WA State Parks schedules free days and New Year hikes

A hike at Nolte State Park is scheduled for Jan. 1.

November 14, 2025 1:45 pm
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The 1.5 mile trail at Nolte State Park is mostly flat, with a steep incline at one point. Still, it’s good for beginners. Photo courtesy Washington State Parks
The 1.5 mile trail at Nolte State Park is mostly flat, with a steep incline at one point. Still, it’s good for beginners. Photo courtesy Washington State Parks

Editor’s note: The following is a combination of press releases from Washington State Parks.

Washington public land agencies have designated the 12 days of 2026 when no Discover Pass is required to park at Washington state parks, or on land managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

FREE DAYS:

  • Thursday, Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day and First Day Hikes
  • Monday, Jan. 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Monday, March 9 – Billy Frank Jr.’s Birthday
  • Thursday, March 19 – State Parks 113th Birthday
  • Wednesday, April 22 – Earth Day
  • Saturday – Sunday, June 6-7 – Free Fishing Weekend
  • Friday, June 19 – Juneteenth
  • Sunday, Aug. 9 – Smokey Bear’s Birthday
  • Saturday, Sept. 26 – National Public Lands Day
  • Saturday, Oct. 10 – World Mental Health Day
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day

Each date commemorates a special day of the year, starting with New Year’s Day on Jan. 1, when more than 40 state parks will host annual First Day Hikes events.

FIRST DAY HIKE AT NOLTE

Ring in the New Year with Washington State Parks! First Day Hikes offer an experience for everyone to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state parks.

Participate in staff-led and self-guided hikes, snowshoe excursions, trail rides, polar plunges, scavenger hunts and more at 30-plus parks on New Year’s Day.

When you are done, don’t forget to pick up your free, collectible Washington State Parks 2026 First Day Hikes button.

All hikes are free and a Discover Pass is not needed to park on state managed lands on Jan. 1, our first Washington State Parks free day of 2026. However, you may need to register for some events with participation limits and/or purchase the appropriate Sno-Park permit for parks that become Sno-Parks during the winter (Fields Spring, Lake Easton, Lake Wenatchee and Mount Spokane).

The First Day Hike at Nolte on starts at 11 a.m. and goes to 12:30 p.m.

The hike is just about 1.5 miles long, and good for beginners, although there is a short but decently steep incline along the path.

It is stroller accessible and dogs are allowed, but the trail is not ADA accessible.

Other hikes are at Deception Pass State Park, Lake Sammamish State Park, and Bridle Trails State Park. For more information, go to parks.wa.gov/find-activity/activity-search/first-day-hikes.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY A FULL YEAR OF ADVENTURE

Discover Pass free days make it easier to check out state parks and state-managed lands. You might have so much fun during your visit, you’re ready to say yes to a full year of adventure.

The annual Discover Pass is $45 and provides unlimited day-use parking for everyone in the passholder’s vehicle. The pass is valid for an entire year from the month it is purchased and can be transferred between two vehicles.

And Discover Pass funds go a long way for your public lands. They provide critical funding for State Parks, DNR and WDFW. The Discover Pass supports recreation and conservation opportunities, keeps bathrooms cleaned and trails maintained, cares for the health of forests and helps protect our seashores for generations to come.

Learn more about the discoverpass.wa.gov.

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