Lawmakers during this year’s legislative session approved raising the price of the annual state public lands pass to $45 from $30
Bill Lucia
Washington State Standard
Sales of Washington’s pass to access state parks and other recreation areas fell after an Oct. 1 price hike, but fee collections increased.
Figures presented to the state Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday show a 23% drop in the number of annual Discover Pass sales in October, compared to last year. Revenue from the passes climbed 16% year-over-year. Day pass sales and revenue slipped 2%.
The decline in annual pass sales was anticipated. Even with fewer sales, the state expects to bring in more money with this fall’s $15 price increase.
“Definitely in the annual pass, we did well for revenue,” said Laura Holmes, State Parks’ administrative services director, told the commission. “We’re right on track with projections.”
Lawmakers during this year’s legislative session approved raising the price of the annual state public lands pass to $45 from $30. Transaction fees can apply too, including a $5 charge for online sales. It was the first price increase since the pass system was established in 2011.
Discover Passes are required for motor vehicle access to state parks and other recreation sites. Combined with camping fees, revenue from the passes makes up about three-quarters of Washington State Parks’ income for the fiscal year that began July 1.
The agency predicts that Discover Pass sales will fall by an average of about 15% over the current two-year budget cycle.
Holmes noted the dip in October came after more people purchased passes in September, before prices went up.
“We were significantly over projections there,” she said, referring to September sales.
State Parks’ operating budget is about $258 million, and its construction budget is around $148 million. So far, the agency’s revenue is about $1.1 million, or 2%, ahead of expectations for this budget biennium, which runs through June 2027.
The agency saw its operating budget trimmed by nearly $15 million as lawmakers bridged a budget gap this year. Officials said that the cuts would not result in significant reductions in services or access for visitors to state-run park and recreation sites.
Some Discover Pass revenue also goes to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. But Washington State Parks receives the lion’s share. The figures in Wednesday’s report reflect overall revenue and sales for the passes, not just the portion going to State Parks.
The state park system is on track to have about 40 million annual visitors through the end of 2025, about a 1% increase over last year. State parks are separate from national parks and other federally-managed land open to recreational visitors in Washington.
Last week, State Parks announced 12 days in 2026 when visiting state recreation lands will be free, with no Discover Pass required. The first is New Year’s Day.
This report was first published by the Washington State Standard.
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