Here’s How You Can Visit 200+ California State Parks for Free

Exploring California’s state parks doesn’t have to come with an entry fee, and for many residents, the key to free access is sitting at the local library.

Through the California State Library Parks Pass, anyone with a library card can check out a pass that covers day-use vehicle admission at more than 200 state parks across the state. The pass works for one car carrying up to nine people or a street-legal motorcycle and is borrowed like any other library item, with checkout periods set by each location.

Since launching in 2021, the program has grown rapidly. What started with just 5,000 passes has expanded to more than 33,000 passes now circulating at over 1,100 libraries statewide. Its popularity recently earned a major boost, with $6.75 million in state funding securing the program through the end of 2026.

Library officials say these passes are among their most in-demand items — proof that cost remains a major obstacle for many families hoping to visit state parks. In fact, a recent survey found nearly two-thirds of Californians cite admission fees as the main reason they don’t go more often.

To help close that gap, California also offers other discounted access options, including the Adventure Pass for fourth graders and their families and the Senior Golden Bear Pass for residents 62 and older.

For Californians eager to hike, beachcomb, or wander redwood forests, the path to the outdoors may start with a library card.