The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will again offer 12 free days next year. On free days, day-use visitors won’t need a Discover Pass to visit state parks by vehicle.
State Parks free days are keeping with 2011 legislation that created the Discover Pass, which costs $30 annual or $10 for a one-day visit. The pass 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).
State Parks, in coordination with WDFW, will once again offer a free day on Sunday, June 13, as part of WDFW’s Free Fishing Weekend. This day, combined with the June 12 free day for National Get Outdoors Day, will give visitors an entire weekend to explore state parks for free.
The 2021 State Parks free days are:
Friday, Jan. 1 — First Day Hikes; New Year’s Day
Monday, Jan. 18 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Friday, March 19 — State Parks’ 108th Birthday
Saturday, April 3 — Springtime free day
Thursday, April 22 — Earth Day
Saturday, June 5 — National Trails Day
Saturday, June 12 — National Get Outdoors Day
Sunday, June 13 — Free Fishing Day
Wednesday, Aug. 25 — National Park Service Birthday
Saturday, Sept. 25 — National Public Lands Day
Thursday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
Friday, Nov. 26 — Autumn free day
—The Reflector
