Are you looking for a road trip destination this summer? Then this new National Parks program might interest you. Current U.S. Armed Forces members, their dependents, Gold Star Families, and U.S. military veterans are all eligible for free entry into our national parks.

Who is eligible for the National Parks Military Pass?

According to the National Park Service, active-duty military personnel and their dependents can get a “Military Annual Pass” to the national parks. This pass allows the holder and all occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle into a park. In a park that charges per-person fees, the pass holder and three guests can get in for free.

You can’t just roll up to a park entrance booth and flash a military ID. You’ll need to apply for the Military Annual Pass in person and bring along one of the following forms of ID: unexpired Common Access Card (CAC), unexpired DD Form 1173, or unexpired Next Generation Dependent ID (replacement of DD Form 1173). For a $10 processing fee, you can order the same pass on the USGS Store website.

The next level of the National Parks Military Pass is the Military Lifetime Pass. Who is eligible for a lifetime pass? U.S. Armed Forces veterans and members of Gold Star Families (next of kin of veterans who lost their lives in the Armed Forces).

Again, you’ll need to apply for these passes in person. You must present one of the following: Department of Defense Identification Card (DD Form 2, DD Form 2765, or Next Generation USID replacement), Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC), Veteran ID Card (the Department of Veterans Affairs only provides a digital version), or a veteran designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card.

The National Parks Military Pass

The pass gives its holder access to more than just national parks. It also includes access to national wildlife refuges, national forests, and other federal recreational lands.

President Donald Trump’s administration recently made headlines when it restructured national park access fees. It directed the Park Service to begin “increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents.” It added the NPS should give U.S. citizens “preferential treatment with respect to any remaining recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules.”

At the same time, the National Parks Military Pass was widely publicized. But the truth is that the Military Pass was introduced in 2022 under the Biden administration as a joint program between the NPS and the Department of Defense’s Operation Live Well program, which is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the defense community. You can learn more about the program in the video embedded below: