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Explore the northwest for free on National Trails Day

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Get out your hiking boots – and not only because the northwest is about to hit its peak summertime beauty. Saturday is a free day for visiting state parks.

Washington State Parks' Discover Pass, $10 daily or $30 annually, or the U.S. Forest Service's Northwest Forest Pass, also $30 annually, is usually required for parking at state park or national forest trailheads.

The money generated from these passes help offset steep reductions in general tax support for parks and other recreation lands.

Hikers can take advantage of several free park days this year, but the occasion for Saturday is National Trails Day. American Hiking Society sponsors the nationwide event with the mission to connect more people to trails.

Before you hit the road, here are the participating state parks in Washington state:

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Olympic National Park

The fee waiver includes many picnic areas, boat launches, trailheads and visitor centers.

If you’re already busy this weekend, here’s the full list of free state park days for the rest of 2017.

  • June 3 — National Trails Day
  • June 10 — National Get Outdoors Day
  • Aug. 25 — National Park Service 101st Birthday (Excludes Northwest Forest Pass)
  • Sept. 30 — National Public Lands Day
  • Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
  • Nov. 24 — Autumn day (Excludes Northwest Forest Pass)

if you’re camping, keep in mind that the free days only apply to day-of use and not overnight stays.