Washington State Parks announces final free days of 2020

OLYMPIA—Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will offer its two final free days of 2020 in November. On these free days, day-use visitors will not need a Discover Pass for vehicle access.

The last two free days of 2020 are Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Friday, Nov. 27.

Since free days were first established in 2011 by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, designated Nov. 11, Veterans Day as one of its free days to honor those who served in the armed forces. In 2017, the agency set aside the Friday after Thanksgiving as a free day to encourage people to visit a state park in autumn.

Free days apply only to day-use access by vehicle, not overnight stays or rented facilities.

State Parks free days are part of the legislation passed in 2011 that created the Discover Pass, which costs $30 annually 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). The Discover Pass legislation directed State Parks to 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.