I too I am doing the Vegas-Grand Canyon Cap. Reef, Bryce, Zion Loop March 21 to 30. I have been following several threads. Have not found the answer to this question. Can you buy a pass for all Nat. Parks and another one for Utah State Parks? And how is Hwy 12 from Cap. Reef to Brice we are driving that on the 26th, is that road cleared if it snows? We will have a 4x4 and we travel mountian roads all the time.

For info on the $50 National Parks Pass go to http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm

to the top

About Utah State Park passes:

Twenty seconds after doing a Yahoo search for

+"utah state parks" & +fees

I got this URL:

www.utah.com/places/state_parks/fees.htm

where it says that an annual pass for all Utah State Parks is $65 and a five day entrance pass is $15

Thanks

A yearly pass to all the National Parks nationwide plus Nation Monuments (like Mt. Rushmore) is $50. A huge savings if you in more than 3 in a year. Daily Natl Parks admission varies & the more popular can be $20 for a 3 day pass, plus camping fees.

Highway 12 is incredible with the most unique scenery you will ever see. It should be fine at the end of March.

Have a great time. You'll love southern Utah.

FYI:

Apparently the National Parks pass won't help at Mt Rushmore. According to the official NPS website, the $8 fee for Mt Rushmore is a "parking fee", not a federal entrance fee", so you still have to pay (www.nps.gov/moru/pphtml/feespermits.html).

Not trying to be objectionable, but such details can make a difference when deciding if a NP pass is economical. Even though I plan to visit at least 6 major parks/monuments this year, I'll just barely recoup the $50 I paid for a pass.

There is a listing of parks and fees at:
165.83.219.77/parksearch/alphabetical/parklist2.cfm#G

Regarding Mt. Rushmore Memorial and Fees (and I'm paraphrasing from memory an article from this summer; please excuse my lack of details):

Since the scupture's controversial "finish" and inclusion into the National Park Service, the state of South Dakota established a volunteer/donation/nonprofit service to provide the funds for parking lots and general groundskeeping. Parking and admittance was free. When formally taken over and rededicated by the Park Service in 1990 or '91 (George Bush Sr. presiding at the ceremony -- I'm not making a political statement, just pointing out the timeframe), the donations that went to support the parking facilities all went to the new (and uninspired) facility architecture.

The park (memorial) is still free to the public admittance. There is still free parking in the older overflow lots; it's just a little more of a walk to get to the main gate. (But NOT as long as a line to space mountain in DisneyWorld!) The SD nonprofit organization built a parking garage structure and this is the 2nd (or 3rd?) year in operation and with a fee.

As far as economical to purchase a parks pass? The card won't do special attractions such as horseback riding, extended cave tours, BLM trails (discounted at some), etc.; mostly just park admittance.

I too have hit 6 parks this last year, and was just at Zion and Bryce Canyons last week. I would have shelled out $20 at Zion and another $10-20 at Bryce if I didn't have my Parks card. So it's been an economical year (for me, anyway) with the Badlands (2 going on 3 visits this year), Pipestone, Wind Cave, Mammoth Cave, and Death Valley.

Have fun!