The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday three-day weekend, Jan. 14-16, will be the first of 10 State Parks “free days,” when the Discover Pass will not be required of visitors. Most free days are in alignment with 2012 free days offered by the National Park Service.

 

The “free days” are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on state-managed recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 “free days.” The free days only apply at state parks. A Discover Pass still will be required to access DFW and DNR lands.

 

Following are the 2012 State Parks “free days:”

 

 Jan 14-16 — Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend
 March 18-19 — In honor of Washington State Parks’ 99th anniversary on March 19
 June 9 — National Get Outdoors Day
 Sept. 29 — National Public Lands Day

 Nov. 10-12 — Veterans Day weekend

 

For more information, visit the State Parks web site at www.parks.wa.gov. For information about the Discover Pass, visit online at www.DiscoverPass.wa.gov.