Borrow a State Park Pass From Your Library
Pick your state and we'll tell you whether your library card gets you free state-park entry, what the pass actually covers, and how to borrow one — verified with each state's park agency or state library.
How this tool works
We checked all 50 states against official sources only — each state's park agency, state library, or the program's own page — because this is a topic where wrong information circulates widely. The best-known listicle on the subject still names states whose "programs" we could not find any official trace of.
- "Statewide" means an official program exists across the state's libraries (California State Library Parks Pass, Check Out Colorado State Parks) — not that every branch has a pass on the shelf today; most lend a limited number per branch, often with holds queues.
- Some states don't need a program. Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee and others don't charge day-use entry at state parks at all — a pass would be redundant, and we say so instead of inventing one.
- "None found" means exactly that. Where no official page confirms a program (Texas, as of our last check), we say none was found and show what entry normally costs — rather than sending you to a librarian who's never heard of it.
- Passes cover day-use, not camping. Nearly every program lends a day-use entry pass; campsites, cabins and special facilities still cost money everywhere.
Each state's entry links the official source and shows when we checked it (data last updated 2026-09-04).
Library state-park passes: all 50 states
| State | Library pass? | Program | Day-use cost otherwise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | None found | — | Daily entrance: $5 (ages 12-61), $3 (ages 4-11 and 62+), free age 3 and under; boat launch $4/boat. Annual passes: Individual $105, Family $230, Senior (62+) $80. |
| Alaska | None found | — | Daily day-use parking $5-$10/vehicle depending on park; annual day-use parking decal $60/vehicle. |
| Arizona | None found | — | Non-commercial annual day-use pass $200 (covers up to 4 people); day-use fees vary by park; gift cards up to $500 available for day-use/camping/tours. |
| Arkansas | Not needed — free entry | — | Free day-use entry statewide; fees apply only to camping/certain activities at some parks. |
| California | Yes — statewide | California State Library Parks Pass | Varies by park; typical day-use vehicle fee ~$5-$10. |
| Colorado | Yes — statewide | Check Out Colorado State Parks | Daily vehicle pass normally $7-$9 depending on park. |
| Connecticut | Some libraries | No Child Left Inside Library Pass | Parking free for CT-registered vehicles statewide; museum/historic-building admission otherwise charged at Dinosaur SP, Gillette Castle, and Fort Trumbull. |
| Delaware | Yes — statewide | Delaware State Parks Pass (via Delaware Libraries) | Daily entry fee normally charged per vehicle at most DE state parks (varies by park/season). |
| Florida | Yes — statewide | The Real Florida Reader | Varies by park; typical day-use vehicle fee roughly $2-$6. |
| Georgia | Yes — statewide | Library Loan Program (ParkPass) | Parking fee at GA state parks normally around $5/day. |
| Hawaii | None found | — | Non-residents: roughly $5/person entrance plus $10/vehicle parking at fee parks (e.g., Diamond Head, Ha'ena, Wai'anapanapa, 'Iao Valley); Hawaii residents free with ID. |
| Idaho | Some libraries | Youth Explorer Passes (ICfL/IDPR); individual-library "Park Pass Packs" | Day-use entry typically $5-$7/vehicle; Idaho State Parks Passport $10/year for Idaho-registered vehicles. |
| Illinois | Not needed — free entry | — | Free entry (except $1/person/day at beaches; Wildlife Prairie Park charges its own admission). |
| Indiana | Some libraries | Indiana State Library / DNR library park-pass offerings | Indiana state park gate admission roughly $7/vehicle for residents, higher for nonresidents. |
| Iowa | None found | — | No day-use entrance fee identified on official pages reviewed; camping/cabin/lodge fees apply for overnight stays. |
| Kansas | Yes — statewide | Kansas State Parks Library Program | Daily vehicle permit normally required at KS state parks (around $5). |
| Kentucky | Not needed — free entry | — | Free general park entry; select museums/tours/forts within parks charge $5-$18. |
