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free entry

for fourth graders and their families at 54 amazing California state parks

Find out how to get your ADVENTURE PASS

California Outdoor Recreation Foundation at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area

About the Grants Program

Parks California, in partnership with California State Parks, is proud to host and manage the Adventure Pass Grants Program. Through this grants program, we aim to support programs and activities needed for 4th graders and their families to explore California State Parks.

Visitors from San Mateo County Libraries exploring Samuel P. Taylor State Park

FREE Entry to 54 California State Parks

You (a fourth grader from California attending a public school), your family (up to three adults and other kids) and friends (everyone in your car) can enjoy all sorts of adventures at 54 state parks during your whole fourth grade year—and the following summer, too. 

For full terms and conditions, click here.
San Mateo County Libraries at Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Acta Non Verba at Samuel P. Taylor State Park

This pass is valid for the one-year period during which the child is a fourth grader or fourth grade equivalent, from September 1 to August 31 of that year.

Spotlight On Grantees

GRANTEE

Go Fourth and Explore!

Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project (ANV) serves youth in East Oakland, a low-income densely populated area suffering from high crime rates, urban blight, and pollution. ANV’s Go Fourth and Explore! program will provide the opportunity for fourth graders and their families to visit three Bay Area state parks. Participants will enjoy each park’s unique characteristics and geographical terrain. At Angel Island State Park, youth will explore and work together to complete the Angel Island Jr Ranger Activity book. At Jack London State Historic Park, participants will utilize the State Park Adventurer AR App in conjunction with their “Leadership Packet” to learn about the park’s historical significance. The final trip will be to Samuel P. Taylor State Park, where families will spend a day taking guided nature walks, picnicking, and chatting with a park ranger. Families will also take pictures with a photographer and receive commemorative framed photos.

Acta Non Verba at Angel Island State Park
California Outdoor Recreation Foundation at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area

GRANTEE

Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area Adventure Pass Program

The California Outdoor Recreation Foundation (CORF), in partnership with Hollister Hills SVRA and Hollister Hills Off-Road Association, will provide fourth graders and their families within the Hollister and Salinas communities with experiences at Hollister Hills SVRA. Fourth graders will enjoy two outdoor interpretive experiences and their families will receive information on how to obtain a free fuel voucher to return to the park as a family. All fourth graders and their families will also be invited to take beginners dirt bike riding classes hosted by CORF’s Motorcycle Safety Foundation at no cost. The courses will include all equipment, safety gear and safe riding instruction, riding etiquette, and tread lightly concepts.

GRANTEE

Lowell Wilderness Program

Located in the Fresno area, Lowell Community Development Corporation (CDC) connects and equips families with the resources, education, skills, and transportation to access public lands for recreation and education. The Lowell Wilderness Program builds upon Lowell CDC’s pilot that concluded in mid-2021, helping low-income families in the Lowell neighborhood to access State Parks and public lands. Families will have the opportunity to participate in one or more trips to State Parks in the next year, learning more about the environment and natural resources, gaining critical skills to navigate wilderness areas, and building confidence and connections with themselves, their families, our history, and the environment. Participants will have the opportunity to visit Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History, Seacliff State Beach, Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, and the California State Railroad Museum.
Lowell Community Development Corporation at Millerton Lake State Recreation Area
San Mateo County Libraries at Samuel P. Taylor State Park

GRANTEE

Library Explorers At Our State Parks

Library Explorers at Our State Parks is an interactive, STEAM-based summer learning program that promotes mental wellness, discusses EDI topics, and explores STEAM. The goal is to ignite growth and provide transformative experiences to fourth graders and their families, especially focusing on the low-income residents of North Fair Oaks, East Palo Alto, and Half Moon Bay/Pescadero. In addition, this program will continue to expand the summer learning program “Library Explorers”, a theme launched in 2021 as a library summer camp that addressed learning loss, social-emotional learning, as well as anxiety and depression in youth due to COVID-19. Participants will visit four State Parks that were chosen for their unique features and ability to touch on topics concerning mental health, EDI, and STEAM: Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, the California State Railroad Museum, and Jack London State Historic. Participants will also be offered excursions to local county parks for musical performances or library staff-led STEAM activities. Free transportation to the state parks will be provided to program participants. For county park visits, program participants will be offered gas cards or ride-share vouchers.

We celebrate our grantees for their local and authentic approaches to creating lasting experiences in nature.
The next application cycle will launch in 2025. To receive updates on the 2025 Career Pathways and other Parks California grants, sign up for our newsletter. If you have any other questions or inquiries, please contact the Career Pathways Grants Manager at grants@parkscalifornia.org.

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