California Library Card Holders Could Lose State Parks Access Due to State Budget Deficit

Wildflowers bloom at Red Rock Canyon State Park east of Bakersfield, Calif., on April 30, 2023. Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/TNS

California library card holders may lose the ability to visit hundreds of state parks for free as California faces a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year does not include funding for the California State Library Parks Pass, which was launched two years ago and provides free access to over 200 state parks.