Your Guide to Passport To Your National Parks
Disclaimer: This post might contain affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you).
If you like getting your real passport stamped at the border when you travel, you can get the same thrill when you visit National Parks and other destinations managed by the National Park Service. Passport to Your National Parks allows you to collect stamps and keep track of all the parks you’ve visited in a National Park Passport Book. It’s a super fun way to chronicle your visits to America’s National Parks! In this post, we’re sharing everything you need to know about the Passport to Your National Parks Program and why you should get yourself a National Park Passport Book!
What is Passport to Your National Parks?
Have you ever seen people beeline it straight to a station with a bunch of stamps (like the kind you saw in libraries decades ago) in National Park’s visitors center and wonder what they’re doing? Well, that’s totally us, and people like ourselves are getting a National Parks Passport cancellation! A cancellation is a dated stamp like you would get when crossing the border, but instead, it’s for a National Park!
The Passport to Your National Parks program is a fun way for avid National Park visitors to document their park visits by collecting stamps and cancellations! Each National Park or site managed by the National Park Service (such as National Historic Landmarks, National Monuments, etc) is eligible for stamps and cancellations. All you have to do is visit the park!
The Passport to Your Parks is run by America’s National Parks, a non-profit organization that donates millions to the National Park Service for educational, interpretive, and preservation efforts. By supporting Passport to Your Parks, you’re contributing to their mission! America’s National Parks has both retail and online stores that operate at almost 170 of America’s Parks. These stores are a great place to buy high-quality souvenirs and collectibles.
Where Can I Get a National Parks Passport Book?
You can purchase a Passport to Your National Parks Passport Book online or at a National Park visitor center or gift shop.
How Much is a National Parks Passport Book?
Passport to Your National Parks offers three passport books: the classic, collector, and explorer edition. The Classic Passport Book is a pocket-sized passport book categorized by region with space for cancellations and stickers. This edition doesn’t include designated space for each site. Instead, there are empty pages by region for cancellations. The Collector Edition is a notebook-sized passport book that features dedicated space for cancellations from each of the more than 400 national park sites. The Explorer Edition is a premium passport binder that includes space for collectibles and photos, a pen slot and pen, a handy shoulder strap, and the official National Park Service map. There is also a Junior Ranger edition for kids!
Get 15% off your next purchase when you sign-up for our email list!Why We Enjoy Passport to Your National Parks
Anytime we visit a National Park, we love getting a passport cancellation! It’s a fun task to add on to the end or beginning of a visit. Anytime we visit a visitor’s center, our first thought is to find the stamp station! We personally have the classic edition and like it for its small size. It’s about the size of a postcard so it easily fits in our pocket and a backpack. We are getting to the point, though, for some regions, we are running out of space! We have been visiting National Parks since we were kids, and we wish we had cancellations for some of the places we visited when we were younger and haven’t visited since. So, if you have a kid in your life who likes visiting National Parks, a passport book is a great gift for them to document lifelong memories!
Where Can I Get National Park Cancellations?
You can get your National Park cancellations at National Park-managed visitor centers or official park gift shops. If you visit the National Park app for the park you are visiting, there is a section for Passport to Your National Parks cancellation locations.
What Are The National Park Stamp Sets and Stickers?
In addition to getting stamped at the National Parks, you can collect stamp sets and stickers. Every year, Passport to Your National Parks launches a stamp set that features different National Parks, where each stamp includes a beautiful image and description of the site. Single stickers are also available. These are fun to collect as well!
What if I Forget my National Park Passport Book During a Visit?
If you forget your National Park Passport Book, no worries! Most visitor centers or gift shops have small pieces of paper for stamping, or you can purchase a stampable sticker set. We like keeping a set of stampable stickers in our car so in case we visit a National Park site unexpectedly. Or if a visitor center is closed or inaccessible, you can contact the park, and they will be able to help you.
What if I run out of pages?
If you run out of pages in your passport, you can get expander packs for the collector’s edition!