Anyone over 62 who travels to National Parks, Historical Sites, Refuges and other Park System facilities needs to know the price of a lifetime Senior Pass goes from $10 to $80 effective Aug. 28 of this year. You can beat the increase by going to a nearby park and buying a pass. You can also buy online for $20 if you’re not close to a park. It’ll take about nine weeks to process if you buy online, but you still lock in a cheaper price. I did that because O’ahu has no National Parks. The Big Island has two, Maui has one, and Kauai has one. It seemed cheaper for me to pay $20 online than to buy a plane ticket, car rental and hotel lodging to one of those other alternatives.

Further information:

• Provides entrance or access to pass owner and accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle at Federal operated recreation sites across the country.
• Photo identification may be required to verify ownership.
• Passes are NON-REFUNDABLE, NON-TRANSFERABLE, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen.
• The cost of obtaining a Senior Pass through the mail is twenty dollars ($20). Ten ($10) for the Senior Pass and ten ($10) for processing the application. Applicants must provide documentation of age and residency or citizenship. If you cannot order a Senior pass online, you can submit a Paper Application by mail to the USGS using the paper application and enclosing the same documents and $20 fee
• May provide a 50 percent discount on some amenity fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services
• Generally does NOT cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.