They may not be quite as popular as the children’s graphic novel series “Dog Man” or the beloved classic “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” but a pass granting patrons free entry to Santa Clara County parks has become one of the most popular items checked out at county libraries.
Modeled after the California State Library Parks Pass, the county program began in 2022 and quickly gained traction, registering 931 checkouts in 2023. That number grew to 5,106 checkouts the following year, according to data provided by the Santa Clara County Parks Department. In 2025, library patrons checked out the passes 8,439 times.
Jeremy Corrales, a management analyst with the county parks department who oversees the program, said it was created to “reduce the cost barrier” of visiting county parks. Each park charges a $6 vehicle entrance fee — an annual pass costs $95 for unlimited entries. The fee had become a deterrent for many cash-strapped residents, the department discovered through surveys.
“People should be able to access public lands and cost should not be an issue,” Corrales said.
The pass, which was originally available at only four libraries, can be checked out for three weeks at 43 libraries across seven library districts in the county — the only library not carrying passes is the Mountain View Public Library.
It’s valid at almost all of the county’s 28 regional parks except for Uvas Canyon in Morgan Hill and Sunnyvale Baylands, though Corrales hopes to add the two parks in 2027. Vasona Lake County Park, Ed Levin County Park and Sanborn County Park are the most visited parks with the pass.
Bernadette Gasga Munoz of San Jose came across the program last year during a visit to the Joyce Ellington Library for children’s storytime. The mother of two said she had recently been gifted a backpack carrier for her now-10-month old. She was looking for ways to reduce screen time and get outdoors with her kids. She’s now used the pass twice. Without it, Gasga Munoz said that she wouldn’t have visited the parks.
“Right now, everything is so expensive,” she said. “It’s just another thing to add to our budget.”
The park pass aligns with the mission of libraries, said Cheryl Lee, library services manager at the Santa Clara County Library District.
“We’re equipped to offer free resources to the community,” she said. “That is the lifeblood of the library.”
The county parks pass is the seventh most checked out physical item across the district’s seven libraries, according to Lee. The state park pass program is even more popular, ranking fourth among the most checked out items, she said.
Launched in 2021, the state program provides free vehicle entry to more than 200 of California’s state parks. Funding for the program was nearly cut last year amid a tough budget cycle, though Gov. Gavin Newsom ultimately kept the popular initiative funded through the end of 2026.
As the county parks pass continues to grow — there are currently more than 900 passes in circulation — Corrales said he wants to get the passes into the hands of more residents.
“Anyone that does see cost as a barrier or even if you don’t see costs a barrier, visit your local library,” he said. “And while you’re there, get a pass and come check out our parks and see all the cool things that we’re doing.”