Our family LOVES Rocky Mountain National Park and visits there often. We were especially excited to take advantage of the free annual pass program for fourth graders when our kids were that age which allowed us to save some money on our family vacations and make some great memories too. Check out our experience!
Reserve Your Pass Early
To be eligible for this program, your child must be a current 4th grade student (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age). Spend some time with your child visiting the National Park Service website to get registered for this program.
Your child will complete a very quick Adventure Diary which is an online activity where they make choices about the type of outdoor adventure they would like to take. Once they have completed this adventure, they will be able to print a pass to take to the gate of any National Park for complimentary entry fees. (It is important to actually print the pass.)
Arrive at a National Park
Like I mentioned earlier, we love visiting Rocky Mountain National Park and that’s where we were able to use our passes. We were lucky to be greeted by some really energetic Park Rangers who asked us to roll down the back window so they could talk to our fourth grade. I am sure this was to be sure we actually had a child with us, but they made our kids feel very special.
Our kids signed a form and got a laminated card showing they had received a National Park Pass. As parents, we made a big deal in making it special too. We could only enter the park with that pass when the child was with us. We said “thank you!” to our kid each time we went. This made them excited to visit RMNP each day of our vacation.
FYI–Day passes at Rocky Mountain National Park are $25 and a 7-day pass is $35. An annual pass runs $70 so the Every Kid Outdoors pass is a great deal for families who visit multiple parks in that fourth grade year! Make sure to look at park passes for your specific park. Some parks like RMNP require you to make advanced reservations to enter.
Make the Most of Our National Parks
Many National Parks have great learning experiences for kids. One of our favorites is the Junior Ranger program where they have to complete different tasks throughout the national park. At completion, they receive a special Junior Ranger badge.
We also love stopping at the Ranger Stations to talk to the Park Rangers about local wildlife, rocks, plants, etc. They often have things for the kids to look at like antlers and fur pelts to touch.
Spend some time just wandering around a lake or take a hike on a path. Our family uses the app called National Park Service website for hiking suggestions because we can find hikes based on length and elevation gains.
New to hiking or have kids that can’t handle longer hikes? Look for hikes under two miles that are stroller friendly. These are usually flat paths with nearby parking. We also love hiking to any type of water feature (lakes, waterfalls, rivers, etc.)
Whatever National Park you end up at, we wish you safe and exciting adventures. It’s great to be outdoors with family!
