US road trip and national park tools

America the Beautiful Pass: Is It Worth It?

Enter your park visits and fees to see whether the $80 annual pass, or $250 for non-US residents, costs less than paying at each gate.

The America the Beautiful pass calculator shows whether a national park annual pass (the NPS annual pass) costs less than paying entrance fees at the gate. You enter how many park visits you plan, the entrance fee per visit, and who is paying, and the tool compares the two totals. It runs in your browser, is free, and needs no sign-up. The results show the break-even visit count, the cost after each visit, and the pass price for US citizens and residents or for non-US residents. A second panel lists the nine pass types from the National Park Service, with prices, who each is available to, and official links. The calculator does not decide which pass you are eligible for.
America the beautiful pass example

How to use the America the Beautiful pass calculator

  1. Under “Count visits by,” choose “Typing a number of visits and a fee” to enter your own numbers, or “Choosing the parks” to pick parks from the list of 107 fee-charging sites with the search box.
  2. Under “Who is paying,” choose “US citizens and residents” or “Non-US residents.”
  3. Under “How you enter,” choose “Private vehicle (one fee per vehicle)” or “On foot or by bicycle (fee per person).”
  4. Set “Visitors aged 16 or older.”
  5. In typed mode, set “Park visits this year” (default 3) and “Entrance fee per visit ($)” (default 35). The chips $20, $25, $30 and $35 fill the fee box for you.
  6. If you chose non-US residents, enter “Visits to parks with the nonresident fee.”
  7. Read the verdict, the break-even sentence, “Paying at the gate,” and the pass total. Check the table “Total cost after each visit” to see the visit count where the pass becomes cheaper.

Use “Copy result” to copy the summary, “Copy link” to copy a link with your settings, or “Print / save as PDF” to save the results. Your settings are kept in the page address, so a copied link opens with the same numbers.

In “Choosing the parks” mode, tick each park you plan to enter; the fee of each ticked park is added at the gate total, so a park you visit twice can be counted by switching to typed mode.

Is the national park annual pass worth it?

Yes, if your entrance fees add up to more than the pass price. For a US citizen or resident, that means more than $80 in entrance fees.

At $35 per visit, the break-even point is the third park. Two visits cost $70, which is less than $80. Three visits cost $105, which is more than $80. The calculator finds the break-even point with one rule: the smallest number of visits, k, where k times the fee is at least the pass price. For $80 and $35, 80 ÷ 35 is about 2.29, so k is 3.

If the gate cost lands exactly on the pass price, the page says the cost is equal at that visit count and the pass is cheaper from one visit more. For example, at $20 per visit, 4 visits cost $80, the same as the pass. The pass is cheaper from 5 visits.

Here is a typical check. With 3 visits at $35 for a US visitor with 2 visitors, the gate total is $105, the pass is $80, and the pass saves $25. With 2 visits, the gate total is $70, so paying at the gate is cheaper by $10.

How much is the America the Beautiful pass?

The published price is $80 for US citizens and residents (Resident Annual Pass) and $250 for non-US residents (Non-Resident Annual Pass, from January 1, 2026). These figures were checked on October 13, 2026. Prices can change, so confirm them on the official National Park Service pass page before you buy.

Other published prices on the same list are $20 for the Senior Annual Pass and $80 for the Senior Lifetime Pass. The Military, Access, 4th Grade and Volunteer passes are listed as free.

For non-US residents, the math changes. Eight visits at $35 cost $280, which is more than $250. One Yellowstone visit with two non-US residents in a car costs $35 plus $200, or $235, which is close to the $250 pass. Three visits to parks with the nonresident fee, with two non-US visitors, cost $705 at the gate compared with $250 for the pass, a saving of $455.

What does the pass cover?

The pass covers entrance fees for the pass owner and everyone in a personal vehicle at sites that charge per vehicle. At sites that charge per person, it covers the pass owner and up to three additional adults aged 16 and over. People beyond that group still pay their own fees at per-person sites.

The passes cover entrance fees at National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sites. At Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps and Reclamation sites, they cover the standard amenity (day use) fee instead.

Non-US residents aged 16 and older pay $100 per person at Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. Valid annual passes, including the $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass, cover that nonresident fee for the pass owner and the people the pass covers.

Worked examples

InputResult
3 visits at $35; US citizens and residents; 2 visitors 16+At the gate $105; pass $80; pass saves $25
2 visits at $35; US citizens and residents; 2 visitors 16+At the gate $70; pass $80; gate is cheaper by $10
3 visits at $35; Non-US residents; 2 visitors 16+At the gate $705; pass $250; pass saves $455

Calculated by the tool above; open it with the same values to see each step.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a pass for fourth graders?

Yes. The 4th Grade Pass is free for US 4th graders. Find its official page in the pass table in the second panel.

Is there a lifetime pass?

Yes. The Senior Lifetime Pass costs $80 and is for US citizens and residents aged 62 and older. The Military Lifetime Pass is free for Gold Star Family members and veterans. Check the official page for who can get each pass.

Where do I buy it?

You can buy it at entrance stations and other federal recreation sites, or on Recreation.gov or the USGS store. Physical passes ordered online can take up to three weeks to arrive by mail. Digital passes are issued on Recreation.gov. USGS store orders add a $7.50 handling fee per order.

How long is the annual pass valid?

The Resident and Non-Resident Annual Passes are valid for 12 months, according to the USGS store.

Are passes refundable or transferable?

No. Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable, and holders must show valid photo ID, according to the National Park Service.

Do the 2026 fee-free days apply to everyone?

No. The 2026 fee-free days are for US citizens and residents only. Check the National Park Service passes page for the dates.

Which pass do I need?

Check the pass table in the second panel, which lists each pass type, who it is available to, and its price. The calculator does not decide eligibility, so use the official page for the pass you are considering.

Is there a free national park pass for disabled visitors or veterans?

Yes. The official passes page lists the Access Pass as free for US citizens and residents with a permanent disability (what people search for as a handicap national park pass or a national park pass for disabled visitors), and the Military Lifetime Pass as free for Gold Star Family members and veterans, which is what a “VA national park pass” search usually means. The pass table on this page links each one; the official page lists who can get it.