{"id":2424,"date":"2026-06-18T12:07:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2424"},"modified":"2026-06-18T12:07:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:07:33","slug":"california-offers-free-passes-to-more-than-30-state-historic-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2424","title":{"rendered":"California offers free passes to more than 30 state historic parks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><div><p>Visitors looking to learn about California history on a budget will be given free admission to more than 30 state historical parks through the rest of this year, including Sutter\u2019s Mill, where the Gold Rush began in 1848, Fort Ross on the rugged Sonoma Coast, the Bodie ghost town near Mono Lake and San Juan Bautista State Historic Park in San Benito County.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2413\">Man charged with killing estranged wife in San Jose while facing stalking charge<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The announcement Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom is intended to boost interest in California\u2019s historical sites to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday on July 4 and to highlight Juneteenth \u2014 the federal holiday every June 19 that was established in 2021 to mark the end of slavery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: 30+ events to celebrate Juneteenth this month<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Under the new program, anyone can download a state parks \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport can be used for free admission for up to four people to the  for the rest of this year.<\/p>\n<iframe allow=\"geolocation\" allowfullscreen=\"yes\" allowtransparency=\"1\" class=\"iframe\" height=\"800px\" id=\"6a33dd2005234\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=1KRXnyISzQoX4KdESBErRgakBK1K6WMg&amp;ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n<p>To download the pass, set up an account at reservecalifornia.com \u2014 the state parks department\u2019s website for reserving campgrounds \u2014 and go to https:\/\/reservecalifornia.com\/passes\/advancepasses.<\/p>\n<p>The free admission does not include all state parks.<\/p>\n<p>There are 280 state parks altogether, ranging from the towering redwoods at Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the \u201cBaywatch\u201d beaches of Southern California and the scenic shorelines of Lake Tahoe. Nor does the offer include every historic site in California\u2019s vast state parks system. Some locations like Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo County and Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, which are run largely through contracts with private concession companies, are not offering free admission.<\/p>\n<p>The full list is at <\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In making the announcement Wednesday, Newsom sought to contrast California with the Trump administration\u2019s stewardship of national parks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalifornia doesn\u2019t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history \u2014 in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,\u201d Newsom said. \u201cWhile Trump ignores and tries to rewrite the past, California is marking these celebrations of freedom by inviting everyone to learn our country\u2019s history \u2014 our real history \u2014 for free in our state parks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On March 27, 2025, Trump signed an executive order titled \u201cRestoring Truth and Sanity to American History.\u201d It ordered the removal of materials from national parks and museums that cast the United States\u2019 \u201cfounding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the months after, Trump administration officials removed hundreds of references, images and exhibits at national parks that referenced civil rights, slavery, the mistreatment of Indian tribes and climate change.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Among them are signs explaining climate change at Glacier National Park in Montana, where rising temperatures are melting the park\u2019s glaciers; exhibits at the Grand Canyon detailing abuses to Indian tribes as the West was settled; and an exhibit about the lives of slaves at Philadelphia\u2019s Independence National Historical Park.<\/p>\n<p>After environmental groups sued, however, a federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to restore the materials.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2411\">Dowd: Jeffrey Epstein haunts the White House<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHistory cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our nation\u2019s story,\u201d U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts wrote.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the Trump administration appealed the decision.<\/p>\n<p>Newsom also highlighted several other controversial Trump decisions Wednesday. Those included his decision to replace free admission to national parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth with free admission on Trump\u2019s own birthday; layoffs to national parks workers under Elon Musk\u2019s DOGE program cuts last year; and Trump\u2019s decision to put his own face on national park passes, instead of scenes of wildlife and scenic national park landscapes, as a 2004 federal law required. Trump also created a new fee structure at national parks, charging people who aren\u2019t U.S. residents $100 in addition to their entry fees when they visit many of America\u2019s most famous national parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Everglades and Sequoia Kings Canyon.<\/p>\n<p>Trump officials pushed back on Newsom\u2019s announcement Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGovernor Newsom\u2019s latest attempt to distract from California\u2019s homelessness crisis in state parks and failing schools, where fewer than one in three students are proficient in reading, isn\u2019t fooling anyone,\u201d said Matthew Middleton, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of the Interior. \u201cAs America approaches our 250th anniversary, the Trump administration is committed to celebrating the full story of our nation, not erasing or rewriting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans in Sacramento also criticized Newsom\u2019s framing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFree admission to a state park is nice,\u201d said George Andrews, a spokesman for the Republican Assembly Caucus in the state Legislature. \u201cMaking California affordable would be better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Environmentalists defended Newsom\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Visitors taking tour at the Empire Mine State Historic Park...