Why All Roadschoolers Should Have an America the Beautiful Pass

Roadschooling is all about finding learning experiences wherever you go. Unfortunately, a lot of the best learning experiences out there cost money, and all those admission fees can add up fast. For this reason, my family has always had numerous reciprocal memberships at any given time.

Recently, we decided to add to our arsenal of reciprocal memberships by adding the "America the Beautiful" pass, and boy are we glad we did!

Related Read: Tips for Roadschooling Effectively

What is it?

The "America the Beautiful" pass is a national parks membership that gives the cardholder and his or her family free admission to almost every national park and national monument in the United States. There are a few sites excluded from the card, but not many, and even those typically offer a discount to cardholders.

Best of all, the cost for this little card is a mere $80, meaning it pays for itself after only two or three visits to a park.

Why should you get one?

After having this pass for just over a month, we are convinced every roadschooled family should have one of their own. Why do we think this? Several reasons:

#1: See the Natural Landscape

All too often, we get sucked into the modern world. We visit city after city and see all the museums and amusement parks, but forget to appreciate this amazing land for what it is naturally.

When you invest in the national parks pass, you have a reason to get outdoors and see the natural beauty of the area you’re visiting. You can see the best of what the land has to offer and truly experience it through hiking, biking, swimming, and more—and because your visits are “free”, you’re more likely to actually do those things.

#2: Junior Rangers

The Junior Ranger program at the national parks is fantastic. It gets kids excited about their visit and helps them become observant of the beauty around them.

To be involved in the program, simply visit the information center at any given national nark and ask for a Junior Ranger book. Follow the instructions in the book, making sure to really dive in and have fun with the series of tasks. When you’ve finished up, return to the visitor center for a plastic badge.

Related Read: 20 National Parks on Our 6 Week RV Vacation

#3: Save Money

Even if you’re more of a “city person”, it’s likely you have plans to visit at least of a few of the major national parks during your travels. If you do, the "America the Beautiful" pass is an excellent way to save some money. Considering the fact that only a few visits covers the cost of the pass, you can see how this is an excellent investment even if you only see 3 or 4 parks.

#4: Learn Something New

It’s no secret that nature has many lessons to teach. Therefore, learning from a visit to a national park is easy. Whether you choose to put together a roadschool unit study or go in blind and learn whatever you learn, you and your little scholars are sure to come out with an extra bit of knowledge and appreciation for the world.

Ready to get your own "America the Beautiful" pass? You can order one here or head to any national park to pick one up!