4th graders get free admission to Prescott National Forest fee areas for a year

The Every Kid Outdoors annual pass provides fourth grade students, along with their families, friends and classmates, free access to Prescott National Forest (PNF) fee areas, along with more than 2,000 other federal recreation areas for a year.

The program encourages fourth graders to explore, learn, and recreate in spectacular settings, including national forests, parks, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries.

To obtain the free pass, fourth grade students should visit the Every Kid Outdoors website, participate in a short educational activity, and download a voucher. The voucher is valid for multiple uses between Sept. 1, 2019 and Aug. 31, 2020 to correspond to the traditional school year. The voucher may be exchanged for a plastic keepsake pass at participating federal lands offices including the Bradshaw Ranger District, Chino Valley Ranger District and Verde Ranger District.

The voucher or pass grants free entry for fourth graders, all children under 16 in the group and up to three accompanying adults (or an entire car for drive-in parks) to most federally managed lands and waters. The pass does not cover expanded amenity fees such as camping or boat rides.

The great outdoors make a great classroom. Fourth grade educators are encouraged to take advantage of the wide range of educational programs and tools associated with the Every Kid Outdoors program. Educational activities, field trip options, information and tools in English and Spanish, and the ability to print vouchers for passes for students are all available on the website.

The Every Kid Outdoors Program was established by Congress in 2019. It replaces the Every Kid in a Park Program which was launched in 2015. It is an inter-agency collaboration between 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.

Information provided by the Prescott National Forest.