Tucson, Ariz. (Nov. 10, 2022) – The Biden-Harris administration announced that starting on
Veterans Day (Nov. 11), veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and Gold Star Families can obtain a free
lifetime pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres
of public lands, including National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, National Parks, Fish and
Wildlife, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation.
“Our national forests and grasslands represent so much of the beauty of the nation our brave
service members have sacrificed so much for,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Though
they can never be fully repaid, by connecting the families of the fallen and those who served with
these iconic places, we can, in a small way, say thank you.”
Each lifetime pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle (or
passholder and up to three adults at sites that charge per person) at national parks and national
wildlife refuges, as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands
managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
Veterans can present one of the four forms of acceptable ID (Department of Defense ID Card,
Veteran Health ID (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, or veteran’s designation on a state-issued US
driver’s license or ID card) at participating federal recreation areas that normally charge an
entrance fee. Gold Star Families can obtain information, self-certify they qualify, and download
a voucher by visiting the U.S. Geological Survey’s website.
The Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act, passed in December 2021, authorized free lifetime
access to federal lands to veterans and Gold Star Families. The new lifetime pass for veterans
and Gold Star Families is in addition to the free annual Military Pass, which has been available
to active duty service members and their families since Armed Forces Day, May 19, 2012.
Federal recreational land management agencies offer additional lifetime passes, including a
Senior Pass for US citizens or permanent residents over age 62 and an Access Pass for US
citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. More information is available at
https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/coronado/passes-permits/recreation.
Federal land agencies also offer fee-free entrance days for everyone throughout the year to mark
days of celebration and commemoration, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
National Public Lands Day, and Veterans Day.
For any additional questions feel free to contact the Coronado National Forest at
Mailroom_R3_Coronado@usda.gov. For the most current updates about the Coronado National
Forest, please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CoronadoNF and Twitter
at https://twitter.com/CoronadoNF.
