this is my fault. I go camping/bping numerous times every month, they are losing mass amounts of funds because of me. Nice pulling up to a pay booth and showing the card and ID, if they are busy, you get waved thru.
Duane
Posted by: GrumpyGord

Re: NPS Senior Pass cost going up! - 12/24/16 07:32 AM

Unfortunately the seniors in general are not the ones who need the break. I wish that here was some way for younger families with children could to be given a chance to enjoy the national treasures. I have had the pass for 14 years and it is a good value for me but when I do use it I would have done the activity whether I had the pass or not. Frequently young families are constrained in what they can afford to do and end up not enjoying the parks because of the costs. By the time they pay an entrance fee and a camping fee and purchasing some over priced items from the private enterprise vendors they are talking quite a bit of money. For most of what I do I do not even pay a fee. I park at a trail head, hike for a few days and then drive home after getting a meal at some restraint on the way.
Posted by: aimless

Re: NPS Senior Pass cost going up! - 12/24/16 02:30 PM

Unfortunately the seniors in general are not the ones who need the break.

This became increasingly true after Medicare was instituted and Social Security became indexed to inflation. The steep rises in the cost of housing has further exacerbated this trend, since older people are much more likely to own their home outright, so we can float upwards on the tide, while the young who are buying in are stuck with the anchor.

This won't prevent me from getting my Interagency Senior Pass asap, now that I turned 62 last month, but I'm open to the idea of more perks for young people with families and cutting back some on perks for retired folks. Instead, it looks to me like the rich are scheduled for another big round of gifts from a grateful Congress. frown