Exploring California’s mountains, deserts, forests and rivers can be done for free by kids who are ready to discover the world.
California State Parks partnered with First Partner’s Office and the Natural Resources Agency to create the California State Park Adventure Pass, allowing free access to 54 state parks to fourth graders, their families and friends.
This amenity comes after the governor’s signature of Senate Bill 129, which allocated $5.6 million for the State Park Adventure Pass itself. The bill also provided $3 million to create the State Library Park Pass Program, which provides free vehicle day-use passes to 200 state park units to library card holders.
To qualify for the California State Park Adventure Pass, fourth graders must reside in California. Fourth graders can be joined by up to three adults of 16 years of age and older as well as other children from ages 15 and younger in the vehicle. The fourth grade child must be present upon entrance to the park.
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Once at the entrance, the pass holder is entitled to a fee waiver for day-use, according to the terms and conditions. The fee waiver will be granted if the vehicle is a single, private, non commercial mode of transportation used to bring the fourth grade child to the state park unit.
The pass only covers day-use entry and is not valid for per-person entry or tour fees at parks that do not honor the pass. These are some of the parks in Southern California that honor the pass:
- Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- California Citrus State Historic Park
- Chino Hills State Park
- Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
- Fort Tejon State Park
- Los Encinos State Historic Park
- Mount Jacinto State Park
- Salton Sea State Recreation Area
- San Buenaventura State Beach
- Silver Strand State Beach
- Will Rogers State Historic Park.
The pass is valid for one academic year period during which the child is a fourth grader or fourth grade equivalent, from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 of that year.
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To request the pass, parents or guardians must be 18 years or older and create an account by calling (800) 444-7275 or going on ReserveCalifornia.com. Registration online requires full name, physical address, phone number and email address. The California State Park Adventure Pass will automatically be sent to email.
Another retrieval option includes visiting a State Parks Pass Sales Office. A list of locations can be found on their website.
You can check out all the parks that participate in this program here.
