Set Your 2026 Outdoor Goals with a California State Parks Pass
Contact: Newsroom@parks.ca.gov
From beaches to mountains, lakes, off-highway vehicle parks and historic sites, there’s sure to be a park to capture your imagination in 2026. Photos from California State Parks.
SACRAMENTO — As California celebrates its 175th anniversary, California State Parks is highlighting its annual passes as the perfect gift for 2026 to experience the extraordinary beauty and diversity of the Golden State. From beaches and redwood forests to mountains, lakes, off-highway vehicle parks and historic sites, there’s sure to be a park in the nation’s largest state parks system to capture your imagination in the new year.
Whether you know a nature buff or want to give the gift of adventure, State Park passes offer something for everyone. It’s also the perfect gift to give yourself. Special for 2026, annual passes purchased beginning Jan. 1 will feature a CA 175/America 250 logo commemorating 175 years of statehood and 250 years of U.S. independence – making them a unique collector’s item.
A range of annual, discount, and specialty passes are available. See below details:
How to Buy a California State Parks Pass
Annual passes are available for purchase via our online store and in-person at many locations throughout the State Parks System. They are also available for purchase at most district and sector offices and many park units. Please call ahead for availability at the in-person locations. Gift cards can be purchased and redeemed online at store.parks.ca.gov/collections/park-passes.
Discount passes require an application and may be applied for online, by mail or in person. The list of locations and contact information is available on the Pass Sales Locations webpage.
Subscribe to California State Parks News via e-mail at NewsRoom@parks.ca.gov
California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.
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Uniting to provide homes and hope for Veterans this holiday season
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) homeless program was the first team in Veteran Integrated Service Network-VISN 4 to complete a “Home for the Holidays” surge outreach event, a key part of a national VA initiative designed to rapidly connect homeless Veterans with housing and support services ahead of the winter months.
In November, a group of VAPHS staff and community partners from Soldier On, Veteran Leadership Program and Allegheny Link performed street rounds to find unsheltered Veterans in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, as well as met with Veterans at two downtown homeless shelters.
Utilizing local resources through Allegheny Link, the team was able to provide a cell phone to an unsheltered Veteran to assist with their housing voucher application and help with follow-up communication. At the Second Street Commons and Wood Street Commons homeless shelters, the team met with Veterans regarding opportunities to transition into permanent housing through the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs.
Bringing Veterans home for the holidays: VA surge efforts deliver hope and housing
Homeless individuals gather under bridges to shelter from the cold.
The “Home for the Holidays” initiative was launched by VA nationwide for the period between Nov. 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, requiring each VA medical center to host a surge event aimed at either outreach to unsheltered Veterans or immediate placement into permanent housing. The surge events leverage combined resources, streamlined intake processes and collaborative community partnerships to accelerate housing placements, sometimes blending both outreach and housing surge elements to meet specific local needs.
In fiscal year 2025, VA initiative “Getting Veterans Off the Street” helped permanently house a record 51,936 homeless Veterans nationwide—over 4,000 more than the previous year. Additionally, VISN 4 exceeded its fiscal year 2025 goal by 120.5%, targeted permanently housing 1,855 unique Veterans and accomplished housing 2,235. These coordinated efforts highlight VA’s commitment to increasing access to safe, stable housing and critical services for Veterans, including direct outreach during Home for the Holidays surge events like those led by VAPHS.
Surge initiatives advance VA mission to end Veteran homelessness
VA Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Outreach Specialist, Rob Banks, debriefs the team with results from the day.
These surge events involve focused, collective efforts with coordinated resources to achieve targeted, short-term outcomes, specifically increasing the number of unsheltered Veterans engaged, enrolled in programs and placed in housing.
VA’s surge events emphasize:
Proactive outreach directly to Veterans in the community.
Commitment to lowering barriers by all providers and agencies.
Immediate, same-day access to interim housing.
Rapid transition to permanent housing.
These strategies require full mobilization of community resources and provider collaboration to ensure Veterans experiencing homelessness are met where they are and rapidly connected with the support and permanent housing they need.
Not to be confused with the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count—a federally mandated, single-night survey that aims to measure homelessness in the United States. The PIT count includes both individuals in shelters and those who are unsheltered, and it encompasses all homeless populations, including Veterans. Typically conducted in January, the PIT count is essential for assessing the extent of homelessness, guiding local and national resource allocations as well as helping shape policy decisions. Data from the PIT count is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and VA plays a significant role as a community partner in these counts. A county-wide PIT count was conducted on Jan. 28, 2025, in Allegheny County, showing a 66% increase in overall unsheltered homelessness compared to 2024.
Holiday surge efforts strengthen support across VA regional networks
Members of Pittsburgh’s unsheltered Veteran surge event on November 19, 2025.
The surge event initiatives demonstrate significant progress toward ending Veteran homelessness and reflect the ongoing dedication of VA staff, as well as partners in VISN 4 and beyond. VISN 4 is a fully integrated VA regional network consisting of 9 VA campuses, 46 outpatient clinics and 16 vet centers, spanning 82 counties across Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as regions of Ohio, West Virginia, New York and southern New Jersey.
Find out more information about VA’s Homeless Program.
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