Veterans and Gold Star Families Receive Free Access to National Parks and Public Lands

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced that veterans and Gold Star families will be receiving free lifetime access to national parks, refuges, and other public lands. These families will have free access to approximately 2,000 public locations with many activities including hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting, camping, stargazing and climbing.

Many of the public lands managed by the Department of the Interior have significance for the American military, including battlefields, national cemeteries, and memorials. For example, Minuteman National Historic Park was a place where colonists defended their rights and Yellowstone National Park was defended by the 1st U.S. Cavalry from poaching and vandalism.

Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt said of the move, “With the utmost respect and gratitude, we are granting Veterans and Gold Star Families free access to the iconic and treasured lands they fought to protect starting this Veterans Day and every single day thereafter.”

The access passes are part of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program, which already offers free annual passes to active members of the military and their families. To obtain a pass, veterans must show either a Department of Defense Identification Card, Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, or veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card.

Gold Star families are the next of kin of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who lost their lives during a war, an international terrorist attack, or in an overseas military operation. Veterans and Gold Star families can acquire an access pass here.