Fees & Passes

 

Digital Entrance Fees and Passes Now Available!

Entrance fees and Great Falls Park Annual passes may be purchased online through Recreation.gov.
Passes are non-transferrable, non-refundable, not replaceable if lost or stolen, and are void if altered or reproduced.

After purchasing your online pass at recreation.gov, please download your pass (QR code) BEFORE arriving at the park! There is limited cell service on site and you may have difficulty downloading once at the park.

 

Purchase Passes

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Entrance Fees

Accepted Forms of Payment:

• Cash: United States currency
• Charge Cards: Master Card, VISA, Discover, or American Express

Great Falls Park Vehicle Permit: $20.00
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers. Organized groups are not eligible for the vehicle permit. Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Great Falls Park Motorcycle Permit: $15.00
Admits one single private motorcycle and its passengers. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free of charge. Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Great Falls Park Individual Permit: $10.00
Admits one individual when entering by foot, bicycle, or equestrian. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free of charge. Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Admission to Great Falls Park is valid for seven consecutive days including date of purchase.

 

2022 Great Falls Park Annual Pass

Photo: NPS/ J. Greene

Passes

Call 703-757-3101 for entrance station hours of operation,
and to be sure pass sales will be available.

Great Falls Park Annual Pass: $35.00

Valid for twelve months from the date of purchase. Pass is valid at Great Falls Park and C&O Canal National Historical Park for entrance fees only. Admits the pass holder and occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle OR pass holder and three person (16 and older) where per person entrance fees are charged. Not valid for organized groups or concession operated facilities or activities. The park is not responsible for misplaced, lost or stolen cards. Representations of pass are prohibited. Physical pass must be presented at time of use. Void if altered, and pass is non transferable/ non refundable.

 

The 2022 The America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass

Photo on the pass by Mark Gruenhaupt, San Juan National Forest, 2020 Share the Experience Photo Contest Grand Prize Winner

America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series

The America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States.

Passes cover:

• entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges
• standard amenity fees (day-use fees) at national forests and grasslands and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army Corps of Engineers

In general, one pass covers the fees listed above for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas or up to four adults at sites that charge per person. Children age 15 or under are admitted free. Some passes provide additional benefits, such as a 50-percent discount on camping at some sites for holders of Senior or Access passes. Always check with individual sites for details.

More information about the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series, including available passes, costs, benefits, and how and where they may be obtained, is available. Learn More About National Parks and Federal Lands Passes.

Select a pass option below to learn more!

 

Interagency Annual Pass: $80	Military Passes Free: Annual - Current US Military & Dependents Lifetime - Gold Star & Veterans	Volunteer Pass: Free
Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass: Free	Senior Passes: $20 Annual, $80 Lifetime	Access Pass: Free

 

Fee-Free Days 2023

Come experience the national parks! On five days in 2023, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2023:

• January 16: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• April 22: First day of National Park Week
• August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• September 23: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

 

Organized Non-Commercial Groups

Includes church groups, college/school groups, scouts, service organizations, military, etc.

All holders of America the Beautiful Interagency Passes, Golden Passports, Great Falls Park passes and those under 15 years old and younger will be exempt from payment of fees. Passes allow free entrance to individual pass holders under the conditions stated on the pass.

Organized Non-Commercial Groups in vehicles with a capacity of 15 or less are charged the $20.00 vehicle permit. Vehicles with a capacity of 16 or more are charged a fee of $10.00 per person. Removal of seats from a vehicle does not then qualify for the lower rate. Age and pass exemptions apply.

The total fee charged for an Organized Non-Commercial Group will not exceed the $100 fee per vehicle.

 

Great Falls Park Commercial Tour Fee

Vehicles with capacity of 1-6 passengers: $25 plus $3 per person.

Vehicles with capacity of 7-25 passengers: $40. (No per person fee)

Vehicles with capacity of 26+: $100. (No per person fee)

*No America the Beautiful: National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes will be accepted, and no exemptions for age.

 

Commercial Use Authorization (CUA)

CUA groups will be charged the $20.00 per vehicle fee or $10.00 per person fee at entry. If any member of the group has a pass, entry is good for the pass holder plus three others. There is no fee for support vehicles ("sag wagons").

 

Fee Waiver Information

Academic Fee Waivers

The following information has been taken directly from National Park Service Regulations (NPS-22). This is the guideline to be followed in granting education fee waivers. Bona fide educational or scientific institutions may qualify if the following conditions are met. Please Read Carefully. Your application package must contain all of the following.

1. Current official documentation of recognition of affiliation as an educational institution by a Federal, State or local government entity, or other evidence attesting to educational status is attached. It is insufficient to merely state or imply this on official letterhead. Your fee waiver CANNOT be processed without one of these documents submitted with your application.
   
2. There must be a direct relationship between the visit purpose and the use of the park. The visit must be to study some aspect/resource specific to Great Falls Park. A general statement to the effect that the visit is for "educational purposes" is insufficient by itself. An explanation of what the educational purpose entails and how is related to Park resources is required. (Course outlines, lesson plans, or a copy of the curriculum meet this requirement.) Fee Waiver Information and Form must be received in the Fee Management Office 2-3 weeks in advance of the anticipated visit.

• REFUNDS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
• FEE WAIVERS WILL NOT BE GIVEN AT THE ENTRANCE STATION.
• Fees will be waived ONLY if each vehicle has a copy of the fee waiver.

 

U.S. Fee Area Program

The Fee Program employees not only collect fees, but they also perform activities related to resource stewardship, education, and visitor-use management. Services funded by the fee program include park protection, resource management, information and orientation, maintenance of park facilities, and interpretation.