Every Kid Outdoors Free Passes for Fourth Grade Students

Every September the kids are back in school. Football kicks into high gear. Starbucks serves Pumpkin Spice Lattes. And every Fourth Grade student can get a free Every Kid Outdoors pass.

What is the Every Kid Outdoors Pass?

The National Park Service gives this pass to fourth grade students to encourage kids to see the natural wonders of America’s most treasured places. Kids can learn about the history of our country, or discover geological wonders with the pass. It is a must have for any family wanting to visit one or more of our parks. The pass used to be called Every Kid in a Park, but has since been renamed Every Kid Outdoors.

How We Use Our Card

When both of our kids were fourth graders we signed up for the Every Kid Outdoors pass. The pass allowed our family entry into the more than 400 sites in the National Park Service. We spent each year making memories and learning so much about our country and its natural wonders.

We were able to get into sites like Badlands National Park and Mesa Verde National Park for free. Our family took a cave tour at Wind Cave National Park thanks to the pass. We toured Bent’s Old Fort, sled in the sand at Great Sand Dunes National Park, and hiked at Rocky Mountain National Park for free.

What Park Fees are Covered by the Pass?

While many of the monuments and historical sites in the park service are free year round, most of the larger parks have vehicle entry fees. But, with the Every Kid in a Park pass, your family can see Old Faithful or Half Dome without paying the park fee. Maybe you can visit Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the U.S.,  at Death Valley National Park. Many tours also are free, or have a reduced rate for family members.

How to Apply for the Every Kid in a Park Pass

To get your pass, you’ll need to fill out the form at Every Kids Outdoors. You can take the temporary pass from the website to any national park location to get your official pass. The pass is good for one year from September through next August.

Our kids are now teenagers, so we no longer get to apply for the pass. We now have to wait for grandkids to take our next Every Kid Outdoors adventures. Unless we adopt a fourth grader for a year just to secure the pass. I’m kidding.

So while we cannot use the pass, I ask you, where will you go with an Every Kids Outdoors pass? Might you stand in awe at the edge of the Grand Canyon? Or see a grizzly bear on Denali? Maybe you’ll take a swamp tour in the Everglades? Or watch lava flow at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Adventure and memories await.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Our tour of three Western Forts that are part of the National Park Service.

Learn about the Amazing National Parks of South Dakota.

Our guide to two New York National Park Sites — The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

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