The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to celebrate Spring and Earth Day with two free days at state parks in April. On free days, visitors don’t need a Discover Pass for day-use visits by vehicle.
The first free day is Saturday, April 14—a springtime free day. The next free day is Sunday, April 22, in honor of Earth Day.
The free days are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass. The pass costs $30 for an annual pass or $10 for a one-day permit and is required for vehicle access to state recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 “free days” when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. The free days apply only at state parks; the Discover Pass is still required on WDFW and DNR lands.
The remaining 2018 State Parks free days are as follows:
- Saturday, June 2 — National Trails Day
- Saturday, June 9 — National Get Outdoors Day
- Sunday, June 10 — Free Fishing Day
- Saturday, Aug. 25 — National Park Service Birthday
- Saturday, Sept. 22 — National Public Lands Day
- Sunday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
The Discover Pass provides daytime access to parks. Overnight visitors in state parks are charged fees for camping and other overnight accommodations; day access is included in the overnight fee. For information about Discover Pass, visit www.DiscoverPass.wa.gov.
