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Hidden Gem: The National Park Pass

One pass can make it easier to build more national parks, historic sites and public lands into the road ahead.

3 min read

Some Hidden Gems are places. Others are things that make more places possible.

The National Park Service and other federal recreation lands offer passes that can make exploring public lands easier and, depending on your travel plans and eligibility, more economical.

Think Beyond the Famous Parks

When people hear “national parks,” they often picture Yellowstone, Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.

But America’s federal recreation system includes historic sites, monuments, recreation areas and landscapes all over the country.

That means a pass can become less of a purchase and more of an invitation.

Build It Into the Journey

If you are planning road trips in retirement or simply want more reasons to get outside, start looking at the federal sites within a few hours of where you live.

Then look along routes you already travel.

You may discover that some of the best stops were there all along.