National parks annual pass--camping discounts or not?

[ohhell10339]

The pass they sell that gets you into national parks and monuments--it used to be called the Golden Eagle but now it's the America the Beautiful pass or something like that--does it get you any discounts on national park camping spots? A poster on another thread said it did, and I tried to find that out on the NPS website, but amazingly, it doesn't say one way or the other.

I'm talking about the general-public $80 a year pass, not the senior pass.

[2gypsies1]

We've always gotten the 1/2 price even if run by concessioners/contractor.

[DownTheAvenue]

toedtoes wrote:
Only the senior and disabled paases give you discounts for campsites. The rest only give you day access into the parks.

THIS!

[huachuca]

Geobiker wrote:
If the campground is managed by a private concessionaire, the answer is no camping discounts. If the campground is managed by the park itself, yes, there are discounts. Unfortunately, it seems many parks (not just the NPS) are going to private concessionaires. But, even so, we use the pass all the time and highly recommend it for us geezers.

I recently made reservations at Yellowstone’s Madison CG which is managed by Xanterra and received the normal fifty percent discount for my senior pass. It’s also honored by CFIA which operates several USFS campgrounds here in the southeast. Perhaps it’s up to the individual concessionaire/contractor but I’ve never camped on any federal lands that didn’t allow the discount.

[monkey44]

Just FYI:

In some cases, contractors running a national park have installed electric pedestals, and when it does that, it charges a higher fee. It still allows discounts for Camp Sites, but then adds a non-discount fee for electric.

As I recall it in Teton NP, the camp fee was $26, and we paid $13, but the power fee of an extra $11 made the site $24 w/electric. It would have been $36 with no discount ... so the numbers don't add up exactly, but this is close. It was a couple years ago and I don't have receipts - and memory does what it does without our help 🙂 Not all sites have electric upgrade.

But it shows that contractors in a park do add fees for services in come cases, and still honor the discount for Senior and Disabled pass for campsite, but not extra "services". We chose to stay in a non-electric site - so we paid the $13 per night.

[enblethen]

Do not confuse concessionaire with contractors.
Many parks are using contractors. The discounts are available.

[Geobiker]

If the campground is managed by a private concessionaire, the answer is no camping discounts. If the campground is managed by the park itself, yes, there are discounts. Unfortunately, it seems many parks (not just the NPS) are going to private concessionaires. But, even so, we use the pass all the time and highly recommend it for us geezers.

[jplante4]

The Geezer pass gets you 50 percent off camping fees. We paid $10 for ours and it paid for itself the first time we camped at a national park.

[toedtoes]

I heard the same confusion before the cost change. I found that many people bought the senior or access pass and just assumed the regular pass did the same thing. Or they didn't think to clarify that they were talking about the senior pass in particular assuming they were "talking" to other seniors on the forum.

[bucky]

Some confusion may be caused now that the senior pass is also $80.

[Jbrowland]

I can also confirm that the answer is NO for the regular $80 annual pass.

[Nutinelse2do]

RGar974417 wrote:

rexlion wrote:
I believe the answer is no, but I would not mind if someone could prove otherwise.

The answer is YES! Because we have used it several times. 2016 in Yellowstone $26 a night in Madison,we paid $13. 2017 in Cape Hatteras at Frisco Campground, $26 a night. We paid $13.

You were very lucky to get the discount, by several uninformed Rangers.
As noted, the only ones that SHOULD give you a discount are the Sr and Disabled pass. Even then, sometimes, someplaces, you get a minimal, or no discount, depending if a concessioner is running it.

[2gypsies1]

It's only the Senior Pass or the disability pass that gives you a discounted camping fee.

[toedtoes]

FAQ for passes

Per the FAQs, passes are good for entrance or standard amenity fees (day use fees).

If you scroll down to the question "What are the passes good for?" , the answer states:

The passes provide entrance or access to more than 2,000 Federal recreation sites.

The Senior and Access Passes may also provide the pass owner a discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees such as camping. (Please contact a site directly if you have a question about pass acceptance and fees).

[ohhell10339]

RGar974417 wrote:

rexlion wrote:
I believe the answer is no, but I would not mind if someone could prove otherwise.

The answer is YES! Because we have used it several times. 2016 in Yellowstone $26 a night in Madison,we paid $13. 2017 in Cape Hatteras at Frisco Campground, $26 a night. We paid $13.

But which kind of pass--regular annual pass or senior (lifetime) pass? The answers here seem to suggest that you need the senior pass to get that discount.