Grand Canyon trip

[JimMIA]

I was also told when entering not to put the pass on the mirror because someone might just break into your car to get it. I put it back in its place and leave it there.

I'm not sure what the point is of the mirror hangtags anyway. I think they are meant to be used at small sites which don't have entrance stations.

In parks which have entrance stations, the rangers are supposed to ask for both the Senior Pass and ID before allowing entrance, and compare them to be sure that the person presenting the pass is actually the passholder. So you'd have to take the pass out of the hangtag and hand it to the ranger.

It's probably not so much of a problem now since the prices have increased, but back in the day Everglades used to confiscate several hundred Senior Passes a year from people who didn't qualify (usually because of citizenship). I can just imagine the controversy if they confiscated a pass some ineligible person paid $80 for !

 

[Skippy918]

It used to be $10. It's a little bit more complicated now.

However, they're only available to individuals. The standard $80/year annual pass can be signed by any two people, and they don't need to be US citizens or permanent residents.

Right now my fifth grader is eligible for what was the fourth grade pass. I just need to print out the form and take it with us (and our child).

https://www.nps.gov/kids/upload/5th-Grade-Voucher.pdf

That’s cool they are extending the pass to 5th graders this year. I have a 4th grader, so we’re getting the 4th grade pass. We have a trip to Zion planned and Dh is taking the kids on a Grand Canyon rafting trip.

 

[Skippy918]

Many years ago when we did Bryce, Zion and GC we based ourselves in kanab, UT. It’s midway between all 3.

 

[bcla]

I was also told when entering not to put the pass on the mirror because someone might just break into your car to get it. I put it back in its place and leave it there.

Depends on the location. I haven't heard of any being stolen, but I guess that's possible. Some federal fee areas don’t have entrance station and the only way to pay for parking is to put money in an envelope that's inserted in a locked box. They have the hang tag as a way to substitute for the fee. Others have automated pay stations that issue a receipt to place on the dash. Death Valley has that, but when I visited with my parents we went to a visitor center where my mom presented her pass to get a tag to place on the dash. Death Valley is somewhat unique in that there's legally a state highway going through. As long as you're not stopping at any of the national park areas (there's a lot inside the park that's privately owned) one doesn't need to pay a fee.

Most parks they don't really make you do anything other than show a pass or a receipt at the entrance station. There's been controversy in some hotels gateway communities where they've encouraged visitors to leave their receipts on the way out, even though they're not supposed to be transferrable.

 

[bcla]

That’s cool they are extending the pass to 5th graders this year. I have a 4th grader, so we’re getting the 4th grade pass. We have a trip to Zion planned and Dh is taking the kids on a Grand Canyon rafting trip.

It used to be the fourth grade pass mostly had to be requested through a school, although now they make kids go through a few hoops to get one to print at home. This fifth grade pass is different in that it was supposed to make up for reduced visitation last year after COVID-19 hit. I don't know if they're going to extend it for the next year.

 

[Meriweather]

Depends on the location. I haven't heard of any being stolen, but I guess that's possible. Some federal fee areas don’t have entrance station and the only way to pay for parking is to put money in an envelope that's inserted in a locked box. They have the hang tag as a way to substitute for the fee. Others have automated pay stations that issue a receipt to place on the dash. Death Valley has that, but when I visited with my parents we went to a visitor center where my mom presented her pass to get a tag to place on the dash. Death Valley is somewhat unique in that there's legally a state highway going through. As long as you're not stopping at any of the national park areas (there's a lot inside the park that's privately owned) one doesn't need to pay a fee.

Most parks they don't really make you do anything other than show a pass or a receipt at the entrance station. There's been controversy in some hotels gateway communities where they've encouraged visitors to leave their receipts on the way out, even though they're not supposed to be transferrable.

I was only told that at the Grand Canyon, none of the other NPs. The entry fee there is pretty high (I think $30).
That's also the only park I have been asked for ID

 

[bcla]

I was only told that at the Grand Canyon, none of the other NPs. The entry fee there is pretty high (I think $30).
That's also the only park I have been asked for ID

They have entrance stations though. It’s pretty limited where the hang tags can be used.

 

[bcla]

I'm not sure what the point is of the mirror hangtags anyway. I think they are meant to be used at small sites which don't have entrance stations.

