America The Beautiful Annual Pass

In May of last year, I reluctantly forked out $80 for an America The Beautiful Annual Pass when entering Sequoia National Park. At the time, I had no idea how often I would use it, but I did the math and figured it might pay itself off by the time it expired, 12 months later. The ranger I bought it from was kind enough to give me an additional month, allowing the card to be used from May until the end of the following June. I began to enjoy my new purchase every time I visited a National Park. Using the card made me feel like I was a member of a privileged club. There would be no need to fumble for cash and change, just a flash of the credit-card sized pass to the Ranger and I was set. The America The Beautiful pass came with an extra, equally-as-cool, benefit: a placard I can hang from your rear-view mirror, granting my car and passengers access to any Federal Recreational Land.

A year has passed and I’ve received a new annual pass and car placard to replace the old one. As I made the switch in my wallet and car, I was curious on how much money I actually saved last year by purchasing the annual passes. Below is a breakdown of all the places I visited and the amount I would have spent if I didn’t have the passes.

Date	Location	Entrance Fee
	Total:	$285
05/20/09	Sequoia NP	$20
06/02/09	Angeles NF	$5
06/13/09	Angeles NF	$5
06/14/09	Angeles NF	$5
06/27/09	Death Valley NP	$20
07/03/09	Angeles NF	$5
07/07/09	Angeles NF	$5
07/12/09	Angeles NF	$5
07/16/09	Angeles NF	$5
07/19/09	Willamette NF	$5
07/19/09	Deschutes NF	$5
07/20/09	Willamette NF	$5
07/20/09	Deschutes NF	$5
07/23/09	Crater Lake NP	$10
08/20/09	Angeles NF	$5
08/22/09	Angeles NF	$5
09/05/09	San Bernardino NF	$5
09/06/09	Bryce Canyon NP	$25
09/12/09	Capitol Reef NP	$5
09/13/09	Arches NP	$10
09/14/09	Zion NP	$25
09/27/09	San Bernardino NF	$5
10/25/09	Angeles NF	$5
10/31/09	San Bernardino NF	$5
12/29/09	Angeles NF	$5
01/30/10	Joshua Tree NP	$15
02/24/10	Angeles NF	$5
03/13/10	Angeles NF	$5
04/03/10	Angeles NF	$5
04/10/10	Angeles NF	$5
05/01/10	Angeles NF	$5
05/02/10	Angeles NF	$5
05/15/10	Zion NP	$25
06/21/10	Crater Lake NP	$10

If you think you can benefit by getting the pass, check out the details at the USGS store. If you’re 62 or older or receive disability benefits, you may be eligible for the Senior or Access pass. For just $10 dollars, these pass holders are granted access to recreation areas for the rest of their lives!