California State Parks is proud to offer free vehicle day-use entry on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19, 2026) at more than 200 participating state parks. Free entry, valid for one passenger vehicle with capacity of nine people or less or one highway-licensed motorcycle, is available at the parks listed below.
Free vehicle entry on MLK Day is being made possible by the California State Parks Foundation, a key proponent of the free California State Library Parks Pass. The parks participating on MLK Day are the same parks that accept the library pass all year!
Some parks, including state vehicular recreation areas (off-highway vehicle parks), those with per-person entry or tour fees like Hearst Castle, and those that are operated by partner organizations, will still require a fee.
Please make sure to visit the park unit webpage or the Incidents webpage before heading out to make sure there are no park closure or restrictions. Please recreate responsibly. For safety tips, visit parks.ca.gov/SafetyTips.