California Library State Parks Pass
How to get into State Parks for free!
In an effort to make the outdoors more accessible for all, the California Library brought out State Park passes for anyone to use. I love using them, and I worked in a library, so I can show you how to get one and how to use it!
To check them out, all you need is a library card from a California library. If you’re a resident of anywhere in California, most libraries will issue you a free card with just your ID and proof of address (both of which can be your driver’s license). If you’re from out of state, you may also be able to get a temporary card for a fee, but you’ll need to check with the individual library.
Once you have your card, you can check out a free pass! Just like a book, you get it for 2 weeks and then you need to return it so someone else can use it. There’s a barcode on the front that the State Parks will scan upon entry, but if you keep it past the library due date, it will be marked as “lost” in the system and will no longer scan. So you can’t keep it longer than those two weeks.
Your library should be able to provide you with a list of parks where it is eligible, but you can also check online. It’s over 200 parks and beaches, all across California. I borrowed one from Riverside County in Southern California, and I was able to use it at Huntington Beach, Torrey Pines and all the way up in the Redwoods of Northern California.
Note: this pass is not eligible for National Parks. Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Lassen Volcanic, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are all National Parks and require a different pass.
Once you have your pass, you can drive up to any State Park on the list and show them the pass on entry. The pass allows one passenger vehicle with up to nine passengers. They will either scan it or wave you through, and then you display it on your rearview mirror. And that’s it!
There’s no limit to how many times you can use it in the two weeks, so make the most of it! Once the two weeks are up and you bring it back to the library, you’ll be able to immediately check out another, depending on availability. They are used a lot during the summer and it can be harder to get one, so if you have plans, I recommend calling ahead to see if they have any or to put one on hold.
Where have you taken this pass? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments!