How paying parking fees at state parks, beaches makes a bigger difference than most people think.
By Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Jul. 16, 2024—Summer is here. You and everyone you know are probably planning beach days, redwood hikes, bike rides and other adventures at local state parks and beaches. Maybe you’re close enough to walk or bike to your favorite spots, or you are a pro at public transit. But most state parks visitors in our area this summer will be driving to their destination.
Once you get to your park or beach, please resist the temptation to park at highway turnouts or neighborhood streets. Instead, turn into the parking lot and pause at the kiosk to pay your $8-10 parking fee or flash your annual State Parks pass.
Why such a direct appeal to pay for parking? Simply put, our parks and beaches depend on parking fees. Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, a nonprofit operating partner of California State Parks, utilizes funds they collect from parking fees to preserve state parks lands, protect historic and cultural treasures, and support dynamic programs at more than 30 state parks and beaches in Santa Cruz and coastal San Mateo counties.
“The best way to ensure your favorite state parks and state beaches are supported is to pay for parking,” said Bonny Hawley, executive director of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. “Paying to park truly makes more of a difference than you may think.”
Here are five good reasons to support local state parks and beaches by paying to park:
1. Fund Local Programs
Funds collected from parking fees support educational programs at state parks and beaches — guided hikes, ranger talks and school field trips are made possible this way.
2. Keeping Your Backyard Beautiful
There are so many breathtaking views at state parks. For many locals, our state parks really feel like our own backyard.
So why pay to park and enjoy your own backyard? Because Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks uses its unique position as a nonprofit operating partner with State Parks to fund maintenance and emergency repairs in these special spaces.
Locals who pay for parking are helping to keep their “backyards” beautiful.
3. Get to the Fun, Faster
The official parking lots are located closer to the fun, whether that’s a trailhead, the beach, a beautiful vista or a picnic area. Save time and the hassle of hauling gear, kids or food to and from your destination.
Thanks to visitors who pay for parking, Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks has been able to invest tens of millions of dollars to support educational programs, visitor services and facilities repairs and improvements at local state parks and beaches since 1976. The simple act of paying to park represents a true commitment to ensuring these parks and beaches are there for us all - today and well into the future!
4. Easy Access to Facilities
In one word: access. Paying to park gives access to everything for all, regardless of mobility. There are any number of trails with wide, easy-to-access paths into the wild or straight to the bathrooms. Being near the water fountains, trail maps and picnic tables also is a nice way to start (or end) your visit.
5. Sense of Community and Security
When going to a state park, there’s a sense of partnership and community among visitors in the parking lot. Everyone is there to enjoy nature, feel the air on their face, snap photos of natural wonders, and share the experience with friends who have yet to discover a new state park.
Silly as it sounds, when folks are a part of that community in the parking lot, they look out for one another — letting someone know that they dropped a sweater, sharing snacks with a first-time visitor who forgot to pack enough food or calling out to someone because they forgot to close their car door. Also, State Parks staff frequent these parking lots, making them more secure than street-side parking.
Bonus reason: Friends employs all those friendly people who greet you from the kiosk when you pull into a state park or beach. By stopping to pay your parking fee, you get a smile, hello and answers to questions you may have. Enjoy your visit!
Visit the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks website to plan your visit to a local California State Park today. Make your state parks adventures easier with a Golden Poppy Pass. Valid at all local state parks and beaches. Shop now.
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