SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In honor of National Library Week, California State Parks is teaming up with public libraries statewide to make park passes available to anyone with a library card.
Readers can go to their local library's checkout and request a pass which allows for a free day of vehicle entry to any of the more than 200 state parks up and down California.
“Libraries are trusted community hubs where Californians know they can find what they need to work, play, and thrive,” California State Librarian Greg Lucas said in a press release. “This partnership with State Parks now allows Californians to ‘check out’ California’s great outdoors at their community library.”
The California State Library Parks Pass is part of a three-year pilot program starting this month aimed at establishing the passes on a rolling basis through May.
Library card holders will be able to hold onto the pass for a set number of days — then return the pass to the library for others to pick up. It's valid for one passenger vehicle carrying up to nine people, or a licensed motorcycle.
“Parks and libraries have the potential to be powerful symbols and agents for California’s open spaces,” California State Parks Director Armando Quintero said. “It is an honor to work side-by-side with the California State Library, Newsom Administration and partners to advance outdoor access to all Californians via public libraries.”
The park passes will be available at more than 1,100 public libraries statewide, and to increase accessibility, libraries in lower income areas are getting more passes.
As for what else people can do with their library card, the Sacramento Public Library system has dozens of non-book check out items. Like sewing machines, record players, telescopes and even cake pans for birthday parties.
For more information on the new California State Library Parks Program, head to CheckOutCAStateParks.com. For more information on all the new parks pass programs, please visit parks.ca.gov/CaliforniaOutdoorsForAll.
Click here for a list of parks not accepting library passes.
