30-01-2025
Military veterans: FREE national, state park passes, list of military campgrounds
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—Did you know that veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces get discounts at National Parks and Forests and have access to campgrounds that are not available to most civilians?
There are more than 400 national parks and more than 2000 recreational areas in the United States, and if you have one of the following, you quality for a LIFETIME MILITARY PASS:
DOD ID card
DD For 2
DD Form 2765
Veteran Health Identification Card
Veteran ID Card
Veterans designation on state-issued U.S. driver's license or ID card
The Military Lifetime Pass is for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, Gold Star Families, and next of kin of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a 'qualifying situation,' such as a war, an international terrorist attack, etc…
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Are you a current member of the US Armed Forces? If so, you and your dependents can enjoy a Military Annual Pass.
You'll need one of the following to get your pass:
Unexpired Common Access Card (CAC)
Unexpired DD Form 1173
Unexpired Next Generation Dependent ID (Replacement of DD Form 1173)
The Interagency Military Annual Pass is available to current military members and their dependents. It covers entrance fees to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites and Standard Amenity Fees at Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites.
If you have an Interagency Military Annual Pass, you can take any accompanying passengers with you (in a private, non-commercial vehicle) to federal recreation sites. The pass owner can also bring up to three adults, ages 16 and up, to federal sites that charge per person.
Veterans and civilians with permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairments that limit one or more major life activities are eligible for an America the Beautiful Access Pass. The permanent disability does not have to be 100%.
The pass admits the pass holder (and passengers accompanying them in a non-commercial vehicle) to participating sites across the United States.
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To qualify for the pass, you must provide a VA-issued document showing that you received federal benefits due to a disability.
With the Interagency Access Pass, you'll receive a 50% discount on some expanded amenity fees.
American the Beautiful passes cover entrance and standard day-use fees at lands that are managed by the:
National Park Service
US Fish & Wildlife Service
US Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
US Army of Corps of Engineers
ATB annual passes are available to everyone and cost $80 a year. But seniors get the annual pass for $20, and seniors also have the option of buying a Senior Lifetime Pass for $80.
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Whether you're a veteran or not, there are seven days a year when it's free to enter National Park Service sites.
Jan. 9 (National Day of Mourning for President James Earl Carter, Jr.
Jan. 20 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
Apr. 19 (begins National Park Week)
June 19 (Juneteenth Nation Independence Day)
Aug. 4 (anniversary of Great American Outdoors Act
Sept. 27 (National Public Lands Day)
Nov. 11 (Veterans Day)
Some veterans in Louisiana qualify for free hunting and fishing licenses and free entrance to all Louisiana state parks.
Contact your local service officer to begin the process.
It's important to remember that many national parks allow camping for only 14 days out of a 28-day period. Some parks have a 5-day limit, while others allow you to stay for a month.
Before you load up and go, just remember to ask about the maximum amount of time you will be able to spend camping at a national forest or park.
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Did you know that military campgrounds are a thing? RV sites are located on military bases across the country. In Louisiana you can camp at Fort Polk, Barksdale Air Force Base, New Orleans NSA RV Park, and Twin Lakes. You can camp in Arkansas at Ft. Chaffee RV Park or Little Rock Air Force Base's FAM Camp.
Military campgrounds in Texas include:
Fort Bliss RV Park
Fort Cavazos – Belton Lake Recreation Area
West Fort Cavazos Travel Camp
Fort Sam Houston – Canyon Lake Recreation Area
Fort Sam Houston Recreational Vehicle Park
Red River Army Depot – Elliott Lake Recreation Area
Brooks AFB – FAM Camp
Goodfellow AFB – FAM Camp
Lackland AFB – FAM Camp
Lackland AFB – Lake Amistad Recreation Area
Laughlin AFB – FAM Camp
Sheppard AFB – Lake Texoma Recreation Annex
NAS Corpus Christi – Shields Park Recreation Area
NAS Kingsville – Escondido Ranch
NAS Kingsville – Rocking K RV Park
Randolph AFB – Canyon Lake Recreation Area
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