{"id":210420,"date":"2026-03-08T14:48:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T14:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/210420\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T14:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T14:48:17","slug":"video-observer-exploring-state-parks-with-a-free-pass-from-the-fullerton-public-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/210420\/","title":{"rendered":"Video Observer: Exploring State Parks with a Free Pass from the Fullerton Public Library"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Buried within the Fullerton Public Library\u2019s website homepage, I noticed a digital flyer that read, \u201cIt\u2019s not just for Summer!\u00a0When you check out a\u00a0State Parks Pass, you\u2019ll get two weeks (per checkout) to explore State Parks!\u201d This\u00a0intrigued me, especially since after recent rainstorms, the\u00a0plant life\u00a0on both the city\u2019s hiking trails,\u00a0parks,\u00a0and surrounding hills has\u00a0been looking greener\u00a0compared to this time last year.\u00a0So, I visited the Fullerton Public Library\u00a0(FPL). With my library card in hand, I walked up to the front desk, asked a librarian if I could\u00a0borrow\u00a0a California State Parks Pass,\u00a0and\u00a0after they scanned my card, I\u00a0received a\u00a0green and gold-colored rectangular pass\u00a0that enabled me to\u00a0enter\u00a0any participating state park for free.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Along with the pass, I also\u00a0received\u00a0a receipt, much like you would when checking out a library book,\u00a0notifying\u00a0me that this pass was due back to\u00a0the\u00a0public library\u00a0in two weeks. What\u2019s worth noting is that the Parks Pass\u00a0is\u00a0only\u00a0available to adults with a valid, physical-use library card (excluding children\u2019s cards, temporary, or\u00a0limited-use library card types). According to FPL librarians, patrons like me are allowed to renew the pass only once, and if the Parks Pass is not returned, a $10 lost fee\u00a0would\u00a0be applied\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0library account.\u00a0As long as\u00a0the fee remained on\u00a0the\u00a0account,\u00a0I would\u00a0not\u00a0be\u00a0allowed to\u00a0check out additional physical materials from the library; however, this fee\u00a0would\u00a0be automatically waived once the pass\u00a0is\u00a0returned.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0librarians\u00a0at the FPL\u00a0also supplied me with a helpful printout of participating CA State Parks in both Orange\u00a0and Los Angeles Counties.\u00a0Interestingly, the three state parks closest to Fullerton are Bolsa Chica State Park, Chino Hills State Park and Huntington State Beach. I decided to check out Chino Hills State Park, as it has been a\u00a0couple\u00a0of years since I last visited.<\/p>\n

Reaching\u00a0out to the City\u00a0of Fullerton, I\u00a0asked\u00a0when the\u00a0FPL\u00a0first started collaborating with the California State Library Parks Pass Program and\u00a0received a response\u00a0via email\u00a0from Kim\u00a0Chaudhry, Senior Administrative Analyst for the City of Fullerton.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Chaudhry wrote, \u201cThe California State Parks Pass Program began at the Fullerton Public Library in May 2022. Prior to the official launch, our library was closely involved as part of a working group of library professionals throughout California who collaboratively developed the pass program and helped bring it to libraries statewide.\u201d She said, \u201cThe passes have been a wonderful resource for our community. Patrons have shared that they\u2019re visiting the outdoors and the library more often because of the passes. When the program first launched, we only had two passes available. Today, we offer more than 270 passes, creating a more sustainable and accessible experience for patrons and ensuring there is rarely, if ever, a wait to check one out. We\u2019ve also recently enabled auto-renewal for one additional checkout period each time a pass is borrowed, making access even easier for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the City of Fullerton, since the program began, the library has checked out passes more than 4,000 times. This month, my family was one of many who had borrowed a pass to visit nearby Chino Hills State Park, which has an entrance off Carbon Canyon Road less than a mile away from the Carbon Canyon Regional Park entry booth. My parents and I pulled into the parking lot by the sign for Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center, displaying the FPL\u2019s Parks Pass from our front dashboard mirror as we drove in. It\u2019s worth noting that the colorful side of the pass must be visible from the outside of the vehicle when parked, so that you don\u2019t get ticketed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u200bIt\u2019s rather impressive that there\u2019s so much preserved, natural green space in this park between our area of North Orange County and Chino Hills. Stepping inside the\u00a0Chino Hills State Park\u00a0Discovery Center, I\u00a0could\u00a0look out through\u00a0wide\u00a0windows and see a panoramic view of the\u00a0area\u00a0surrounded by hills\u00a0with\u00a0spring\u00a0wildflowers\u00a0starting to\u00a0bloom.\u00a0I also\u00a0observed\u00a0a\u00a0line of people in green t-shirts hiking out to a\u00a0closed-off\u00a0area\u00a0along the trail\u00a0to complete\u00a0plant\u00a0restoration work.\u00a0The Discovery Center is an awesome\u00a0spot\u00a0to\u00a0begin\u00a0any hike because you can get advice from a park ranger,\u00a0look at a miniature museum of taxidermied predatory animals that you might encounter out on the trail,\u00a0view a 3D map of the entire state park land or read about the many types of bird species that frequent the park. There are many displays explaining the science behind the plants one might encounter while out on the trails, which are\u00a0definitely\u00a0worth reading.\u00a0Restrooms and drinking fountains\u00a0can also be found here.<\/p>\n

