COLUMBIA, S.C. — Veterans Day has come and gone, but South Carolina veterans who want to spend time outdoors can still get in free at most federal sites around the state, and those with a service-connected disability can skip the gate fee at every state park.
On the federal side, anyone who served in the military, Guard and Reserve service included, qualifies for a free Military Lifetime Pass, as do Gold Star families who lost a service member. Current troops and their dependents can get a free annual version. The pass covers entrance and day-use fees on lands run by the National Park Service and other federal agencies such as national forests and wildlife refuges.
Veterans can pick a pass up in person by showing a Defense Department ID, a Veterans Health card, a VA veteran ID or a driver’s license with a veteran designation. A digital copy is free online, with a $7.50 charge to mail a plastic card. The pass admits the holder plus everyone in one private vehicle, but it does not cover camping, tours or concession charges.
In South Carolina, the pass matters less than in many states, because nearly all nine National Park Service sites here charge nothing to begin with. That includes Congaree National Park, the 27,000-acre swamp forest south of Columbia, along with Revolutionary War sites at Cowpens, Kings Mountain and Ninety Six.
The exception is in Charleston Harbor, where Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie carry a $10 fee. The pass waives that charge, but the boat ride out to Fort Sumter is extra, at $43 for adults and $39 for active-duty members. The pass is more valuable on trips out of state, such as the parking fee at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which runs $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year.
South Carolina’s 51 state parks work differently. State law lets disabled veterans in free if they show a card from a county veterans affairs office confirming the disability. Other veterans pay regular fees. Active South Carolina National Guard members can buy the all-parks pass, normally $99, at half price.
Sen. Jeff Zell, an Air Force veteran and Republican from Sumter, filed a Senate bill this year that would have opened state parks free to every veteran, but it never got a committee hearing.