Annual Discover Pass cost set to increase in October

OLYMPIA — Starting Oct. 1, the annual Discover Pass will increase from $30 to $45, marking the first price hike since the program was implemented in 2011.

The Discover Pass is required to park vehicles at Washington's state parks and lands operated by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the legislation into law on May 17 after the bill passed the Legislature in April. Despite the fee increase, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will not see significant new revenue in the 2025-27 biennium.

"The revenue from these fees are a core funding stream to keep state parks open, staffed and operational," according to state officials. "Throughout the summer and early fall, we'll be updating our website and communicating to customers about the fee and other changes."

In response to the state's budget shortfall, lawmakers reduced general fund appropriations while adding new costs to the agency. Approximately 71% of the funding for State Parks will now come from earned revenue in the 2025-27 biennium, up from about 65% in the current budget cycle.

The legislation also modified requirements for off-road vehicles and made changes related to the Lifetime Disabled Veteran's pass. Details of these changes are available on the Discover Pass website.

Washington's state park system, established in 1913, predates the National Parks system. It manages 124 developed parks, 1,300 miles of trails, more than 6,000 campsites and over 2,700 facilities, including more than 800 historic buildings.

Despite overseeing the smallest acreage among state-managed lands agencies, Washington's state parks receive the most visitors — more than 40 million annually, including 39 million day-use visitors and 2.3 million overnight guests.

Approximately 82% of State Parks staff work on the ground to maintain parks and ensure they remain "open, clean, safe and fun for visitors," officials said.