\u200bFrom\u00a0a\u00a0large-scale map of Chino Hills State Park, I learned that there are three entrances: the Brea\u00a0entry point\u00a0through Carbon Canyon Rd,\u00a0a second\u00a0one\u00a0located at the end of Rimcrest Drive in Yorba Linda, and a third off Soquel Canyon Parkway in Chino Hills.<\/p>\n

On this visit, I started hiking on the Discovery Trail found beneath the park\u2019s visitor center, where I saw\u00a0many\u00a0plants grown from seeds and cuttings collected\u00a0throughout\u00a0the park. Reading signage posted at the start of the\u00a0path, I learned that two important woodlands\u00a0exist\u00a0in Chino Hills State Park: the coast live oak woodland and the southern California black walnut woodland. Walnut woodlands, which are a rare and endangered habitat, take up hundreds of the 1,500 acres of permanently protected land, while broad branches in the oak woodlands provide much-needed shade for both plants\u00a0and\u00a0animals\u00a0alike.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>After\u00a0making a loop\u00a0on the Discovery trail, I hiked along a gravel lot on the side of the Discovery Center to connect to\u00a0the\u00a0dirt pathway of\u00a0the North Ridge Trail, which\u00a0led my family and me to Soquel Canyon. We\u00a0walked by the eight-mile marker and\u00a0heard a lot of different types of bird calls while hiking on this trail. Since we left early in the morning, we didn\u2019t encounter too many other hikers or bicyclists\u00a0along the trail.\u00a0Interestingly, a portion of this\u00a0path\u00a0appeared as if it were once an old California highway since a small section of it was paved with crumbling asphalt and had a white concrete bridge. The hills were all\u00a0green and thriving,\u00a0and some even had flowers blooming on them. By the end of\u00a0our\u00a0hike,\u00a0my family\u00a0encountered more bicyclists and other\u00a0people\u00a0taking advantage of the warm\u00a0late\u00a0February weather\u00a0to\u00a0walk\u00a0through nature.<\/p>\n

\u200bAt the end of the day, every\u00a0adult\u00a0with a\u00a0Fullerton Public\u00a0Library card can\u00a0check out a California State Library Parks Pass Program\u00a0and\u00a0see\u00a0what\u00a0the different\u00a0CA\u00a0State Parks\u00a0in our area\u00a0have to offer. Chaudhry\u00a0said, \u201cWe love this program, as do our patrons\u2026We would\u00a0especially like the public to know that any time of year is an ideal time to take advantage of a pass. They\u2019re not just for summer and can be enjoyed year-round. A favorite state beach feels completely different in January than it does in July, so using the park passes throughout the year is a great way to experience California\u2019s diverse landscapes in every season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u200bFor more information about the library\u2019s CA State Parks Pass program, please visit: www.fullertonlibrary.org\/parkspass<\/a>. See videos on YouTube @emersonlittle1901.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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