Fees & Passes

 

Entrance Passes

FREE

No entrance pass required

 

An entrance pass is not required to access Fort Smith National Historic Site.

Other National Park Service sites may require an entrance pass or fee. Depending on your trip plans, an interagency pass may save you money. Fort Smith National Historic Site does NOT sell the Interagency Annual Pass, the Senior Annual Pass, or the Lifetime Senior Pass.

Fort Smith National Historic Site does issue four of the America the Beautiful National Park & Federal Recreational Land Passes to those who meet the requirements. These passes are the Military Annual Pass, Military Lifetime Pass, Access Pass, and 4th Grade Pass (Every Kid Outdoors).
 

Fort Smith National Historic Site issues ONLY the following free Interagency National Park Passes:

Interagency Military Annual Pass

Cost: Free

Available for:

The Annual Military Pass started in 2012 as a free annual pass for current U.S. military personnel and their dependents. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 (PL 117-81) codified the Annual Military Pass for current U.S. Military members and their dependents. The pass allows admittance to thousands of federal recreation areas managed by six federal agencies for a year from the issuance month. Dependents of the current military personnel may obtain their own Military Pass by showing the proper documentation described below in Qualifications.

Qualifications:

Current members of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Space Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard, Dependents of current U.S. military members, U.S. Military Cadets, U.S. Active Reservists (Reservists do not need to be deployed to be eligible).

Additional Information:

Find detailed information about this pass on the USGS Store webpage.
 

Interagency Lifetime Military Pass

On December 27, 2021, S. 1605 “The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2022” (PL 117-81) was signed into law. Section 641 of NDAA makes Gold Star Families and veterans eligible for lifetime passes to federal recreational lands. The NDAA for 2022 replaces DOI Secretarial Order 3387, which made veterans eligible for the Military Pass in 2020, and the NDAA for 2021 (P.L. 116-283), which included Gold Star Families in the Military Pass.

Cost: Free

Available for:

Gold Star Families with a valid Gold Star Family Voucher, US military veterans with a valid veteran ID. The Military Pass – Lifetime is issued to individuals with proper documentation at staffed NPS and FWS entrance stations and a limited number of visitor center and agency office locations. Some offices and visitor centers at USACE, USDA FS, BOR and BLM sites also issue the pass (as described in the Qualifications section below).

Qualifications:

Gold Star Families are next of kin to a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the United States Armed Forces. A veteran is identified as an individual who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and is able to present one of the following valid forms of identification when entering or using federal lands: Unexpired U.S. Department of Defense Identification Card (CAC Card, DD Form 2, DD Form 2765), Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. Driver’s License or identification card. The actual IDs listed above must be presented in person.
 

 

The Every Kid Outdoors Program and the Interagency 4th Grade Pass

The Every Kid Outdoors program, formerly known as Every Kid in a Park, provides all U.S. fourth-grade students and their families with free admission to thousands of federal lands and waters. The pass is valid from September 1 through August 31 of the following year. The paper voucher of the pass allows free entry for fourth graders and three accompanying adults (in a single, private vehicle) at participating federally managed U.S. sites. The Every Kid Outdoors program was launched on September 1, 2019, authorized by the Every Kid Outdoors Act (H.R. 3186). The program replaces the administratively established Every Kid in a Park, which was an initiative launched in 2015 to help connect with and create the next generation of park visitors. The Every Kid Outdoors program is an interagency program between 4 departments: Interior, Agriculture, Defense, and Commerce and 7 federal agencies – the National Park Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Forest Service.

Cost: Free

Valid for the duration of the 4th grader's school year through the following summer. (September-August)

To obtain the pass, a U.S. fourth-grade student must visit the bilingual Every Kid Outdoors Website to participate in a short educational activity. They can then download and print the paper voucher and bring it with them to visit public lands and waters nationwide. At certain participating sites, fourth graders can exchange the paper voucher for a durable plastic Interagency Annual Fourth Grade Pass. Either the paper voucher or the durable pass can be used for fee-free entry or day use.

NOTE: Digital versions of the paper voucher, such as on smart phones, are not accepted to exchange for an Annual 4th Grade Pass.

Additional Information:

Find detailed information about this pass on the Every Kid Outdoors website or the USGS Store webpage. Educators may help students obtain 4th Grade Passes, but do not qualify for a 4th Grade Pass.
 

 

Interagency Access Pass

The Interagency Access Pass is a free lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents, regardless of age, who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability that severely limits one or more major life activities. The Interagency Access Pass covers entrance or standard amenity day use fees at sites managed by six Federal agencies. It also provides the pass owner a discount on some expanded amenity fees such as camping. The Interagency Access Pass replaced the Golden Access Passport, which will continue to be honored for lifetime of the pass owner.

Cost: Free

Availability:

The Interagency Access Pass may be issued to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., regardless of age, that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability that severely limits one or more major life activities. To verify proof of U.S. Residency the visitor must show a valid Driver’s License, passport, birth certificate, or permanent resident card.

Proof of Disability:

A permanent disability is a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

Required Documentation:

To be eligible for the Access Pass, the visitor must have documentation of permanent disability, or if the applicant cannot produce documentation as listed below, she/he/they or an accompanying designee must read, sign, and date the Statement of Disability Form in the presence of the applicant and staff member issuing the pass.