Wondering how to afford a trip to a WA state park? This awesome freebie could help

With gas prices soaring, some families might be rethinking their summer road trip plans.

And that would be a shame, especially if they were planning a getaway that would reduce screen time and get the kids exploring outdoors.

So here’s a tip that might help — head to the library and check out a Discover Pass which will get you into a Washington state park for free.

That’s right. Free.

You can have the pass for at least a week. If there are no holds, you can renew it for longer.

This is a terrific program designed to introduce people to Washington’s fantastic park system, which includes beaches, mountains, forests, waterfalls, caves, historic sites and more.

Seriously, our state has so much varied beauty it truly is amazing.

But unfortunately not everyone has the means to appreciate it. That’s why the Check Out Washington program was launched.

It started in 2019 at 39 libraries as a pilot partnership between the Washington State Parks Foundation, the Washington State Library and other state agencies.

In 2020 the program expanded to 109 libraries. Then the Legislature approved $35,000 a year for the program starting in 2021. This infusion helped fund two special Discover Passes for any library outlet in the state that wanted them.

In addition, the Washington State Employees Credit Union has contributed $52,000 to the program and has pledged an additional $40,000 for next year.

Currently, the Mid-Columbia Library has 24 Discover Passes that can be checked out at any one of its 12 branches, and the Richland Public Library has two Discover Passes in its system.

Your best bet is to go online and reserve your pass. As of Friday, the two passes at the Richland Public Library were checked out and there was a short waiting list.

However, there were several still available at the Mid-Columbia Library — for the moment.

We imagine that with the summer weather and word spreading, it might not be long before these are also all checked out. But that’s a good thing. We would rather see a solid demand for the program than little interest.

And waiting for a free Discover Pass is still better than not visiting a state park at all.

The pandemic kept children, teens and adults isolated and cooped up. It’s time to reintroduce ourselves to nature.

Too much screen time has been a problem for a long while, and the lockdown during COVID certainly didn’t help.

Nationally, kids ages 8-18 now spend, on average, 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day — and 4.5 of that time is spent watching TV, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And that’s just the time they spend in front of a screen for fun. It doesn’t include the time they spend on the computer for school.

With smart phones, streaming services that encourage binge watching and all other forms of electronic distraction, it’s no wonder many kids — and adults — aren’t getting the exercise they need.

The CDC recommends kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day — but there’s a high percentage that aren’t getting that, especially teenagers. An estimated 77% of high school students don’t get enough aerobic physical activity, which sets them up for obesity and a whole list of other health problems.

If kids aren’t introduced to the joys of walking trails and exploring nature when they are young, when they get older they may not even know what they’ve been missing.

Typically, the Discover Pass costs $30 for the whole year and $10 for a day trip.

For a lot of families, the cost for the pass isn’t a deal-breaker.

But for some people — especially those who are struggling with the rising costs of groceries and gasoline — any little bit of financial relief is welcome.

So we are spreading the word about this freebie that encourages people to explore some of the great natural highlights in Washington state.

We hope it makes a difference and gives families the nudge they need to get outside and visit some place new and extraordinary.

This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 10:19 AM.