Some 30 national wildlife refuges charge visitors a nominal entrance fee (generally $3-$5 daily) to cover road and facility maintenance. If you are a regular visitor or would like to visit other public lands, you could save by buying an America the Beautiful Federal Recreational Lands Passes, your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
New in 2024, all passes have one signature line for a single passholder. A pass covers entrance, standard amenity fees and day use fees for the pass owner and all occupants in a personal vehicle at sites that charge per vehicle or, the pass owner and up to three additional adults (16 and over) at sites that charge per person. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free.
Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees (day use 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.
See a list of all federal recreation sites, including national wildlife refuges, where the passes are issued.
See how fee money is spent.
Types of Passes and Fees- CASH ONLY
Annual Pass
Cost: $80 annual pass
Available for: Everyone, non-transferable
Purchase: In person at a federal recreation site (see list of federal recreation sites that issue passes). By phone at: 888-ASK USGS (1-888-275-8747), extension 3. (Hours of operation are: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time). Or buy online through the USGS store.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Interagency Annual Pass (USGS website)
Free Annual Pass for U.S. Military
Cost: Free annual pass
Available for: Current U.S. military members and dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard as well as Reserve and National Guard members.
How to obtain: In person at a federal recreation site (see list of federal recreation sites that issue passes) by showing a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID (Form 1173).
Frequently Asked Questions about the Annual Pass for U.S. Military (USGS website)
Senior Pass
Cost: $80 Lifetime Senior Pass or $20 Annual Senior Pass
Available for: U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. Applicants must provide documentation of age and residency or citizenship. How to purchase: In person at a federal recreation site (see list of federal recreation sites that issue passes). Online: Buy the lifetime pass or the annual pass online now through the USGS store! Or purchase by mail using this application form.
NOTE: There is an additional cost of $10 for passes purchased online or by mail.
Additional information: The Senior Pass provides a 50 percent discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch and specialized interpretive services.
- The Senior Pass generally does NOT provide a discount on special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessioners.
- Golden Age Passports are no longer sold. However, previously issued passes will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass.
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Interagency Senior Pass (USGS website)
Access Pass
Cost: Free
Available for: U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability.(This need not be a 100 percent disability.)
How to acquire: In person at a federal recreation site (see list of federal recreation sites that issue passes). Buy online through the USGS store. Or purchase by mail using this application form.
NOTE: There is a cost of $10 for passes purchased online or by mail.
Additional information: The lifetime Access Pass provides a 50 percent discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services.
- The Access Pass generally does NOT provide a discount on special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessioners.
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Access Pass (USGS website)
2025 Fee-Free Days
All national wildlife refuges and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands that normally charge an entrance fee offer free admission* on these days in 2025:
- January 20, 2025 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
- June 19, 2025 (Juneteenth)
September 27, 2025 (National Public Lands Day)
October 12, 2025 (First Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week)
November 11, 2025 (Veteran's Day)
* The entrance fee waiver does not cover concessionaire or permit fees for some activities such as hunting, fishing or special tours.
How Fee Money Is Spent
At least 80% (often 100%) of the recreation fees collected at national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries stay at the location they were collected. This includes entrance fees, hunting and fishing permit fees, and commercial operation fees. In Fiscal Year 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spent nearly $4 million on visitor services, law enforcement, maintenance, facility improvements and habitat restoration projects from recreation fee revenues. Learn more.
Get Started
Some 30 national wildlife refuges charge visitors a nominal entrance fee (generally $3-$5 daily) to cover road and facility maintenance. If you are a regular visitor or would like to visit other public lands, you could save by buying an America the Beautiful Federal Recreational Lands Passes, your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.