At some libraries. Maine State Park Pass library checkout (originated as a Friends of Maine State Parks pilot) runs in parts of Maine — call your branch before you drive. Verified against maine.gov, checked 2026-09-04.
| Program | Maine State Park Pass library checkout (originated as a Friends of Maine State Parks pilot) |
|---|---|
| What it covers | Vehicle Park Pass admitting up to 17 people in one vehicle to day-use facilities at Maine's 48 state parks and historic sites. Day-use only — does not include camping. |
| How to borrow | Check out from a participating library. Began in 2018 as a 10-library pilot (Friends of Maine State Parks); has since spread to additional individual libraries (e.g., Bangor, South Portland, China, Belfast, Thompson Free), each setting its own loan period (commonly 3 days to 1 week). |
| Day-use cost otherwise | Day-use vehicle fee at Maine state parks typically $4-$15 depending on park and residency. |
| Source | maine.gov · checked 2026-09-04 |
Not one unified statewide program — coverage and loan terms vary library by library, and most libraries hold only a single circulating pass (first-come-first-served, no advance holds/reservations).
Because Maine State Park Pass library checkout (originated as a Friends of Maine State Parks pilot) runs through participating libraries rather than every Maine branch, the first move is a call to your own library — if they hold passes, they check out like books, usually one per household with holds allowed. The borrowed pass covers vehicle Park Pass admitting up to 17 people in one vehicle to day-use facilities at Maine's 48 state parks and historic sites. Day-use only — does not include camping.. Camping, cabins and boat launches are a separate booking and fee — the pass never covers them.
Day-use entry in Maine runs about $4 per visit, so a family that day-trips five times over a season keeps roughly $20 by borrowing the pass instead of paying at the gate — and a twice-a-month hiking habit is $96 a year back in the budget. The pass costs exactly what the library card does: nothing.
Maine is one of 8 states in this situation. Traveling? Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland work the same way.
At participating libraries — Maine State Park Pass library checkout (originated as a Friends of Maine State Parks pilot) doesn't cover every system. Check out from a participating library. Began in 2018 as a 10-library pilot (Friends of Maine State Parks); has since spread to additional individual libraries (e.g., Bangor, South Portland, China, Belfast, Thompson Free), each setting its own loan period (commonly 3 days to 1 week).
Day-use vehicle fee at Maine state parks typically $4-$15 depending on park and residency.. That's what each borrowed-pass visit saves.
No — these programs lend day-use entry passes. Campsites, cabins and boat launches are booked and paid separately everywhere.