Bonus National Park Passport Stamps
Everybody likes to learn a new secret. There is just something about learning previously unknown information that just seems cool. Ever wonder about collecting secret bonus National Park Passport Stamps? Well, you are in luck.
During my quest in collecting all 430 National Park Passport stamps, I have not only found the ‘official’ stamp for the NPS units, but also a whole host of Bonus National Park Passport stamps as well. Follow along and we will break down a number of these ‘Special’ stamps and how to get them.
Table of Contents
What are Bonus Stamps?
Each of the 430 national Park Sites have their own official park stamp. Some larger locations, actually have multiple official stamps due to the sheer size and unique based on the location where you find the stamp.
Take Grand Teton National Park for example. There is an official National Park Service stamp for each of the major park visitor Centers. Coulter Bay has a stamp with the location and so does Jenny Lake. That way a park visitor can obtain their ‘stamp’ even if they miss going to one of the other locations. These aren’t exactly ‘secret’ or a ‘bonus’ stamp as they are known and established at the sites.
A ‘Bonus’ stamp is something different. This is a secret stamp that may have commemorated a special event or anniversary but has been out away behind a counter.
It can also just have a unique design, or image that is different than the standard circular stamp. Let’s break down some of the different stamps, show some examples and how you can discover these secret cancellation stamps for your collection.
How do you get these special stamps?
Sometimes these special stamps will already be out and available next to the stamp pad at the stamping location with the rest of the official stamps. Other times all you need to do is put a smile on your face, be polite and ask the nice Park Rangers if there are any other stamps behind the counter. Many times, since stamps have older fixed dates, they are ‘stored’ and not put out.
I have found that just being polite and accommodating goes along way. Most of the time the Park Rangers are eager to help and go out of their way to help you. That said, be considerate of their time. If it is really busy or they are understaffed, they may not be able help.
Guide to Bonus National Park Passport Stamps
Centennial Commemoration Stamps
Some specialty stamps help commemorate special centennial events. For example, the National Park Service was established in 1916 and to commemorate the 100-year anniversary special ‘fixed-date’ stamps were released for each national park site. The stamp shows ‘NPS Centennial’ on the bottom, the site location on the top and 1916-2016 in the center.
Additionally, specialty cancellation stamps were produced for the centennial of the 19th Amendment, in a similar fashion.
Special Anniversary Cancellation Stamps
Anniversaries for historical events are also a chance to find a new stamp. An example here is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which were provided to most Civil War Battlefields.
Some anniversary cancellation stamps are specific to an individual park. Glen Echo Park outside of DC has a dual anniversary stamp for 2021 commemorating 100th anniversary of their carousel and also 60th anniversary of desegregation. While Assateague Island has a 50th anniversary stamp.
Special Event Stamps
Some stamps are available to record a special event at the National Park unit. One of the most recent was the Solar Eclipse on April 8th. Special stamps were provided to NPS sites that were in the path of the eclipse.
Unique Stamp Set
A unique stamp set is for the Manhattan Project National historic Site. There are technically three sites in this unit, one in Oak Ridge TN, another in Palo Alto, NM and a third in Hanford, WA.
While they have the standard circular cancellation stamps, each site also has a special 1/3 stamp. When you put them all together, they show one complete picture. (I still have two more to get!)
Animal Stamps
Some locations also provide fun animal images. We found a treasure trove of these type of stamps at the Shark Valley Visitor Center in the Everglades National Park. My favorite so far is the alligator from Big Cypress National Preserve.
Image Stamps
One type of specialty stamps that are fairly common are companion ‘image’ stamps that go along with the circular unit stamp. Some of these are my favorite as they provide some variety to the collection.
There are several I like such as Devils Tower, Tower Falls from Yellowstone National Park, the dynamic image from Stones River National Battlefield and the special image stamp from Bighorn Canyon NRA.
Unique NPS Unit Stamps
There are a few sites that have a wholly unique stamp, some with a special image or design that can complement the standard circular unit stamp. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, Wind Cave National Park and Alcatraz have some unique stamps.
These are but a few of the different types of stamps that you can find at National Park Site. The best advice is the be vigilant, don’t be afraid to ask the park rangers and of course, be polite!
FAQs – Bonus National Park Passport Stamps
Where can I find a list of the locations you can get Stamps?
Eastern National is a non-profit group that runs the program and uses proceed to help the NPS provide educational services to visitors. They provide a stamp location list for the National Park System, National Heritage Area System and National Trails.
Is there a list of all the specialty cancellation stamps?
While Eastern National does communicate the listing of locations where you can find stamps, it does not provide a comprehensive list of all stamps out in the world.
The non-profit National Park Travelers Club does have a master database which is crowd sourced and managed by a dedicated group of volunteers. If you are serious about maximizing your stamp getting potential, I would highly encourage you to join the club. You will not only gain access to this amazing resource, but also be able to join forums with a like-minded stamping community!
What the best National Park Passport Cancellation book to use?
Choosing the Right Passport, whether it is the Classic, Collector’s Edition, Explorer Edition or Junior Ranger, can be a tough decision. Eastern National sells three ‘passport books’ that you can use as your own adventure journal, illustrating your journey and travels.
My preference is a combination of the Collector’s edition and the Classic. Check out my article on the Best National Park Passport Cancellation book to learn more!
Other Passport Cancellation Stamp Programs to consider
Lighthouse Passport Stamp Program
If you are a collector of National Park Passport stamps, you might have noticed intriguing lighthouses adorning some park sites on your travels. There is an entire Lighthouse Passport Program supported by the United States Lighthouse Society with these cool looking stamps.
The program offers a dedicated passport book where you can document your collection. With space for 60 stamps, it is a great way to memorialize your collection. Importantly, they ask for a small $2 donation when you collect your stamp, which directly supports lighthouse restoration and preservation projects.
Check out my Lighthouse Stamp article that explores the stamps, benefits, and how you can contribute to preserving these maritime structures.
State Park Passport Stamp Programs
Looking something more than the National Park Passport program? Did you know that there are also Passport stamp programs in 25 U.S. States?
Here are the first three programs are on the list:
- Arizona: Passport for Fun- A free passport book is available, and you can win a free Arizona state park annual pass as well!
- Arkansas: Called Club 52 for the 52 park sites in the program. Arkansas offers a free stamp book as well.
- California: Offers a digital app to allow you to track your progress to the largest number of state parks in the nations, 280.
See if your state is on the list:
