Discover Pass $ increase. Veterans Pass has new/increased access.

RCF

RCF

Legend
Forum Supporter
Discover Pass price increase of $15 starting 10/1

Also going into effect Oct. 1 are changes to the Lifetime Disabled Veterans Pass, allowing passholders access to lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife. The pass previously only granted access to State Parks lands.

www.kuow.org

Discover Pass price going up $15 Oct. 1

The price to visit state parks in Washington will rise on Oct. 1, with a $15 hike to the annual cost of a Discover Pass.
www.kuow.org www.kuow.org
 
No complaints from me regarding the cost increase. It’s been years since they increased the cost yet everything else has increased.
I’d rather pay to visit well maintained and clean state parks, but that’s just me.
Based on my usage throughout the year, even with the cost increase it will cost me well less than $1 per state park visit. That’s a great value in my opinion and just a fraction of what it costs me per day to go fishing.
YMMV….
SF
 
Last edited:
Washington has the second most regressive taxes in the nation. Households who earn less than $25k a year pay over 15% of their income in taxes while those over $500k pay about 2%. User fees like this contribute to that fact. We could implement a less regressive tax structure and support parks through the general fund like in the olden days.

https://dor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02/Chapter_4.pdf
 
Stonedfish said:
No complaints from me regarding the cost increase. It’s been years since they increased the cost yet everything else has increased.
I’d rather pay to visit well maintained and clean state parks, but that’s just me.
Based on my usage throughout the year, even with the cost increase it will cost me well less than $1 per visit state park visit. That’s a great value in my opinion and just a fraction of what it costs me per day to go fishing.
YMMV….
SF
Click to expand...

What surprised me was the increased access for Lifetime Disabled Veterans Pass holders. About time they should have access to DNR and F&W managed lands at no additional cost. They deserve it, for sure.
 
Stonedfish said:
No complaints from me regarding the cost increase. It’s been years since they increased the cost yet everything else has increased.
I’d rather pay to visit well maintained and clean state parks, but that’s just me.
Based on my usage throughout the year, even with the cost increase it will cost me well less than $1 per visit state park visit. That’s a great value in my opinion and just a fraction of what it costs me per day to go fishing.
YMMV….
SF
Click to expand...
Brian -
I get a lot of use out of my Discover Pass (twice this week) - so probably about your cost, a buck a visit. But I do have a complaint, have a look:

IMG_6253.jpg


Ooops Oh, sorry. My bad. Deep Lake (Sun Lakes State Park); complete with flush toilets, paved road, paved parking, a concrete plank launch and a dock. Just the other side of Umatilla Rock sits the Giant Cataract Lake. A beautiful place with a road where you can hit 8 or 9 mph in a few places for maybe 100-feet but if you're towing a wood pram on a trailer, go slower, a lot slower. And that's okay, my complaint is the damn boat launch and parking:

IMG_6254.jpg

I'm sure there's some legitimate reason why parks.wa.gov can have such disparity between access at two lakes within the same park. I don't care that DF has a vault toilet and I don't care that there's no dock. But parks.wa.gov sucks when it comes to parking and this so-called launch.

(I will continue to pay my Discover Pass but with the increase it might cost me $1.50 per trip.) ;-)

(That big rock in the middle of the launch is nasty to wood boat hulls)
 
Buzzy said:
Brian -
I get a lot of use out of my Discover Pass (twice this week) - so probably about your cost, a buck a visit. But I do have a complaint, have a look:

View attachment 168862


Ooops Oh, sorry. My bad. Deep Lake (Sun Lakes State Park); complete with flush toilets, paved road, paved parking, a concrete plank launch and a dock. Just the other side of Umatilla Rock sits the Giant Cataract Lake. A beautiful place with a road where you can hit 8 or 9 mph in a few places for maybe 100-feet but if you're towing a wood pram on a trailer, go slower, a lot slower. And that's okay, my complaint is the damn boat launch and parking:

View attachment 168863

I'm sure there's some legitimate reason why parks.wa.gov can have such disparity between access at two lakes within the same park. I don't care that DF has a vault toilet and I don't care that there's no dock. But parks.wa.gov sucks when it comes to parking and this so-called launch.

(I will continue to pay my Discover Pass but with the increase it might cost me $1.50 per trip.) ;-)

(That big rock in the middle of the launch is nasty to wood boat hulls)
Click to expand...

Pat,
Have you ever addressed the DF launch with park staff?
I wonder if due to it being a wetland it would take an act of god or congress to widen or improve it?
SF
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RCF
Stonedfish said:
Pat,
Have you ever addressed the DF launch with park staff?
I wonder if due to it being a wetland it would take an act of god or congress to widen or improve it?
SF
Click to expand...
Brian -
I met with the superintendent of the park; we drove to the launch. He shared with me a file that had been prepared by one of the big fly fishing clubs in King County; it was a pretty extensive launch upgrade. I drew up a much more sedate plan for widening the launch and hauling in some crushed rock. I started a thread (maybe on WFF?) looking for people who might donate $ so we could buy and at least dump some damn gravel at the launch (bury the hull scratching rocks with gravel?). I got quotes from Tommer Sand and Gravel and then - here ya go, I got the lecture (strong advice) to leave it alone. Shoreline permits, HPA's: there's not surface connection to the Columbia River. The invasive phragmites that are taking over the lakes shoreline have blossoms that butterflies love, there's an unwritten but sacred agreement not to grade the road, roll another one, just like the other one. End of rant. And I will still buy a Discover Pass.
 
These guys can't enforce this upon ME!! whatever man. Ahh. im just gonna ignore this!!! Yaint gonna enforce me!!! Ignoring these rules baby ahh
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top