\" class=\"wp-image-2415\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0b1628aa0963067f73da6aa1fbefac5a-1024x768.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0b1628aa0963067f73da6aa1fbefac5a-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0b1628aa0963067f73da6aa1fbefac5a-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0b1628aa0963067f73da6aa1fbefac5a-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0b1628aa0963067f73da6aa1fbefac5a-1536x1152.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0b1628aa0963067f73da6aa1fbefac5a.webp 1859w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Visitors taking tour at the Empire Mine State Historic Park on Saturday, September 29, 2018. The tours include a stop inside the mine, where guests can check out the skip, right, that transported miners into the depths of the earth. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Jackie Burrell\/Bay Area News Group)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The garden is filled with roses at Mission San Juan...\" class=\"wp-image-2416\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c291fe7932fd818084bc41d30aab412-1024x690.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c291fe7932fd818084bc41d30aab412-1024x690.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c291fe7932fd818084bc41d30aab412-300x202.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c291fe7932fd818084bc41d30aab412-768x517.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c291fe7932fd818084bc41d30aab412-1536x1035.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c291fe7932fd818084bc41d30aab412.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>The garden is filled with roses at Mission San Juan Bautista, in San Juan Bautista, Calif., which was founded in 1797. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Los Angeles Times photo by Christopher Reynolds.)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jay Talbert photographs an old wagon at the Bodie State...\" class=\"wp-image-2417\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5363970c5cf28df3f7f8e300bb179787-1024x672.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5363970c5cf28df3f7f8e300bb179787-1024x672.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5363970c5cf28df3f7f8e300bb179787-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5363970c5cf28df3f7f8e300bb179787-768x504.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5363970c5cf28df3f7f8e300bb179787-1536x1007.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5363970c5cf28df3f7f8e300bb179787.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Jay Talbert photographs an old wagon at the Bodie State Historical Park in Bodie, California, in June 2002. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Randy Pench\/Sacramento Bee\/MCT)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"At Adobe State Historic Park, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in...\" class=\"wp-image-2418\" height=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c36abf78bb9c80a7cdfbdf28fa6c5772-1024x602.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c36abf78bb9c80a7cdfbdf28fa6c5772-1024x602.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c36abf78bb9c80a7cdfbdf28fa6c5772-300x176.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c36abf78bb9c80a7cdfbdf28fa6c5772-768x452.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c36abf78bb9c80a7cdfbdf28fa6c5772-1536x903.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c36abf78bb9c80a7cdfbdf28fa6c5772.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>At Adobe State Historic Park, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Petaluma. Bailes de California, located along the Southern California central coast, were invited to the park\u2019s Fandango celebration to help teach 1800\u2019s era traditional dances to the general public. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year.(Kent Porter \/ The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Docents dressed in period costumes wait for a group of...\" class=\"wp-image-2419\" height=\"699\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a8aa8330066a988456840bf6d8a07c4-1024x699.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a8aa8330066a988456840bf6d8a07c4-1024x699.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a8aa8330066a988456840bf6d8a07c4-300x205.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a8aa8330066a988456840bf6d8a07c4-768x524.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a8aa8330066a988456840bf6d8a07c4-1536x1049.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5a8aa8330066a988456840bf6d8a07c4.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Docents dressed in period costumes wait for a group of schoolchildren at the front gate of Sutter&#8217;s Fort in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (AP Photo\/Steve Yeater)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Bodie State Historic Park in Bodie, California. The Gold Rush-era...\" class=\"wp-image-2420\" height=\"612\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c0607e10cba166ac6913902fd48dbf6-1024x612.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c0607e10cba166ac6913902fd48dbf6-1024x612.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c0607e10cba166ac6913902fd48dbf6-300x179.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c0607e10cba166ac6913902fd48dbf6-768x459.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c0607e10cba166ac6913902fd48dbf6-1536x918.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c0607e10cba166ac6913902fd48dbf6.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Bodie State Historic Park in Bodie, California. The Gold Rush-era mining town of nearly 10,000 people is now a ghost town. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u00e2\u0080\u0099s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u00e2\u0080\u009cHistorian Passport,\u00e2\u0080\u009d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00c2\u00a033 participating state parks\u00c2\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Marc Martin\/Los Angeles Times\/MCT)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People visit tables in a circle near the barracks during...