If you plan to visit a number of national parks and monuments within a year, a National Parks Pass, which still costs just $50, will save you a bundle. The passes are good at all properties under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (but not at sites administered by the Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, or other federal or state agencies). The National Parks Passes provide free entrance for the pass holder and all vehicle occupants to National Park Service properties that charge vehicle entrance fees, and the pass holder, spouse, parents, and children for sites that charge per -- person fees.
Also available at park service properties, as well as other federal recreation sites that charge entrance fees, is the Golden Age Passport, for those 62 and older, which has a one -- time fee of $10 and provides free admission to all national parks and monuments, plus a 50% discount on camping fees. The Golden Access Passport, free for blind or permanently disabled U.S. citizens, has the same benefits as the Golden Age Passport and is available at all federal recreation sites that charge entrance fees.
Available from U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife areas are Golden Eagle Passes. At a cost of $65 for 1 year from the date of purchase, they allow the bearer, plus everyone traveling with him or her in the same vehicle, free admission to all National Park Service properties plus other federal recreation sites that charge fees. The National Parks Pass discussed above can be upgraded to Golden Eagle status for $15.
The passes can be purchased at park entrance stations and visitor centers, or by calling 888/GO-PARKS; online at https://buy.nationalparks.org or by mail order (address available online).