Discount Packages and Interagency Passes
You may purchase these Land Between the Lakes discount packages March 1 through November 30 during normal operating hours at the Golden Pond Visitor Center, North and South Welcome Stations, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, and Woodlands Nature Station.
- $15 ages 18 and older
- $10 ages 5-17 years
- Good for 7-days from day of purchase
- Golden Pond Planetarium—One regular show
- Woodlands Nature Station—One regular admission
- Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum —One regular admission
- Special Events may require additional admission payments per person; normally $2 more.
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is managed by the authority of the Land Between the Lakes Protection Act. Because of this law, Land Between the Lakes has a different fee structure than other Forest Service Areas.
- Land Between the Lakes offers picnic areas, hiking trails, and other day-use areas for free to visitors.
- Land Between the Lakes accepts the following Interagency Passes: Senior Pass, Access Pass, Military Annual Pass. Military Lifetime Pass, Veterans & Gold Star Families Voucher, and Every Kid Outdoors. Land Between the Lakes does not have an Entrance Fee or Standard Amenity Fees. We have Expanded Amenity Fees.
- Volunteer and Annual Passes are not accepted at Land Between the Lakes.
- When traveling to different federal land management areas, ask how they implement the passes as benefits may be different.
What are the fees and who is eligible for the Senior Pass?
- $80-Lifetime pass Find more information at https://store.usgs.gov/senior-pass.
- $20- Annual Senior Pass
- Must be 62 years of age or older.
- Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
- Must obtain in person.
- Must show proof of age, which may be a state driver’s license showing birth date, a birth certificate, or similar document.
- If the card is lost a new one must be purchased, as records are not kept.
Where can you purchase the Senior Pass?
You may purchase your Senior Pass at Golden Pond Visitor Center all year during operating hours. You may also receive these passes at any of our day-use facilities from March 1-November 30 during their operating hours: South Welcome Station, North Welcome Station, The Homeplace, Woodlands Nature Station, Piney Campground, Hillman Ferry Campground, Wranglers Campground, and Energy Lake Campground.
What are the benefits of the Senior Pass at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area?
- Cardholder (only) receives 50% off fees for these sites:
- 50% off basic camping at self-service areas and staffed campgrounds (not hookups)
- 50% off entrance fees to the 1850s Homeplace, Woodlands Nature Station, and Golden Pond Planetarium (includes entrance fees for special events)
What are the fees and who is eligible for the Access Pass?
- The Access Pass is FREE.
- Must have a medical determination and documentation of blindness or permanent disability.
- Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
- Must obtain in person.
- Must submit one of the following documents:
- A statement signed by a licensed physician attesting that the applicant has a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that severely limits one or more major life activity.
- A document issued by a federal agency, such as the Veterans Administration, which attests that the applicant has been medically determined to be eligible to receive federal benefits as a result of disability. Other acceptable federal agency documents include proof of receipt of Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to disability.
- A document issued by a state agency, such as the vocational rehabilitation agency, which attests that the applicant has been medically determined to be eligible to receive that agencies benefits or services as a result of medically determined permanent disability. Showing a state motor vehicle department disability sticker, license plate, or hang tag is not acceptable documentation.
- If the card is lost a new one must be obtained, as records are not kept.
Where can you obtain an Access Pass?
- You may receive your free Access Pass at Golden Pond Visitor Center year-round during operating hours. You may also receive these passes at any of the following facilities from March 1-November 30 during their operating hours: South Welcome Station, North Welcome Station, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, Woodlands Nature Station, Piney Campground, Hillman Ferry Campground, Wranglers Campground, and Energy Lake Campground.
What are the benefits of the Access Pass at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area?
- Cardholder (only) receives 50% off fees for these sites:
- 50% off basic camping at self-service areas and staffed campgrounds (not hookups)
- 50% off entrance fees to the 1850s Homeplace, Woodlands Nature Station, and Golden Pond Planetarium (includes entrance fees for special events)
What are the fees and who is eligible for the Military Annual Pass?
- The Military Pass is FREE.
- The Military Pass is for active military personnel and their dependents.
- To verify active military status, the applicant must submit a Department of Defense Common Access Card (CAC) – Geneva Conventions Identification Card that verifies that the person is an active member of the U. S. military.
- To verify dependent, the applicant must submit a Department of Defense Uniformed Services Identification Card – DD Form 1173 that identifies the dependent and his/her sponsor.
Where can you obtain a Military Pass?
