If your New Year’s resolution is to get outside, you’d do well to snap up a few park passes this winter.
Annual park passes, available for virtually every park and trailhead that charges an entry fee, can be a great way for regular visitors to save money — as well as a good motivator for those who need a nudge to go more often.
The passes, which range in price from $25 to $80 per year, are typically available from individual land management agencies like Oregon State Parks, the National Park Service or Metro. A few do offer coverage across multiple agencies or states, though they may be confined to a specific region or activity.
The Cadillac of annual park passes is the America the Beautiful Pass, which covers all federal lands in the U.S. for $80. The same pass is free for U.S. military families and veterans, as well as those with disabilities. Anyone over 62 years old can buy the Senior Pass, which also cots $80 but lasts a lifetime.
As so many aspects of travel get more expensive, these annual park passes have remained the same price in recent years. That includes the Oregon State Parks Pass, which will once again cost $30 for one year and $50 for two, even as the agency increases daily parking fees in 2025, from $5 to $10 per vehicle.
While these annual passes might not make financial sense for those who pop into the parks once or twice per year, for regular visitors they offer a remarkable deal.
Stargazers gather at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park for a star party on July 13, 2024.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
OREGON STATE PARKS PASS
Where it’s accepted: The 25 Oregon state parks that charge a parking fee, including Smith Rock, Silver Falls and Fort Stevens state parks.
Price: $30 for one year, $50 for two years.
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, at most major state parks, or from vendors around the state.
DISCOVER PASS
Where it’s accepted: All state recreation lands in Washington, including all Washington state parks.
Price: $35 for one year.
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, at some state parks, or from vendors around the state.
NORTHWEST FOREST PASS
Where it’s accepted: All open U.S. Forest Service recreation sites in Oregon and Washington that charge a day-use fee, including most trailheads and day-use areas.
Price: $30 for one year.
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, at U.S. Forest Service offices, or from vendors around the Northwest.
Horsetail Falls plunges into a pool on the side of the Historic Columbia River Highway in the Columbia River Gorge. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASS
Where it’s accepted: All federal recreation sites in the country, including national parks and land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
Price: $80 for one year.
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, or at local federal land management offices.
METRO PARKS PASS
Where it’s accepted: All parks and natural areas managed by Metro that charge parking fees, including Oxbow Regional Park and Broughton Beach.
Price: $40 for one year, $80 for two years
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, or at the Blue Lake or Oxbow park offices.
OREGON SNO-PARK PASS
Where it’s accepted: All sno-parks in Oregon when parking fees are charged, from Nov. 1 to April 30, as well as sno-parks in California and Idaho.
Price: $25 for one year.
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, at Oregon DMV officers or from vendors around the state.
A fallen tree affords a view of Mount St. Helens from the Warrior Point Trail on the northern tip of Sauvie Island. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
ODFW WILDLIFE AREA PASS
Where it’s accepted: All wildlife areas managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, including those on Sauvie Island and around eastern Oregon.
Price: $30 for one year
Where to buy one: Buy a pass online, at ODFW offices or from vendors around the state.
OREGON PACIFIC COAST PASSPORT
Where it’s accepted: At 16 state and federal park sites on the Oregon coast, including Fort Stevens State Park, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
Price: $35 for one year
Where to buy one: From select vendors on the coast, including state parks, BLM and U.S. Forest Service headquarters.
--Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB.