Veterans Day is less than two weeks out, and every year I hear the same thing from Marines I served with: “I didn't know we could do that.” So this Mail Call is a short one about a benefit a lot of us leave sitting on the table. It has nothing to do with paperwork at the VA. It's about getting outside.
Free entry on November 11
On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, every National Park Service site that normally charges an entrance fee is free. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is doing the same at its national wildlife refuges and other lands that charge an entrance fee. Two catches are worth knowing. The waiver covers entrance fees only, so camping, timed-entry reservations, tours and concession fees can still apply. And starting in 2026, the National Park Service says fee-free days apply to U.S. citizens and residents only.
The pass most veterans don't know they have
Here's the bigger deal. You don't have to wait for a holiday. Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, are eligible for a free Military Lifetime Pass. Gold Star Families qualify too. Current service members and their dependents can get a free Military Annual Pass.
According to the National Park Service, the military passes cover entrance fees and standard day-use fees on lands managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That's national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and a lot of lakes and boat-friendly water most people never think of as “federal.” The pass admits you plus the people in one private vehicle, or you and three adults where fees are charged per person.
How to get it
- In person: pick one up free at many parks and federal recreation sites. Veterans bring one of four IDs: a DoD ID card, a Veteran Health Identification Card, the VA's digital Veteran ID Card, or a state driver's license or ID with a veteran designation.
- Online: a free digital pass is available through Recreation.gov. A physical card shipped from there costs $7.50.
- By mail: the USGS Store will mail a physical pass for a $10 processing fee. It can take weeks, so don't wait until the week of your trip.
Veterans with a permanent disability may also want to look at the free Access Pass, which the Park Service says can also bring discounts on some extras like camping.
Close to home on the First Coast
If you're around Jacksonville like me, you've got options. Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, including Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation, never charges an entrance fee. Down the road in St. Augustine, Castillo de San Marcos normally charges $15 per adult, and it honors the Military Pass for the passholder and three adult guests. It's a good place to spend an afternoon on a few centuries of military history.
Why I care about this one
I started The Calm Seas Project because I've seen what a day on the water, a trail or a quiet stretch of marsh can do for someone who has been carrying a lot. None of it fixes everything. But getting outside with people who understand you is one of the simplest things a veteran can do for his or her head, and this pass takes cost off the list of excuses.
So here's my ask for Veterans Day: grab your pass, then grab a buddy you haven't seen in a while and go somewhere green or blue. If you already have one, tell another veteran about it. That might be the best thank-you we can give each other.
Semper Fi.
Sources: National Park Service: Free Entrance for Current Military, Veterans, and Gold Star Families · National Park Service: Entrance Passes and 2026 Free Entrance Days · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Fee-Free Day, Veterans Day · National Park Service: Timucuan Preserve Fees · National Park Service: Castillo de San Marcos Fees & Passes
