Free MN State Park passes available at more than 200 libraries
Judge C.R. Magney State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Northeastern Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has more than doubled the number of libraries offering their library pass program, which offers free access to state parks.
This expansion went into effect July 1, and also doubled the number of park passes available to households.
The DNR hopes that this will continue to increase the number of people spending time outdoors in their parks.
Minnesota DNR's free library pass program
What they're saying:
"Data from the past several years tells us that the average household income of people using the library pass program is lower than the average household income of all state park visitors, indicating the program is reaching households that may otherwise have more of an economic barrier to visiting a state park," Arielle Courtney, the DNR’s partnership development consultant and program manager, said.
A survey done in 2024 of people using library park passes uncovered that most respondents checked out a pass in order to save money, with the cost of a vehicle permit being a barrier. Other respondents also noted that they did not visit state parks often and wanted to attend a state park before purchasing a permit.
By the numbers:
All 87 counties in Minnesota have at least one participating library, with more than 200 libraries and bookmobiles participating across the state.
The number of available park passes in the program has grown from 175 to 450.
The library pass program was piloted in 2018 and went statewide in 2021. Usage of the library passes increased in the first three years of the program from 1,960 pass checkouts in the first year (July 2021-June 2022) to 3,812 checkouts in the third year of the program (July 2023-June 2024).
Checking out a library park pass
What you can do:
Those who want to check out a park pass should contact their library. Checkout policies vary by location.
Library passes are valid for seven days but only cover the vehicle entrance fee, which is $7 for a one-day permit (a year-round permit is $35). Those who want to camp must pay for camping reservations.