Fifth grade students will have free access to national parks and public lands through Aug. 31, 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their ability to use the Every Kid Outdoors Pass for fourth graders.

“The Department will ensure that U.S. 5th grade students who may not have been able to make full use of the pass for part of the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will have free access to national parks and other Federal lands managed by the Department,” read an order issued by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt on Wednesday.

The pass, which students can print from the Internet, admits children under 16 and up to three adults for free. Families must show the pass to a ranger or leave it on the dashboards of their cars.

Bernhardt’s order applies only to entrance fees and standard amenity recreation fees. It does not cover other fees or charges for tours.

As part of the promotion, the Interior Department has created a voucher that fifth grade students must print and display as they would a regular pass.

AARP reported in September that although all national parks have reopened, visitation varies. Yellowstone saw a 2% increase in visitors in July over the previous year, while Acadia National Park in Maine experienced a 35% drop.

In Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park was closed in April, and had a 33% decrease in visits in March over the previous year.

Fifth-grade students will have free access to national parks and public lands through Aug. 31, 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their ability to use the Every Kid Outdoors Pass for fourth graders.

“The Department will ensure that U.S. 5th grade students who may not have been able to make full use of the pass for part of the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will have free access to national parks and other Federal lands managed by the Department,” read an order issued by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt on Wednesday.

The pass, which students can print from the Internet, admits children under 16 and up to three adults for free. Families must show the pass to a ranger or leave it on the dashboards of their cars.

Bernhardt’s order applies only to entrance fees and standard amenity recreation fees. It does not cover other fees or charges for tours.

As part of the promotion, the Interior Department has created a voucher that fifth grade students must print and display as they would a regular pass.

AARP reported in September that although all national parks have reopened, visitation varies. Yellowstone saw a 2% increase in visitors in July over the previous year, while Acadia National Park in Maine experienced a 35% drop.

In Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park was closed in April, and had a 33% decrease in visits in March over the previous year.