You may receive your Military Pass at Golden Pond Visitor Center year-round during operating hours. You may also receive these passes at any of the following facilities from March 1-November 30 during their operating hours: South Welcome Station, North Welcome Station, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, and Woodlands Nature Station.
What are the benefits of the pass at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area?
- At Land Between the Lakes, Military Pass cardholders and up to 3 additional people (4 total) will receive:
- Monday-Friday FREE admission to the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, Woodlands Nature Station, and Golden Pond Planetarium.
- Children under 16 years of age are admitted for free and not included as one of the 3 additional individuals.
- The Military Pass does not apply to any other discounts at Land Between the Lakes.
- At Land Between the Lakes, Military Pass cardholders and up to 3 additional people (4 total) will receive:
The America the Beautiful pass program has added a new Military Lifetime Pass to its selection of passes. Previously, honorably discharged veterans and Gold Star Families could obtain Military Annual Passes every year. With the new lifetime pass, these individuals can now obtain a Military Lifetime Pass. The Military Annual Passes will continue to be used for active duty military only. Active duty military cannot get a lifetime pass because they have not yet been honorably discharged, and only those who left the military with a status of “other than dishonorably discharged” qualify for veterans benefits.
What are the fees and who is eligible for the Military Lifetime Pass?
- The Military Lifetime Pass is FREE.
- This pass waives fees for honorably-discharged U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Families at standard-amenity sites like trailheads, picnic areas, and visitor centers. These sites are already free at Land Between the Lakes.
What are the benefits of the Military Lifetime Pass at Land Between the Lakes?
- Standard-amenities at Land Between the Lakes like hiking, biking, paddling, boat launches, picnic sites, and visitor centers are already open to the public at no charge. Therefore, the fee waiver does not provide a cost benefit at the already free opportunities at Land Between the Lakes.
- Under this fee waiver benefit, Land Between the Lakes will offer free admission, Monday through Friday, to The Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, Golden Pond Planetarium, and Woodlands Nature Station for Gold Star Family members and honorably-discharged veterans. The admission fee waiver benefit for veterans will admit the veteran plus three other individuals free of charge to these facilities weekdays only. Children under 16 years of age are admitted for free and not included as one of the 3 other individuals. Free admission will not be granted during any special event by using this fee waiver.
How do you obtain a Military Lifetime Pass?
- Veterans: will need to show one of the following forms of identification for this fee waiver benefit and clerk will issue you the military pass:
- Department of Defense Identification Card (non-expired CAC Card)
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
- Veteran ID Card
- Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card
- Gold Star Families: Gold Star Families are required to print an official voucher to exchange for a Military Lifetime Pass. Before visiting a Forest Service operated site, Gold Star Family members can download and print a voucher to show the clerk or place on the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites. By downloading and signing the voucher, Gold Star Family members are self-certifying that they meet the required criteria as identified in sections 3.2 and 3.3 of Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36. Vouchers may be certified and downloaded at the National Park Service Website.
- You may receive your Military Lifetime Pass at Golden Pond Visitor Center year-round during operating hours. You may also receive these passes at any of the following facilities from March 1-November 30 during their operating hours: South Welcome Station, North Welcome Station, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, and Woodlands Nature Station.
More Information:
For more information on the fee-free waiver benefits for U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Families, please visit the Forest Service website.
Every Kid Outdoors: 4th Graders
There is so much nature out there to be explored. You can see America’s amazing mountains, roaring rivers, and wild animals, while camping, hiking, fishing, boating or doing so many fun things on national forests and grasslands. So sign up for your Every Kid Outdoors voucher today!
Signing up for a pass is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Ask an adult to help you.
- For 4th graders go to the kid-friendly website Every Kid Outdoors and follow the instructions.
- Print an Every Kid Outdoors paper voucher. Vouchers are good until Aug. 31, 2023.
- And you don’t have to go alone! You can take your brothers and sisters and up to three adults. Or tell your teacher to help your entire class get a voucher and plan a class trip outdoors.
What benefits are offered with the voucher at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area?
The 4th grade passes allow for free entry to the Woodlands Nature Station, the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, and the Golden Pond Planetarium for the 4th grade student and up to 3 additional individuals. Children under 16 years of age are admitted for free and not included as one of the 3 other individuals. The pass is not applicable for free admission during special events.
Where can I use my voucher?
Currently, the 4th grade voucher is valid on U.S. Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer lands, which include:
- U.S. Forest Service
- National Park Service
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
