Golden Eagle Passport: What It Was and What Replaced It

The Golden Eagle Passport was discontinued in 2007 and replaced by the America the Beautiful pass, formally the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. The standard version costs $80 a year and covers entrance and day-use fees at sites run by six federal agencies. Free or reduced-price versions exist for seniors, current military and veterans, Gold Star Families, and people with permanent disabilities.

What the Golden Eagle Passport Was

Congress first authorized the Golden Eagle Passport through the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. It started at $10 and admitted the pass holder and everyone in a single vehicle to designated federal recreation areas. Two companion passes came from the same law: the Golden Age Passport for seniors and the Golden Access Passport for people with permanent disabilities.¹

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act replaced the whole system with an interagency pass series that launched in 2007. All three old passes stopped being issued at that point.²³

Do Old Golden Eagle, Golden Age, or Golden Access Passes Still Work?

Yes. If you still hold a pre-2007 Golden Age Passport, it remains valid for entrance at federal recreation sites. The National Park Service encourages holders to exchange it for a free Senior Lifetime Pass at any park that charges an entrance fee, which is simpler to use at staffed gates.⁴ Old Golden Eagle and Golden Access Passports are honored on the same terms, and swapping them for the modern equivalents smooths things out at the entrance station.

The America the Beautiful Annual Pass

The direct successor to the Golden Eagle Passport is the America the Beautiful annual pass. It costs $80 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and covers entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees.⁵

The pass runs for 12 months and expires on the last day of the month you bought it, one year later. So a pass purchased in July 2026 is good through July 31, 2027.⁶ At per-vehicle sites, it covers the pass holder and everyone in one non-commercial vehicle. At per-person sites, it covers the pass holder plus three additional adults. Children 15 and under enter free either way.⁷ Each pass carries one signature line and is non-transferable.

Visitors who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents cannot buy the $80 version. A Non-Resident Annual Pass with the same coverage is available for $250.⁸

Free and Discounted Passes

Senior Pass

U.S. citizens and permanent residents aged 62 and older can choose an Annual Senior Pass for $20 or a Lifetime Senior Pass for $80.⁸ Both provide the same entrance and day-use coverage as the standard pass and add a 50% discount on many expanded amenity fees such as camping, swimming, and boat launching.⁹

You can start with the $20 annual pass and later upgrade to the lifetime version in person at a participating federal site.⁴ The statute also gives you a free lifetime pass after four consecutive annual senior passes.⁵

The 50% amenity discount applies only to the pass holder personally. At a campground, it covers the site the pass holder physically occupies, not additional sites reserved by others in the group. Group campsites charged as a flat fee are excluded from the discount entirely.⁹

Military, Veteran, and Gold Star Family Pass

Current U.S. military service members and their dependents can get a free Annual Military Pass. Veterans and Gold Star Families can get a free Lifetime Military Pass, authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022. Both require proof of service or eligibility at the time of acquisition.¹⁰

Access Pass

The Lifetime Access Pass is free to U.S. citizens and permanent residents with a medically determined permanent disability. The disability doesn’t need to be rated at 100%; it needs to severely limit one or more major life activities.¹¹ It carries the same 50% expanded amenity fee discount as the Senior Pass.¹²

To apply, you need a valid photo ID and one of the following:

A letter from a licensed physician confirming the permanent disability, that it severely limits daily life, and describing the nature of those limitations.
Records from the Veterans Administration, Social Security Disability Income, or Supplemental Security Income.
Records from a state vocational rehabilitation agency.

You can apply in person at a participating federal recreation site or by mail through the USGS Store.¹¹

Where the Pass Works

The America the Beautiful pass covers sites managed by six federal agencies:¹³

National Park Service
U.S. Forest Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

It covers entrance and standard amenity fees only. Expanded amenity fees are separate: camping, RV hookups, boat launching, backcountry permits, guided cave tours, parking at specific monuments, and ferry rides all cost extra. Fees charged by private concessioners on federal land, such as food vendors and shuttles, are also outside what the pass covers.⁶

One boundary worth stating plainly: the pass does not work at state parks, county parks, or city recreation areas. The program is federal only. A trip that mixes national and state parks will need separate state admission or a state pass on top of the federal one.⁶

How to Buy One

You can pick up a pass in person at any of the more than 1,000 federal recreation sites that sell them.⁸ For the Senior, Military, or Access pass, bring valid ID and any required eligibility documents. Upgrading an Annual Senior Pass to a Lifetime Senior Pass can only be done in person.

Physical passes are also sold online through the USGS Store at store.usgs.gov. The Resident Annual Pass is $80 plus a $7.50 handling fee. The Senior Lifetime Pass is $80 plus a $5 processing fee and $7.50 handling, for $92.50 total.⁹ Allow at least three weeks for delivery.⁸

Digital passes became available through Recreation.gov on January 1, 2026, under the EXPLORE Act signed in January 2025.⁵ They download immediately after purchase and skip the shipping wait, but they can’t be purchased as gifts.¹⁴ Since lost or stolen physical passes cannot be replaced by the USGS, keeping the pass on a phone is a reasonable hedge against losing it.⁶

1
eCFR. 36 CFR 71.5 – Golden Eagle Passport
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 6812: Repeal of Superseded Admission and Use Fee Authorities
3
U.S. Department of the Interior. H.R. 9516 Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act
4
National Park Service. Interagency Senior Annual and Senior Lifetime Passes
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 6804: Recreation Passes
6
USGS Store. Frequently Asked Questions
7
National Park Service. America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series
8
National Park Service. Entrance Passes
9
USGS Store. Lifetime Senior Pass
10
U.S. National Park Service. Free Entrance to National Parks for Current Military, Veterans, and Gold Star Families
11
National Park Service. Access Pass – Accessibility
12
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Recreation Passes
13
ScienceBase. Interagency Pass Program
14
Recreation.gov. Digital America the Beautiful Passes