| Louisiana | Yes — statewide | Check Out Louisiana | Varies by site; typical LA state park day-use fee a few dollars per person. |
| Maine | Some libraries | Maine State Park Pass library checkout (originated as a Friends of Maine State Parks pilot) | Day-use vehicle fee at Maine state parks typically $4-$15 depending on park and residency. |
| Maryland | Some libraries | Maryland State Park Pass (Anne Arundel County Public Library, in partnership with MD DNR) | Day-use entry typically a few dollars per person or per vehicle depending on park. |
| Massachusetts | Yes — statewide | DCR ParksPass | Day-use parking fee at MA DCR parks/beaches typically $5-$40 depending on site and season. |
| Michigan | Some libraries | Michigan Activity Pass (MAP) | Michigan Recreation Passport: $14/year added at vehicle registration ($9 for non-motorized/walk-in); daily entry without the passport roughly $11/vehicle. |
| Minnesota | Yes — statewide | Minnesota State Parks Library Program | Vehicle day permit normally $7; annual permit $35. |
| Mississippi | None found | — | Daily entrance $0-$4/person (children 5 and under free); annual entrance pass $50/person; ORV/horse trail use $8/day; mountain-bike trail use $5/day; special events $5-$50/person. |
| Missouri | Not needed — free entry | — | Free day-use entry statewide; camping/rental fees vary by site. |
| Montana | None found | — | Nonresident day-use: $8/vehicle or $4/walk-in, bicycle, or bus passenger; residents who add the $9 state-parks fee to vehicle registration pay no daily entrance fees. |
| Nebraska | None found | — | Not independently confirmed via official fetch (outdoornebraska.gov blocked the fetch); NE requires a vehicle park entry permit (daily and annual options) — confirm current pricing at outdoornebraska.gov/permits/park-permits/. |
| Nevada | Yes — statewide | Nevada State Parks Library Park Pass | Day-use entry is normally $5/vehicle (Nevada plates) or $10/vehicle (non-Nevada plates) at most parks; $10/$15 at higher-fee parks (Valley of Fire, Sand Harbor, Spring Mountain Ranch, Cave Rock, Spooner Lake); Ice Age Fossils State Park charges $3/person instead. |
| New Hampshire | Some libraries | NH State Parks library pass | Day-use fee normally about $4/adult, $2/child (varies by park; some parks add a separate reservation fee). |
| New Jersey | None found | — | Annual State Park Pass: $50 NJ resident / $75 non-resident (plus a $3 administrative fee); a second vehicle pass is $25 resident/$35 non-resident. Waives daily walk-in/parking fees at the NJ state parks & forests facilities that charge them (many facilities have no fee at all). |
| New Mexico | None found | — | Day use (as of Jan 1, 2025): $5.00 resident / $10.00 non-resident per vehicle; walk-ins and bicycles free. Annual Day-Use Pass: $75 resident / $150 non-resident. |
| New York | Yes — statewide | Empire Pass (library lending) | Most NY State Parks charge $6-$10/vehicle for day use; a full-season Empire Pass costs $80 for the 2026 season (discounts for renewal/digital-only; Lifetime Pass $750). |
| North Carolina | Not needed — free entry | — | Day-use entry: $0 at most parks. Annual Pass: $70 (reservoirs) / $100 (standard) / $200 (with 4WD beach access) — covers swimming, boat launch, and equipment-rental fees. |
| North Dakota | Yes — statewide | State Park Passes (ND State Library / ND Parks & Recreation Dept.) | $5/day standard vehicle entrance fee (waived by the pass). |
| Ohio | Not needed — free entry | — | $0 day-use entry fee at all Ohio state parks. |
| Oklahoma | None found | — | $10/day per vehicle at fee-charging parks (3-day, weekly, and annual options also sold); Annual pass $75 ($60 with OK or Oklahoma-tribal plates); OK residents 62+ (and spouse) and honorably discharged veterans get a 100% discount; certified totally disabled residents (and spouse) get 50% off. |
| Oregon | Yes — statewide | Borrow a Day-use Parking Permit (Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. / State Library of Oregon) | Day-use parking: $10/day (Oregon resident) or $12/day (non-resident); 12-month permit $60 (resident) / $75 (non-resident). |
| Pennsylvania | Not needed — free entry | — | $0 day-use entry fee at all PA state parks. |