In parks which have entrance stations, the rangers are supposed to ask for both the Senior Pass and ID before allowing entrance, and compare them to be sure that the person presenting the pass is actually the passholder. So you'd have to take the pass out of the hangtag and hand it to the ranger.

It's probably not so much of a problem now since the prices have increased, but back in the day Everglades used to confiscate several hundred Senior Passes a year from people who didn't qualify (usually because of citizenship). I can just imagine the controversy if they confiscated a pass some ineligible person paid $80 for !

How does anyoneI find out about citizenship or permanent residency? I don’t recall my parents ever asked specifically. They were occasionally asked for ID and a California driver license was always enough.

The hang tags are for places without entrance stations. Some Forest Service, BLM, OR FWS sites don’t have entrance stations.

I though Lake Tahoe was a place where one could use them, but they have a parking fee that’s not subject to a fee waiver. They can sell a $20 annual pass that’s supposed to be placed on the dashboard.

 

[Skippy918]

It used to be the fourth grade pass mostly had to be requested through a school, although now they make kids go through a few hoops to get one to print at home. This fifth grade pass is different in that it was supposed to make up for reduced visitation last year after COVID-19 hit. I don't know if they're going to extend it for the next year.

No, both times I was able to go to the website, answer a question and print it. Then when you get to a park, they change out the paper for a card.

 

[mmounsey]

Tucson-beside the desert museum, there is also Old Tucson studios which is fun; if you're in the area for awhile, Tombstone isn't too bad of a drive for the day. Short and sweet but kinda fun. Someone else mentioned Mount Lemmon too which is so nice.

Sedona-Slide Rock is nice in the summer, not sure if they are open but Kitt Peak Observatory is in the area too

Grand Canyon-both lodges inspired Wilderness Lodge, especially the inner fireplace in Bright Angel I think. We just visited the South Rim in January for a day trip and it was definitely crowded but doable. The other lodge (mini WL from the outside) has a restaurant that books up quick too. We didn't hike but just went around to the different viewing areas near the visitor center on the lodge.

Enjoy and drink plenty of water!

 

[teller80]

I didn't see this mentioned, but for Zion you need a day pass to enter the park unless you are staying at the lodge inside the park. I hear they're pretty hard to book.

All passengers including children age three and older require a ticket to board the shuttle for Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Tickets are non-transferable and photo ID will be requested to verify that the ticket purchaser is present. Tickets purchased outside of recreation.gov will not be honored. Children age two and under do not need a ticket, but must be held on an adult’s lap. You may reserve up to 8 tickets per day. Starting June 30, 2020, Zion National Park has implemented a temporary timed ticket system for the park shuttle in order to provide predictable access to the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, meet the CDC, state and local guidance related to COVID-19, and reduce shuttle wait times.    

 

[bcla]

No, both times I was able to go to the website, answer a question and print it. Then when you get to a park, they change out the paper for a card.

I was looking into it and I was reading that one could request through a school, although I can't find any old info on it. This one they simply say go ahead and print it. It was kind of a "sorry about COVID" thing where they extended it for a year for kids who might not have wanted to use it the previous year.

 

[Skippy918]

I was looking into it and I was reading that one could request through a school, although I can't find any old info on it. This one they simply say go ahead and print it. It was kind of a "sorry about COVID" thing where they extended it for a year for kids who might not have wanted to use it the previous year.

Here’s the 4th grade link. The game is a question and then it brings you to the pass page.
https://everykidoutdoors.gov/pass.htm

 

[bcla]

I didn't see this mentioned, but for Zion you need a day pass to enter the park unless you are staying at the lodge inside the park. I hear they're pretty hard to book.

All passengers including children age three and older require a ticket to board the shuttle for Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Tickets are non-transferable and photo ID will be requested to verify that the ticket purchaser is present. Tickets purchased outside of recreation.gov will not be honored. Children age two and under do not need a ticket, but must be held on an adult’s lap. You may reserve up to 8 tickets per day. Starting June 30, 2020, Zion National Park has implemented a temporary timed ticket system for the park shuttle in order to provide predictable access to the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, meet the CDC, state and local guidance related to COVID-19, and reduce shuttle wait times.    

