Admission at nearly half of California’s State Parks will be free on Friday, and thousands of day-use vehicle passes are available if you’d rather spend the day hiking or swimming instead of Black Friday shopping.
The Save the Redwoods League, California State Parks and the California State Parks Foundation are joining forces to provide 13,000 free vehicle day-use passes — while passes last.
“Green Friday” is an alternative event for those looking to spend the day after Thanksgiving outside of the mall or for people looking for an active way to burn off a post-meal food coma.
The free admission will be available at 116 of the 280 state parks.
“This is an opportunity for people to go outdoors and promotes an active and healthy lifestyle,” said Gloria Sandoval, deputy director of public affairs for California State Parks. “It gives people the opportunity to visit the parks for the first time, or revisit and enjoy the beautiful nature with friends and family.”
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest times of the year, according to Sandoval.
The passes will be issued on a first-come basis depending on each park’s capacity.
One pass allows entry into the park for one carload of visitors.
A limited number of free passes are available, and visitors are encouraged to make plans early.
Approximately 2,100 passes are still up for grabs including access to 12 California state parks in the Southland.
Depending on the park, the deal means visitors can save $6 to $15 in parking fees.
In Santa Barbara County, five state parks are participating in “Green Friday”: Carpinteria State Beach, El Capitan State Beach, Gaviota State Park, La Purísima Mission State Historic Park and Refugio State Beach.
Additional California State Parks celebrating include Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County and Kern County.
To find participating parks, reserve and print out passes, visit www.greenfriday.org.
This year marks the second annual “Green Friday” event.
“Families had a lot of fun last year, and we hope this year is successful too,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval urges visitors to check out safety tips before heading to a day of adventure.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.