Annual passes for Lake Mead now available

For those still searching for a holiday gift, Lake Mead National Recreation Area 2014 annual vehicle and vessel passes are now on sale.

The 2014 passes went on sale this week for $30 each. The pass offers an opportunity to explore the park year-round. Visitors can spend time outdoors fishing, hiking, camping or sightseeing in the America’s largest national recreation area.

America the Beautiful Passes also are available for $80 each. They provide access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation. A pass covers entrance and standard amenity fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or as many as four adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 or younger are admitted free.

Active duty U.S. military members may receive a one-year America the Beautiful Pass at no charge, and seniors (62 or older) can purchase an America the Beautiful Lifetime Senior Pass for a one-time fee of $10.

All passes are available at entrance stations and Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park headquarters in Boulder City, 601 Nevada Way.

All 2013 passes will expire Jan. 1.