Free National Park Pass for Veterans with a Disability Rating: Are you a military veteran with a rated disability? Well I just recently found out that vets with permanent and...

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Are you a military veteran with a rated disability? Well I just recently found out that vets with permanent and documented disabilities from military service can receive a free lifetime pass to U.S. National Parks. It took all of 5 minutes at the gate of a local national park in my area and was as simple as signing an affidavit claiming that you have a service connected disability.

After some research, Florida offers a similar service for state parks, I just haven't gone to get one yet.

Cheers!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

johngault007 wrote:

Are you a military veteran with a rated disability... (show quote)

If my wife hears about it I will have to apply. Our special needs son gets passes already.

Just checked, 10% VA disability qualifies, I am 40% and CA gives one for state parks and areas, but you have to renew it every 5 years.
They are also given to those with some non-military disabilities.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

robertjerl wrote:

If my wife hears about it I will have to apply. Our special needs son gets passes already.

Just checked, 10% VA disability qualifies, I am 40% and CA gives one for state parks and areas, but you have to renew it every 5 years.
They are also given to those with some non-military disabilities.

I'm 40% as well, and the pass has no expiration date. I do know there are other qualifications for non-military, just thought some fellow vets might want this info as well. The great thing about the NPS pass is there is no percentage linked to it, even if the VA wants to downplay entitlements

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

robertjerl wrote:

If my wife hears about it I will have to apply. Our special needs son gets passes already.

Just checked, 10% VA disability qualifies, I am 40% and CA gives one for state parks and areas, but you have to renew it every 5 years.
They are also given to those with some non-military disabilities.

...woohoo! They gave me 10% for my tinnitus!

ltj123 Loc: NW Wisconsin

I got the senior pass some years ago. But recently got email about disabled veteran pass. Think it's great for those that can get it!
ALSO of note if veteran's disability is service related can get FREE Minnesota State Park annual passes, something I have been doing for couple years now.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

There is available a lifetime pass to most national parks for senior citizens for $80 which allows one vehicle and four passengers to enter the park. It does not cover every park but most of them. The fee would cover the entrance fee for one or two parks and it is for a lifetime.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Yes, my father has the Lifetime pass, but since I am about 2 decades off of the requirements for that, I will stick with the Disabled Vets pass.

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

PhotogHobbyist wrote:

There is available a lifetime pass to most national parks for senior citizens for $80 which allows one vehicle and four passengers to enter the park. It does not cover every park but most of them. The fee would cover the entrance fee for one or two parks and it is for a lifetime.

I got this lifetime pass a few years ago for $10 just before it went to the 80 bucks.
Although I'm a veteran and served during the Vietnam era I was never sent there. I'm not disabled so I couldn't apply for it if I wanted to.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Just about all vets that ever stepped foot into Vietnam can get a 40% disability for exposure to agent orange.

PH CIB

Wow, Great Post Thanks for Sharing, will share at our Next Veterans Meeting !!!

skylinefirepest Loc: Southern Pines, N.C.

Won't do me any good...I purchased a lifetime pass several years ago along with one for my wife.

GeneS Loc: Glendale,AZ

Just remember works for free entry, BUT places like MT. Rushmore still charge you twenty some dollars for parking. Also there is no off site parking so you will still have to pay there. Just another way to charge us

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

GeneS wrote:

Just remember works for free entry, BUT places like MT. Rushmore still charge you twenty some dollars for parking. Also there is no off site parking so you will still have to pay there. Just another way to charge us

I was at arushmore in August and the parking for seniors was only $5.00.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

jeep_daddy wrote:

Just about all vets that ever stepped foot into Vietnam can get a 40% disability for exposure to agent orange.

Yep, 2 years in the 2nd most heavily sprayed area. A Chemical Corps officer in our HQ would go outside the wire at our sub-unit's compounds supervise troops with backpack sprayers and then after the brush outside a compound's fence had died he would use a flame thrower to burn it. And I often got picked as his driver. So I would sit in a jeep manning the radios and breath the wind blown fumes or the smoke of that stuff burning. I didn't get more for the diabetes and heart complications because family members had those problems. So they left me at 40%. Nothing for the hearing trouble and tinnitus either because I never went to the doctors about them in Nam. Hell the evac hospital had real problems to treat. I wasn't about to go to them for ringing in my ears. Now I wish I had.

PH CIB

robertjerl wrote:

Yep, 2 years in the 2nd most heavily sprayed area.... (show quote)

The VA routinely denies Veterans Benefits as a lot of Veterans do not bother to Appeal, once a Claim with Merit is filed, always Appeal it can take years and go through many levels of Appeal at the VA, but I have seen claims awarded after years of Appeal with a large lump sum benefit going back to the original claim date and higher monthly benefits thereafter....Always Appeal it takes little time and effort and make sure You are represented by the VFW, DAV, American Legion, Amvets etc. in standing up for You with the VA....