California State Parks is honoring the service of veterans, as well as active and reserve personnel, by offering free admission to 144 state parks on Monday, November 12, in observance of Veterans Day. Veterans, active duty and reserve military must show a valid military ID in order to receive free admission.
“We are proud to be able to honor our veterans and active/reserve military personnel for their service and sacrifices they have made for our country,” said California State Parks Director Lisa Mangat. “We invite them to wear their uniforms with pride while exploring and enjoying our beautiful parks with their families and friends.”
Free admission will be provided at 134 state parks accessible with the “California Explorer” Annual Pass, the California State Railroad Museum, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and eight state vehicular recreation areas (view list).
Participating parks include sites that honor historic military sites or veterans from the Mexican American War to the Cold War, such as:
- 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 Ross State Historic Park
- Fort Tejon State Historic Park
- 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, authorized 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.
California’s 280 state parks and the recreational programs supported by the department are a gateway to the well-being of environments, economies and all people. They offer the opportunity for families, friends and communities to connect through various recreational opportunities such as off-highway motor vehicle recreation, boating activities, horseback riding, on and off-road cycling, hiking, camping, rock climbing, tours, school group enrichment and special events.
The department encourages visitors to explore the outdoors safely and responsibly, and to share their photos and videos on social media with the following hashtags – #LivetheParksLife and #InventYourAdventure.
