With international travel almost coming to a complete standstill in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, road trips became the new way of travel. People started flocking to National Parks and made them their vacation destination. The best and easiest way to enter National Parks is with an annual pass.
I have more detailed information about how to get a pass here. The pass will set you back $80 for one full year of access to all the National Parks and sites throughout the country. It seems a lot, but when you consider what you get the pass is worth every last cent. At most parks, you have recouped your cost after the third entry to the park. Besides that, you support the National Park System to help maintain the parks for future generations.
Compared to other passes, the annual National Park Pass is fairly cheap. Look at the annual California State Park Pass. This one will set you back a whopping $195 for the regular 2021 pass. This is about 2.5 times the price of the annual National Park Pass and is only valid in California.
Buy your National Park Pass with Points
Marriott lets you now buy an annual National Park Pass with Marriott Points. You can only buy the regular, undiscounted annual pass with Marriott points.
This pass will cost you 22,500 Marriott Points. Shop with Marriott.
On the same page, you can book discounted room rates for hotels near National Parks all across the United States. It’s worth a look if you plan your next getaway to a National Park.
You can also donate your points to the National Park Foundation. Donations start at 2500 points for $10 and can be increased by 2500 point increments.
Evaluation of the deal
I value Marriott points at around 0.8 cents each. This means that when you buy the pass with points, it is an estimated value of $180. Therefore, I would consider using the points for something else but if you don’t know what to do with your points or have a bunch of points to burn before they expire, this is a good use for it. Personally, I would refrain from buying the annual pass with points.
Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.
