Common Questions

America’s National Parks Owners Guide

My computer will not download the file. What can I do?

There are many reasons the file may not download. Make sure that you are not preventing pop-ups. Blocking pop-ups may prevent the dialog box asking you to open or save the file from appearing. Also, based on your Internet connection download times may widely vary. Dial-up connections will take longer to download some of our content vs. a broadband connection.

Is the “Owner’s Guide” and other National Park Foundation content available via U.S. Mail?

The National Park Foundation is committed to making minimal impacts on our natural resources. Therefore we do not print and mail these files.

I’ve already signed up for the Owner’s Guide, but my information is requested again.

To protect your privacy, the National Park Foundation recognizes only the computer and browser you use to enter your information to access our downloadable files. If you delete all files and cookies from your browser, our website will not recognize your browser and you will need to resubmit your information. Our web team will ensure that your information is not duplicated in our records if you do enter it more than once.

Where does the National Park Foundation get its information?

The National Park Foundation, chartered by Congress, is the only national charity serving America’s National Parks. We work closely with the National Park Service to collect the most accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information about our nearly 400 national parks.

What if I have a different question?

Annual Park Passes

What is the “America The Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreations Lands Pass”?

The America The Beautiful Pass provides visitors an affordable and convenient way to access all of the National Parks and federal recreation lands. The pass covers the entrance fees in lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

Between 80% and 100% of the pass proceeds are used to improve and enhance recreation and visitor services. For more details about the Pass, click here.

What do I get if I purchase the pass?

The America The Beautiful Pass is a card you can carry in your wallet. Additionally, you will receive hangtags and vehicle decals.

How many park passes are there?

There are four types of America The Beautiful Passes.

Annual Pass (Available to anyone 16 years and older)
Senior Pass, formerly the Golden Age Pass (Valid for the lifetime of the Pass owner; you must be 62+ older, and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident)
Access Pass (Valid for the lifetime of the Pass owner with documentation of permanent disability; you must be a U.S. citizens or permanent resident)
Volunteer Pass (Annual Pass earned with 500+ hours of volunteer service in public lands)

Where can I purchase the pass?

Information on how to obtain any of the “America The Beautiful” Passes can be found by clicking here,

I lost my pass. What should I do?

Unfortunately, passes cannot be replaced if lost or stolen; a new pass must be purchased. The federal government does not currently have the capability to track pass serial numbers across all five Federal land management agencies.

I used to have the “National Parks Pass.” Does that still exist?

Beginning January 2007, the “National Parks Pass” was replaced by the “America The Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass”. Click here to purchase an America The Beautiful Pass from the U.S. Geologic Survey.

When I received my Golden Age Pass, it included information about a 64-page national park manual. How do I receive one?

The National Park Service no longer produces a printed National Parks Pass Owner’s Manual. In May 2009, the National Park Foundation created the America’s National Parks Owner’s Guide 2009, a one-stop resource to discover all of your nearly 400 national parks! The Owner’s Guide may be downloaded for free at nationalparks.org/explore.