National Parks with Senior Pass
 

We are going to Arches and Canyonlands in October. We have the lifetime Senior Pass. Can we get into the park without waiting in a long line? We were able to bypass the line in our local Shenandoah park. Thank you!

You must still pass through the gate at the entrance, so wait time will depend on how many cars are in front of you.

Of course, you can also arrive before the gates are manned (8 am when we were there), and breeze right through. I seem to recall that at Canyonlands there was no gate per se, people without passes had to go into the Visitor's Center to pay.

As I recall, there is not a separate line at Arches for senior passholders. Right now, Arches has a warning up on their website that between 7a - 2p there are long waits. They've been turning people away as early as 7:30am. October is still a pretty busy time for that park, so check their website and plan your visit timing accordingly.

There have been reports of long lines mid-day at Canyonlands Island in the Sky section this year too. I think people getting turned away from Arches are heading over there. As far as I know there isn't a way to bypass either line.

Arches, North and South Rim Grand Canyons have a back road entry. Check your maps.
North Rim requires high clearance vehicle.