Several park, protected area, and cultural identity systems maintain programs similar to the United States NPS's "Passport to your National Parks," where visitors can log their visits by stamping a special booklet, like travellers log entry to a country in an international passport. Other systems maintain similar visit-and-collect programs with proof-of-visitation other than stamps. Implementation differs from program to program, but the goal of the activity in each place is the same: for visitors to collect unique stamps/sticker/rubbings/whatever
by visiting a particular place within a park, protected area, or cultural identity system.
Waymarks in this category must:
- be the sole location where proof-of-visitation can be acquired
- be part of a system of similar locations (typically more than five) intended for collectors
- be sanctioned by the park, protected area, or cultural location manager
- provide tangible evidence of a visit (such as a stamp or cancellation)
Example 1: The ideal waymark is a visitor center at a state park that has a unique stamp representing that park, which is intended to be stamped in a booklet alongside other such stamps at other parks in the system.
Example 2: A park store where you can buy a hat pin commemorating that park would not be eligible, unless that park is the ONLY place the pin could be purchased (thereby proving visitation), there are several other pins commemorating other parks (demonstrating that it is part of a system), and the other pins could only be purchased at their respective locations.
In the case of very large or geographically remote facilities, there may need to be more than one cancellation station, or the station may need to be located off-site. Potential waymarks with these or other extenuating characteristics will be taken on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the category managers with any questions.
Examples of Passport or other systematic programs include the following: