Give the gift of the great outdoors this holiday season with an annual Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit. From Dec. 1-31, visitors and holiday shoppers can buy them for only $25–that’s $5 off the regular price of $30. Purchasing these passes is easy–buy them online at https://store.oregonstateparks.org, along with branded holiday gift gear, such as portable coolers, water bottles and baseball caps. Parking costs $5 a day at 26 Oregon State Parks unless you have a 12- or 24-month parking permit or a same-day camping receipt. The 24-month pass is $50. The permits are transferable from vehicle to vehicle. “Our December sale is the only time we discount the annual parking permit,” said Lisa Sumption, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) Director. “These make a great gift. Your family and friends will thank you for a year of unlimited playing, hiking and picnicking.” The Oregon Coast Passport is also discounted $5 in December. The passport is a multi-agency product, valid at Oregon State Parks, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service sites along the Oregon coast. The coastal passports are on sale for $30–regularly $35–in December. The OPRD parking permits and Oregon Coast Passport can be purchased at major Oregon State Parks offices, some state park friends’ group stores and local businesses throughout the state. For a complete list of vendors, visit http://oregonstateparks.org. First time members of the nonprofit Oregon State Parks Foundation (http://www.oregonstateparksfoundation.org/membership/) receive a free 12-month permit at the $45 membership level or above. Visitors are the single largest source of funding for Oregon’s state parks. Revenue from RV registrations and the Oregon Lottery, dedicated by voters in 1998 and 2010, make up the rest.
