It's easy to understand the benefits of this pass. Simply stated, the benefits are free admission to many Federal recreational facilities and 50% discount on many other charges, including camping fees at U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) campgrounds! This makes it of great interest to many RVers!
It's easy to become confused by this new pass; maybe this little bit of history and background will make it more clear. In 2004, a new discount program for Federal agencies called the America the Beautiful Interagency Pass Program was enacted. This act created the new pass.
My research revealed that the pass is known by a variety of names. The full name, apparently, is America the Beautiful Interagency Senior Pass. On some government sites, it is referred to as Interagency Senior Pass, or sometimes simply Senior Pass. The best I can tell, they all refer to the same thing. It's possible that you already have or have heard of a Golden Age Passport. These passes ceased to be issued on December 31, 2006. The Interagency Senior Pass effectively replaces the Golden Age Passport. If you have one, please be assured that it will remain valid for your lifetime and that the benefits are the same as they were before its issuance was discontinued.
There are a couple of points worth noting regarding the Golden Age Passport, however. If you have a paper Golden Age Passport, you may (but need not) exchange it at no cost for the new Interagency Senior Pass. If your Golden Age Passport is plastic, you may (but need not) replace it but the cost of this will be $10.
Interestingly, the Corps of Engineers does not issue the Interagency Senior Pass but they do honor it, so if you want to use it at a CoE park, make sure you get your pass before you go! You can get them at most Federal recreation sites which charge an entrance fee or a standard amenity fee. It is not crystal-clear where they can be used and where they can not. Therefore, if you are planning to visit a Federal recreation site you can eliminate surprises by calling ahead and asking or checking their website.
Theoretically, these are not valid at any place other than Federal facilities. However, I have heard, but not personally experienced, that state parks in some states do use the card as justification for a hefty discount on camping fees. My suggestion: Ask! The worst thing that could happen would be that the attendant would say, "No, I'm sorry. We do not honor that card." While this article is about the pass and not about the specific uses of it, I will make a couple of comments which may be of interest to those who have not camped at a Corps of Engineers campground. In short, some of them are pretty nice! And sometime you can spend a night in one of those nice ones for well under $10!
We have camped at Grant River, Potosi, WI, which is adjacent to the Mississippi River. We have also camped at De Queen Lake, De Queen, AR. We consider both very nice and recommend them. We have heard reports that the CoE park near Thomson, IL, is very nice also. My suggestion: try some! If you find one which you recommend, add a comment to this article so others can enjoy it too.
The America the Beautiful Interagency Senior Pass: a big name for a great bargain! You can easily recoup the cost the first time you visit a national park or two or spend a couple of nights camping at a Corps of Engineers park. And it's good for the rest of your life!
Effective January 1, 2007, United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States age 62 or older can purchase an America the Beautiful Interagency Senior Pass. The cost is $10 and the pass is good for the lifetime of the holder.
A senior RVer's gotta love it! I know I do!
Copyright 2007 Keith A. Williams
The author is a part-time RVer who enjoys more natural settings than commercial campgrounds while enroute and needs a place to spend a night or two. Corps of Engineers campgrounds fill this bill, and with the Interagency Senior Pass are a great bargain.
County park campgrounds are also a great answer! Although incomplete, you can see his county parks site here: http://countyparks.us
He also has a couple of commercially oriented sites, http://awninglock.com and http://awninglock.info on which he offers a product in which he believes every RVer should have an interest, the RV Awning Travel Lock.
This is his seventh RV-related article, two others being "The Greatest Myth in RVing—and What To Do About It" and "RV Awning Travel Lock—Why Do I Need One?"
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