Archive for February, 2009

An Interagency Pass Program was created by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and authorized by Congress in December 2004.

Participating agencies include the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation. The pass series, collectively known as the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, is outlined below with a brief explanation of each.

America the Beautiful Annual Pass – Cost $80.

This pass is available to the general public and provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee for a year, beginning from the date of sale. The pass admits the pass holder/s and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas. (children under 16 are admitted free) The pass can be obtained in person at the park, by calling 1-888-ASK USGS, Ext. 1, or via the Internet at http://store.usgs.gov/pass.

America the Beautiful Senior Pass – Cost $10.

This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. The pass provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity. The pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas (children under 16 are admitted free). The pass can only be obtained in person at the park. The Senior Pass provides a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services. In some cases where Expanded Amenity Fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50 percent price reduction. The pass is non-transferable and generally does NOT cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

America the Beautiful Access Pass – Free.

This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Documentation is required to obtain the pass. Acceptable documentation includes: statement by a licensed physician; document issued by a Federal agency such as the Veteran’s Administration, Social Security Disability Income or Supplemental Security Income; or document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency. The pass provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity. The pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas (children under 16 are admitted free). The pass can only be obtained in person at the park. The Access Pass provides a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and specialized interpretive services. In some cases where Expanded Amenity Fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50 percent price reduction. The pass is non-transferable and generally does NOT cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

America the Beautiful Volunteer Pass – Free.

This pass is for volunteers acquiring 500 service hours on a cumulative basis. It provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee for a year, beginning from the date of award. The pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas (children under 16 are admitted free). Click here to learn about volunteer opportunities in the National Park Service.

Status of former pass program passes:

Golden Eagle Passport and National Parks Pass and Golden Eagle Hologram
These passes have been discontinued and replaced by the America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Golden Age Passport
This pass has been discontinued and replaced by the America the Beautiful Senior Pass

Golden Access Passport
This pass has been discontinued and replaced by the America the Beautiful Access Pass

All National Parks Passes, Golden Eagle, Golden Eagle Hologram, Golden Access and Golden Age Passports will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass. Only paper Golden Age and Access Passports may be exchanged free of charge for new plastic passes.

Definitions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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For several years our home base, whenever we we’re in Yuba City, was the same RV park. We usually had the same site each time we returned. The site we had was in the same section where overnighters were assigned spaces.

While our site was large and even had a nice patch of grass, the overnight pull-throughs are gravel and concrete and very narrow. They are not angled which meant RVera had to make 90 degree turns into a site. On top of that, the road to the sites is narrow and has a chain link fence on the right side.

Innumerable times I looked out my window to see an RVer hug the fence while lining up to maneuver into one of those pull-thru sites, and then hear the crunch as the rear corner of the RV contacted the fence as it started the turn.

As you may figure, it happens mostly to RVers pulling longer fifth wheels and travel trailers, but long motorhomes aren’t immune.

Depending on how close to the fence the RVer was and how tight the turn he made into the site, damage could be as light as a few embarrassing scratches to a heartbreaking separation of the fiberglass endcap from the sidewall.

The moral of this story, of course, is to always be aware of your RV’s tail swing.

For motorhome drivers avoiding tailswing problems is a matter of checking the mirrors.

RVers pulling fifth wheels and travel trailers can’t rely on mirrors since tailswing always occurs on the blind side of the rig. For them a good sense of spatial awareness is essential.

Spatial awareness is a well thought-out awareness of things in the space around your RV and of the RV’s position in the space.

Anyone who drives a car has developed spatial awareness. We’ve learned how much space our car takes to make a U-turn and how much we can cut the steering wheel when pulling into or backing out of a parking spot.

Spatial awareness while driving your RV is developed the same way… practice. But how many of us actually practice driving our RV… like we did learning to drive a car? The best place to practice driving your RV and develop spatial awareness is in an empty parking lot.

To better understand how tailswing affects your rig have another driver line the RV along a straight line… a painted lane divider or gutter for example. Then as you watch from the rear, the driver should drive forward making as tight a turn as possible.

Using the line as a reference, watch how far the rear of the RV swings away from the line. Repeat the test two or three times making both left and right turns so you get a good feeling for how much the RV swings. Then change drivers to develop spatial awareness with relationship to where you are as the driver to the same line.

Of course even the most finely tuned spatial awareness is no substitute for a good spotter, so use one anytime it’s practical to do so.
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We need your tips! Now we know we’re not in the same league as Mike Rowe… but we don’t have support of the Discovery Channel behind us either. That’s kind of the point. If Mike Rowe can run out of ideas, we can hardly feel bad when we do. So, please, send us your tips and ideas for tips. We and your fellow RVers will be forever greatful.
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