There are theoretically ways around that. Normally they have specific restrictions against private vehicles during the shuttle period, unless they're required for special medical equipment that can't be accommodated on the shuttle. Also - because of COVID-19 restrictions, shuttle drivers aren't allowed to assist with wheelchairs, so they might allow personal vehicles those needing wheelchairs. It would require a request for a permit.

https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm​

From mid-February through late November access into Zion Canyon is by shuttle bus only (see the Shuttle System page for more information and schedules). All shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible. Use of personal vehicles is restricted to those individuals requiring additional vehicle supported medical devices, those unable to ride the shuttle for medical reasons, or when the shuttle bus cannot accommodate the individual due to weight or size restrictions. The shuttle lift has a combined weight limit of 600 lbs and cannot accommodate chairs larger than 45" long or 25" wide. A special permit for personal vehicle use up-canyon must be obtained from the visitor center or museum information desks.​

2021 Update: To comply with COVID-19 public health guidelines, shuttle drivers are not allowed to assist riders with wheelchairs. During this time when wheelchairs cannot be allowed on shuttles, you may obtain a special permit for personal vehicle use on the Scenic Drive from the visitor center information desk.​

Then there's the possibility of riding a bicycle, which can be rented in Springdale. Using the bike racks on the Zion Canyon shuttles requires a reservation though.

https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/bicycling.htm

 

[bcla]

No, both times I was able to go to the website, answer a question and print it. Then when you get to a park, they change out the paper for a card.

I was looking into it and I was reading that one could request it through a school. However, I didn't look into it. I checked the Internet Archive, and an October 2019 version of the website says one can do the "adventure diary" to get a pass. However, I don't know what the procedure was before then.

The 5th grade one is only a voucher that doesn't get exchanged for anything else.

 

[JimMIA]

The 4th and 5th grade passes -- for families with kids in that range who don't know -- are a great thing!

They get your entire vehicle into any NPS site (and other agencies) for an entire year. It's supposed to be for only 4 people, but I doubt if that is ever enforced -- unless you're in something that looks like it might be a commercial tour. It is really the $80 regular annual pass for FREE.

Great deal and it's been hugely popular since it was first introduced.

 

[bcla]

The 4th and 5th grade passes -- for families with kids in that range who don't know -- are a great thing!

They get your entire vehicle into any NPS site (and other agencies) for an entire year. It's supposed to be for only 4 people, but I doubt if that is ever enforced -- unless you're in something that looks like it might be a commercial tour. It is really the $80 regular annual pass for FREE.

Great deal and it's been hugely popular since it was first introduced.

Whenever I had any kind of single-park or interagency pass it was always the occupants of a "single, private non-commercial vehicle" or up to four individuals including the pass holder. That gets tricky because a lot of sites (in Zion Canyon) have something like a parking lot and then everyone enters on foot. Others are in urban sites where there might be an admission fee like it's a museum. I suppose it's possible to claim that a large enough group arrived in one vehicle. At Death Valley the only enforcement is supposed to be when a vehicle is parked.

The one local place where it made sense was Muir Woods National Monument. The annual pass was $20 and I wasn't planning on any other major trips to other national parks. The individual entrance fee was $3/5/7 over the years but the annual pass didn't go up. There was also another way where John Muir NHS had a $15 annual pass valid at Muir Woods, but now that site is free. The pass I had said it was valid for up to four or all the people in one non-commercial vehicle. So I guess it was possible to say that a group of eight arrived in a minivan.

I bought my first pass after the America the Beautiful pass became available. My original plan was to buy the annual pass on the last month when the National Park Service had its own $50 annual pass. I recall it was $65 for the interagency pass or $15 for a sticker to add federal sites outside of NPS to an NPS pass. As far as I know, the senior and disabled passes have always been interagency. My parents' original passes even said they were valid at Tennessee Valley Authority sites. I think they operate a bunch of reservoirs with water recreation.

This is what it says on the back page of the voucher. My direct link only showed the front page. So it's not four adults like regular passes. Under 16 is always supposed to be free.

• If you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person, the voucher admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free.​

​

• If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees, the voucher admits all children under 16 and all adults in up to one passenger vehicle. Commercial vehicles can’t use a voucher to get in.​

 

[JimMIA]

There are also a handful of just plain weird exceptions to annual passes of all types.

