Agencies offer free park access to active duty service members

Several government agencies are offering an annual pass to active duty service members and their dependents, granting free access to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands around the nation in the coming years.

The new military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass is part of the Joining Forces initiative to support service members and their families. It will be accepted at National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. It can be picked up at any national park or wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee or other selected sites.

Members must show a current, valid military identification card to obtain their pass. The pass is also available to dependents of active duty personnel. For more information visit, http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.