| Rhode Island | Not needed — free entry | — | State park entry: $0. State beach parking: RI resident season pass $30, non-resident season pass $60; non-resident daily $12 (weekday) / $14 (weekend & holiday); 50% senior discount; disabled RI residents can get a free season parking pass. |
| South Carolina | Yes — statewide | Check Out SC | Not independently confirmed via official fetch (southcarolinaparks.com fees pages returned errors on the URLs tried) — SC state parks generally charge a modest per-person day-use admission at staffed parks; confirm current rates at southcarolinaparks.com. |
| South Dakota | Yes — statewide | Check Out South Dakota State Parks | Not independently confirmed via official fetch (gfp.sd.gov fee pages returned errors on the URLs tried) — SD normally requires a park entrance license (daily/annual); confirm current pricing at gfp.sd.gov. |
| Tennessee | Not needed — free entry | — | $0 day-use entry fee at all TN state parks. |
| Texas | None found | — | Texas State Parks Pass (annual): $70 for the primary cardholder; a second pass for someone at the same address is $25. Some parks charge no entry fee at all; day-use per-person fees vary by park (not listed on the pages checked). |
| Utah | Some libraries | Annual Park Pass Library Program (also called 'Check it Out') | Not specified on the official Passes page fetched; Utah sells Digital Day-Use, Annual Day-Use, Honor, and Veterans Adventure passes with a senior (65+) discount — confirm current dollar amounts at parkspass.utah.gov. |
| Vermont | Yes — statewide | Vermont State Park and Historic Site Passes Program | Not independently confirmed via official fetch this session; check vtstateparks.com for current day-use admission rates. |
| Virginia | Yes — statewide | Nature Backpacks | Not independently confirmed via official fetch (the DCR blog post did not list the standard parking/entry fee it waives) — see dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/annual-pass for current per-visit and annual pass pricing. |
| Washington | Yes — statewide | Check Out Washington | A standard Discover Pass costs $50.00/year (includes a $5 processing fee) or $11.50 for a one-day pass (includes a $1.50 processing fee). |
| West Virginia | Not needed — free entry | — | $0 day-use entry fee at all WV state parks. |
| Wisconsin | Yes — statewide | Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library | Not independently confirmed via official fetch this session (dnr.wisconsin.gov fee-page URLs tried returned errors) — confirm current daily/annual vehicle admission sticker prices at dnr.wisconsin.gov. |
| Wyoming | Yes — statewide | Wyoming State Parks Library Program | Resident annual day-use pass $48 ($42 during the Dec 1-Feb 15 Early Bird Sale); non-resident annual day-use pass $96 ($89 Early Bird). Confirm current single-day rates at wyoparks.wyo.gov. |
FAQ
Can I really borrow a state park pass from the library?
In many states, yes — an official program puts day-use park passes in circulation at public libraries, and you check one out like a book (typically for 1–3 weeks, one per household, holds allowed). Our state-by-state table shows which states have one, verified against official sources.
Which states have library state park pass programs?
As of our last check, 20 states run statewide programs (including California, Colorado, New York and Washington) and 8 more have official programs at some libraries. 10 states don't charge day-use entry at all, so no pass is needed.
What does a borrowed park pass cover?
Day-use entry — usually per vehicle — at participating state parks. Camping, cabins, boat launches and specialty sites are typically excluded, and a few flagship parks opt out of some programs. Each state page lists the exclusions we verified.
Do library park passes cost anything?
No — that's the point. A library card (free for residents) plus a hold is the whole price. The same table shows what you'd otherwise pay per visit, which in vehicle-fee states runs $5–$10 a day.
What if my state has no program?
Check the state page anyway: several no-program states have free-entry days, veteran or senior passes, or simply don't charge day-use fees at all. And some big-city library systems lend museum/attraction passes even where park passes don't exist.