For example, Mount Rushmore does not have any entry fee. However, they charge for parking! It seems the parking lot was built with private funds, so you have to pay $10, $5 for 62+, and active duty military are free.

And incidentally, disabled persons and active-duty military (NOT retired) personnel are also eligible for FREE passes. The disabled pass is lifetime, and the military pass is annual.

 

[bcla]

There are also a handful of just plain weird exceptions to annual passes of all types.

For example, Mount Rushmore does not have any entry fee. However, they charge for parking! It seems the parking lot was built with private funds, so you have to pay $10, $5 for 62+, and active duty military are free.

And incidentally, disabled persons and active-duty military (NOT retired) personnel are also eligible for FREE passes. The disabled pass is lifetime, and the military pass is annual.

Sure. I mentioned Death Valley, but it's been a while since I've been there. They have no entrance stations. I suspect it's because putting someone out there in the middle of summer heat isn't a great idea. All indoor areas are air conditioned and have to be. The last time we were there we found machine that accepted the entrance fee with something like a parking pass (good for 7 days) to place on the dash. But I found it's now possible to prepay for the entrance fee from recreation.gov. They additionally have information on how to use the pass. I think the visitor centers can still issue a tag to stick on the window. The one I mentioned earlier was actually a printed piece paper with the expiration stamped and a piece of tape to stick on the window. It looked like something I could make at home.​

​

https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74277​

PRIOR TO ARRIVAL, VISITORS PURCHASING DIGITAL ENTRANCE PASSES ARE REQUIRED TO PRINT A HARD COPY PASS.
​

Visitors should DISPLAY THE PRINTED PASS on their vehicle’s dashboard when traveling inside the park boundary.​

​

Valid Interagency Annual and Lifetime Passes also satisfy Death Valley’s entrance fee.​

​

Visitors with valid Interagency Annual and Lifetime passes should display them in a hangtag or place them on their vehicle's dashboard. Those traveling in open-topped vehicles or on motorcycles should be prepared to present a pass to NPS staff upon request.​

​

Failure to properly display or present a valid park pass can lead to a citation.​

The info for Mount Rushmore says that the parking is operated by Xanterra and the construction of parking was paid for privately.

I got a paper hang tag once (may have been given to me with the pass) but never really found any place I could use it. I'm trying to remember the times I've used a pass for the Forest Service. My pass was valid at the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mt St Helens, which is Forest Service. Back then it was $8 adult admission for the museum and short film, but we got in free with our pass. However - that was presenting it to a person. The only other time I remember was maybe an entrance station at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest on the way to Timpanogos Cave National Monument. I think it was $3 without a pass, but we show my mom's senior pass; it seems to be free if just going to the NPS area. My mom and I went on the cave tour and she got a 50% discount with her pass.

https://www.nps.gov/tica/planyourvisit/fees.htm​

The Monument is surrounded entirely by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and visitors must stop at a US Forest Service information station on the way to Timpanogos Cave. Visitors going just to Timpanogos Cave National Monument, including the Canyon Nature Trail and Swinging Bridge Picnic Area, are not required to pay the US Forest Service American Fork Canyon fee. Visitors planning to go beyond the Monument and use US Forest Service recreation sites are subject to the following fees:​

• $6.00 - 3 day pass
• $12.00 - 7 day pass
• $45.00 - Annual pass

The US Forest Service honors The America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, Golden Age or Senior Pass, Golden Access or Access Pass, and Military Pass.​

 

[bcla]

I was only told that at the Grand Canyon, none of the other NPs. The entry fee there is pretty high (I think $30).
That's also the only park I have been asked for ID

I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't suggesting that anyone with a pass needs to use a hang tag at Grand Canyon NP. As far as I know, they have an entrance station and one inside nobody would be checking.

There are some strange wrinkles though, such as when an entrance station isn't staffed but the park is still open. I've arrived at some national parks in the evening and there was nobody there with a sign saying to just go through. I've also seen one national park that had a fee payment machine at a normally staffed entrance station.

I've been checked for a pass or a receipt upon leaving a National Park Service site. They could be looking for a visitor who entered without paying when an entrance station wasn't staffed. They're looking for a bunch of things including people staying longer than the 7 days covered by most entrance fees, and could theoretically ask for an additional fee on the way out.