“California State Parks is proud to offer free admission on Veterans Day to all active military personnel and veterans as gratitude for their service. We welcome veterans to the amazing natural and cultural resources of our state’s parks,” said California State Park’s Director Lisa Mangat.Participating state parks include: 134 parks that are accessible with the “California Explorer” Annual Pass; the California State Railroad Museum; and eight State Vehicular Recreation Areas. Veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel must show a valid military ID in order to receive free admission.
These include many parks that honor historic military sites or veterans from the Mexican American War to the Cold War, including:
- Angel Island State Park
- Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
- El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
- Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
- Fort Ord Dunes State Park
- Fort Tejon State Historic Park
- Marconi Conference Center
- Mount Diablo State Park
- Point Sur State Historic Park
- San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park
- Sonoma State Historic Park
AB 150 (Olsen), signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. in 2013, authorizes California State Parks to offer veterans, active duty, and reserve military personnel from the United States Armed Forces and the National Guard of any state a reduced or free-day use at participating state parks.
Responsible for almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, the California State Park system includes 280 parks, beaches, trails, wildlife areas, open spaces, off-highway vehicle areas and historic sites. It consists of approximately 1.59 million acres, including over 339 miles of coastline, 974 miles of lake, reservoir and river frontage, approximately 15,000 campsites and alternative camping facilities, and 4,456 miles of non-motorized trails.
To learn more about California’s state parks, please visit www.parks.ca.gov or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Source: CA. State Parks
