Passport to the U.S. National Parks

Oh, the thrill of a new stamp in the passport.  It's a gratifying part of international travel that is sadly absent when touring domestically.  Yet when you take into account how large the United States is, it often feels that crossing into another state is like going into another country!

For you passport-stamp-hoarders out there, did you know that there is a passport for domestic travel in the United States?  Well, sort of.  The National Park Service has a "Passport to Your National Parks" program in which you can collect a stamp for every national park you visit!

(c) Thrifty Gypsy

The program originated in 1986, and I personally have participated (off and on) since 1995 when my parents purchased my first passport book.  The national park passport mimics a real passport book in shape and organizes the various U.S. national parks into nine different regions: North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, National Capital Region, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, Western, and Pacific Northwest/Alaska.  At each national park you visit, you can get a stamp "cancellation" in the corresponding section for the region - similar to what you receive at passport control when entering another country!  These stamps are usually located at the visitor center of the park, although sometimes it's found within the attraction itself (like at Fort Sumter, SC).  You can also purchase commemorate stamps (like the one of Appomattox and Gettysburg as seen in my own passport book, right) as additional bling for your passport book!

So far I've taken my passport book up and down the East Coast, but sadly forgot to bring it with me when we visited the Alamo in 2011.  (If anyone feels up to going there, changing the stamp's date back to June 11, 2011, stamping a random piece of paper and mailing it to me, that would be AWESOME!)  Like stamps in an actual passport, these stamps represent far more than a little bit of ink placed strategically on a page - it evokes memories and experiences that you will treasure for a lifetime.

The program is a great way for kids and adults alike to get excited about all the wonderful national parks in the U.S.  Next time you're visiting one, you should pick up your own passport book and start collecting your own memories!

Do you have a U.S. National Parks Passport Book?  Had you heard of this program before?

   

 

It's Travel Tuesday!  I've joined up with Van and Bonnie to link up with other travel bloggers!  Check out their sites for other travel bloggers or find others on Twitter with #TravelTuesday!