Fourth Graders Get a Free Year of National Parks Through Every Kid Outdoors
The federal program hands every fourth grader in the country a free annual pass covering their whole family, and Palm Beach County families don't have to travel far to use it
Families with a fourth grader have access to one of the better-kept secrets in family travel: a free, year-long pass to hundreds of federal parks, forests, and wildlife refuges nationwide, courtesy of the National Park Service's Every Kid Outdoors program.
The pass is available to any fourth-grade student, including homeschoolers and equivalent age-based programs. Getting one is simple: students visit EveryKidOutdoors.gov, complete a short educational activity, enter their zip code, and either print or download a digital pass. The pass runs from September 1 through August 31 of the following year, covering the entire fourth-grade school year plus the summer after. At sites with per-vehicle fees, it covers everyone in one car; at sites charging per person, it typically covers the student plus up to three accompanying adults.
Local families don't need to plan a cross-country trip to put it to use. The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, headquartered just seven miles west of Boynton Beach at 10216 Lee Road, spans more than 145,000 acres of Northern Everglades wetlands and is home to 257 species of birds along with dozens of mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. Visitors can explore a half-mile boardwalk through cypress forest, paddle a 5.5-mile canoe and kayak trail, or hike trails around the refuge's water impoundments, with kayak and canoe rentals available on site.
The pass doesn't cover extras like camping, boat tours, or special ranger-led programs, and it must be printed or shown as a digital pass, not just displayed on a phone screen at check-in.
For families willing to drive a bit farther, South Florida is home to several other federal sites where the pass applies:
Everglades National Park (Homestead/Naples entrances) — the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S., known for airboat tours, wildlife viewing, and the Shark Valley tram loop; $35 per vehicle without the pass.
Big Cypress National Preserve (Ochopee, along the Tamiami Trail) — swamp boardwalks, scenic drives, and alligator sightings at the Oasis Visitor Center; free entry.
Biscayne National Park (Homestead) — the largest marine park in the National Park System, with snorkeling, kayaking, and coral reefs; free entry, though most of the park is accessible only by boat.
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge (Martin County) — a coastal refuge with beach and scrub habitat just north of Palm Beach County.
You can find more information at Every Kid Outdoors.
