Among the 2,700 acres of Acadia National Park on Isle au Haut are 18 miles of amazing hiking trails. Photo by Carey Kish

BAR HARBOR — Senators from Maine and Montana want the National Park Service to create a digitized version of a pass that provides access to hundreds of protected sites.

Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana said this month that a digital version of the “America the Beautiful” pass would be helpful for park visitors. The paper version of the pass provides access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.

The senators have made their case to National Park Service Director Charles Sams. They said a digital pass would be more efficient at some of the busiest parks in the system. They also cited the online entrance pass system at Acadia National Park in Maine as an example of a site where such an option has proven beneficial.

The senators said in a statement that visitors have ”grown to expect the convenience of modern technology during daily activities.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.