A library parks pass program saw a record number of checkouts in 2025
Hikers and bikers use the trails surrounded by green grasses at Calero County Park in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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.
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Article by Grace Hase | ghase@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: March 10, 2026 at 2:27 PM PDT | UPDATED: March 11, 2026 at 4:37 AM PDT
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