Get a Passport To Your National Parks on Your Next Visit
Pick up a Passport to Your National Parks on your next visit.
When my brother and his wife got married, one wedding gift that they put to use right away was their National Park Service Annual Pass and Passport. They traveled to states they’ve never been to just to visit a park and come home with a stamp. I had no idea what the big deal was until we had a recent opportunity to drive through Joshua Tree National Park…and it was just in time for the National Parks Service 105th Birthday today!
When they shared about how many stamps they’ve collected over the years, I knew we couldn’t miss out on collecting a stamp this time. We did hike through the desert all morning so we deserved it!
We purchased the Passport To Your National Parks in the gift shop for only $9.95! That’s a great deal for a memento like this, and what makes it even better is that net proceeds go back into education and interactive programs in the parks. Plus passport stamps, or “cancellations” as they call them, are free to get at over 400 parks! You can also get a passport ahead of time online, but I think it’s a little more special to get it in person.
After you purchase your passport, you’ll notice that it’s color-coded by region, which delights the heck out of me! I was in the green region, so the stamp was green. We went over to the stamp station, also in the visitor center, and opened up to the Joshua Tree page.
Getting our first stamp!
My brother and his wife left us with some words of advice: practice the stamp before you put it in the book. The last thing you want is a smeared stamp where you can’t even read the date! There usually is some scrap paper at the station to test the ink and the pressure of the stamp before you make it permanent in your book, or you can also use the park’s brochure to practice on and keep for reference. This location actually had 2 stamps: one was dated with the location (the cancellation stamp), and the other was of a Joshua Tree.
Now that we have our first stamp, we’re already thinking of all the places we want to visit for the first time for more stamps. We’re even thinking back to where we’ve been to already and missed out a stamp. But now that we have this fun way to collect memories, it might make it easier to figure out where to go next.
If you’ve got any recommendations for national parks and monuments, please share!