Sacramento, CA–California State Parks is honoring the service of U.S. veterans, as well as active and reserve personnel, by offering free admission to 132 select state parks on Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
“State Parks thanks our nation’s service members for their bravery, sacrifices, and dedication in answering the call of duty,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “We invite all military veterans – past and present – along with their families to visit state parks for free and enjoy the beauty of these public lands.”
Assembly Bill 150 (Olsen), signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in 2013, authorized California State Parks to offer veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the National Guard of any state a reduced fee or free day use at participating state parks.
Some of the participating park units include the California State Railroad Museum and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park along with state vehicular recreation areas such as Carnegie, Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch, and Hungry Valley.
The park units that honor historic military sites or veterans from the Mexican American War to the Cold War include Angel Island State Park, Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, Fort Ross State Historic Park, Fort Tejon State Historic Park, and Mount Diablo State Park.
Visitors are advised to recreate responsibly, plan ahead and visit the webpage or social media account of their outdoor destination to find out what is open and what visitor guidelines are in effect. And remember to safely share the road. Be prepared for equestrians, pedestrians, joggers, and wildlife on the roadways.
A full list of the participating park units can be found online at parks.ca.gov/VeteransDay2022. In order to enter the park units for free, a valid military ID or a California driver’s license identifying the individual as a veteran must be shown to park staff.