\" class=\"wp-image-2421\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c73557beff473da02509061ccc1d34d4-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c73557beff473da02509061ccc1d34d4-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c73557beff473da02509061ccc1d34d4-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c73557beff473da02509061ccc1d34d4-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c73557beff473da02509061ccc1d34d4-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c73557beff473da02509061ccc1d34d4.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>People visit tables in a circle near the barracks during the Second Annual Women\u2019s History Crawl in celebration of Women\u2019s History Month at Sonoma State Historic Park in Sonoma, Saturday, March 7, 2026. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Darryl Bush\/For The Press Democrat)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tourists can be seen through the archway of The Pacific...\" class=\"wp-image-2422\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fc0ddc6057a7bfd84e8baf1445c709f7-1024x768.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fc0ddc6057a7bfd84e8baf1445c709f7-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fc0ddc6057a7bfd84e8baf1445c709f7-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fc0ddc6057a7bfd84e8baf1445c709f7-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fc0ddc6057a7bfd84e8baf1445c709f7-1536x1152.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/fc0ddc6057a7bfd84e8baf1445c709f7.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Tourists can be seen through the archway of The Pacific House, part of the Monterey State Historic Park near Custom House Plaza in Monterey, in September, 2019. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (James Herrera\/Monterey Herald)<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Cottage where Jack London lived with his wife Charmian...\" class=\"wp-image-2423\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4a408b7a32516c53272bc62caec99e60-1024x681.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4a408b7a32516c53272bc62caec99e60-1024x681.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4a408b7a32516c53272bc62caec99e60-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4a408b7a32516c53272bc62caec99e60-768x511.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4a408b7a32516c53272bc62caec99e60-1536x1022.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4a408b7a32516c53272bc62caec99e60.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>The Cottage where Jack London lived with his wife Charmian London at Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, Calif., on Monday, June 27, 2016. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Jose Carlos Fajardo\/Bay Area News Group)<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><button>Show Caption<\/button><div><span>1<\/span> of <span>9<\/span><\/div><div>Visitors taking tour at the Empire Mine State Historic Park on Saturday, September 29, 2018. The tours include a stop inside the mine, where guests can check out the skip, right, that transported miners into the depths of the earth. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday and highlight Juneteenth, anyone can download a state park&#8217;s \u201cHistorian Passport,\u201d which normally costs $50 a year, for free, starting on Friday and continuing until July 6. The passport provides free admission for up to 4 people to the\u00a033 participating state parks\u00a0for the rest of this year. (Jackie Burrell\/Bay Area News Group)<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cTrump is just trashing our national park system at every level \u2014 from who is admitted to them, to cutting funding and staff to turning them into political platforms,\u201d said Kier\u00e1n Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, which has sued to remove Trump\u2019s photo from the national park pass. \u201cIt\u2019s horrific. The national parks are the one thing that rises above politics. Everybody loves them. It\u2019s where you go to get away from all the politics. But Trump has tried to turn the ultimate unifying force in America into a divisive linchpin. It\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Newsom has a mixed record on state parks. He has funded programs to allow people to check out free state parks passes at libraries, and he recently established three new state parks in the Central Valley. Until 2024, when he established Dos Rios State Park near Modesto, California had not added any new state parks since 2009. Environmental groups have also noted the state parks budget has been flat and billions of dollars in deferred maintenance has accrued.<\/p>\n<p>Many praised Wednesday\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalifornia has such a rich history,\u201d said Rachel Norton, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, a non-profit group that contributed $20,000 to help fund the free pass program. \u201cThere are so many chapters you don\u2019t necessarily learn in school. Every Californian should know all the chapters of our history. There are so many great places that celebrate the contributions of so many folks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bob Doyle, former general manager of the East Bay Regional Park District, agreed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is an opportunity to tell the truth about history,\u201d he said. \u201cState parks has done a good job. National parks are struggling. The budget cuts, the decree by Trump to only say positive things about American history. You aren\u2019t telling the truth about history unless you tell all sides.\u201d<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2409\">Opinion: Why California is America\u2019s most Catholic state \u2014 and how it defines our politics<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Newsom contrasts California state parks system with Trump policies in national parks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>California offers free passes to more than 30 state historic parks - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2424\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"California offers free passes to more than 30 state historic parks - 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