Last fall, discounted annual passes for Florida State Parks were introduced as a part of Florida’s Great Outdoors Initiative. While I love that this is being offered to Florida residents and allows us to get Florida State Parks annual passes for half off, I think this one slipped under the radar for alot of us. I actually stumbled upon this deal a couple of weeks ago by accident, but as soon as I found out about it, I made sure I got my discounted pass. I then realized a couple of my outdoorsy besties had not heard about this either, so I quickly had them go get theirs as well. If we were under a rock (or more likely, in the woods) and missed this for the last couple of months, I’m betting a few others did too. With this initiative ending soon, I wanted to make sure to share the details about what I learned from the process so that other outdoorsy Floridians can take advantage of this great opportunity as well.
All The Details You Need To Know About The Half Price Florida State Parks Annual Passes
- First and foremost, the passes available through the Great Outdoors Initiative are only available through January 13, 2024. If you are interested in purchasing one, make sure you do it by that date, or you will be paying full price. Once purchased, the pass is good for one year from the month of purchase.
- All Floridians are eligible to take advantage of this special.
- There are still some areas on the Florida State Parks website that have the full price listed, and I found that to be a little confusing. HERE is where you can find the information on the half off discount.
- You can’t add this discount to any other discounts that you may be eligible for.
- There are two options available: The Individual Annual Pass and the Family Annual pass. Information on what is included with both is listed below.
- The current price through January 13, 2024 is $30 for the Individual Pass and $60 for the Family Pass. These discounted annual passes for Florida State Parks ends on that day. After January 13, 2024, the price is $60 for an Individual Pass and $120 for a Family Pass.
How To Avoid Additional Fees on Your Florida State Parks Annual Pass
While the full price and discounted Florida State Parks passes will have tax added to the total price, there is one easy way to avoid additional fees. By purchasing your pass in person at any of the Florida State Parks, you will avoid the $6 convenience fee and $10 shipping fee that is charged if you purchase your pass online. For a discounted individual pass that is only $30, an additional $16 in fees is pretty hefty.
I decided to go to a park to purchase mine, and found the process to be very quick and easy. I expedited the process even more by going online and creating an account for myself ahead of time before I even went to the park. If you have had an annual pass previously, or made a camping reservation at one of the Florida State Parks within the last year, you likely already have an account set up. Do yourself the favor though, and make sure that is set up in advance to save time. Less time getting yourself set up means more time out enjoying the parks. Also, save that extra money in fees and put that aside for more hiking snacks. If you have access to purchase your pass at a state park and save money, I highly recommend that.
What Is Included With A Florida State Parks Individual Annual Pass?
If you purchase a Florida State Parks Individual Annual Pass, you can get day-use entry for the named passholder. If you bring other people along with you, they will have to pay $2 per person. The exception to this is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Your friends that you bring along will not receive a discounted rate at those, and they will have to pay the standard admission fee.
It is also important to note that this pass can’t be passed around from person to person. The named passholder needs to be present and be the one using it. You may not always get asked for your ID when you arrive at a park and show your pass, but you need to be prepared to show it just in case. If you are the only one that will be using your pass, this one is all you need.
This pass is normally $60 for a year, but is currently only $30 through January 13, 2023. (Taxes and fees are additional.)
What Is Included With A Florida State Parks Family Annual Pass?
If you purchase a Florida State Parks Family Annual Pass, you can get day-use entry for a group of up to 8 people. Florida State Parks defines a group as all of people in one vehicle (up to a total of 8), up to a total of two motorcyles, or up to a total of eight people who are coming to the park on foot or on bicycles. Just like the individual pass, the exception to this is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. At those parks, the family pass will allow entry to a total of 2 people.
The Florida State Parks Family Annual Pass comes with a couple of other perks as well. On this pass, you can have up to two named passholders listed on the pass, so either person can be present at the time the pass is being used. This pass also allows the passholders to get a 33% discount at Skyway Fishing Pier State Park. If you have a couple of family members who may be going to the parks at different times, or will be bringing multiple people with you when you visit the parks, this is the pass that would work best for you.
This pass is normally $120 for a year, but is currently only $60 through January 13, 2023. (Taxes and fees are additional.)
What Is Not Included With a Florida State Parks Annual Pass?
- You will receive admission to all Florida State Parks, with the exception of Skyway Fishing Pier State Park. If you have a Florida State Parks Family Annual Pass, you will get a 33% discount on this one though.
- There are some slight limitations at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Admission is included for one person with an Individual Pass (and additional people do not get the $2 rate like at the other parks) and two people with a Family Pass (as opposed to 8 people at other parks.)
- You do not get free camping spots with an annual pass, nor guaranteed reservations. You will still need to go through the process to reserve those and pay the fees associated with that.
- If there are other attractions within the state park such as boat tours or paddleboard rentals, those are not included in the price of the annual pass, and you will need to pay additional fees for those activities.
- I also enourage you to always go online ahead of time and check out the park you are visiting just to make sure there are no new exceptions that are added.
Other Ways To Get Discounts On A Florida State Parks Annual Pass
While the discount for the Great Outdoors Initiative is available to all Floridians and ends on January 13, 2024, there are some discounts that are available all throughout the year. You may be eligible for a separate discount if you meet certain criteria. These are completely separate discounts, and you can’t combine different discounts to get a higher percentage off. Take a look though, because even if you don’t get your pass by January 13, 2024, there may still be a way for you to get a discount. Here is the current list of who is offered discounts for annual passes for Florida State Parks.
- Active duty and honorably discharged veterans get a 25% discount on annual passes.
- Honorably discharged veterans who have service-connected disabilities are eligible to get a free Lifetime Pass. The Lifetime Pass includes the same benefits as the Family Annual Pass .
- Surviving spouses and parents of deceased veterans are eligible to get a free Lifetime Pass.
- Surviving spouses and parents of Florida Law Enforcement Officers and Florida Firefighters who died in the line of duty are eligible for a free Lifetime Pass
- Families who are operating a licensed family foster home are eligible to receive a free Family Annual Pass
- Families who adopt a difficult to place child through the Florida Department of Children and Families can get a one-time Family Annual Pass at no charge at the time of adoption.
If you are eligible for any of these ongoing discounts, you will need to produce proof of eligibility when getting your pass.
Enjoying Your Florida State Parks Annual Pass
Even though I live in central Florida, I can honestly say I have never been interested in being an annual passholder to any of our local theme parks. State parks though-that’s a different story. I’m a girl that is more interested in tight lines than long lines. I was so excited when I heard about these discounted annual passes for Florida’s State Parks, and was eager to share this with others who have been looking for a reason to get out and enjoy all of the great natural resources that our state has to offer.
There are so many great parks across our state, and each is unique in it’s own ways. Hiking, paddling, camping, fishing, birding, beaches, swimming, and more await you at the Florida State Parks. One park even has mermaids! You can’t tell me another state that offers THAT at a state park! There are so many Florida State Parks to explore, and I encourage you to spend some time on their website to learn more about the parks, and which ones best fit your interests. You may even want to sign up for their newsletter to get ongoing news of what is happening at the parks.
If you are like me, you may also find that you have a “Home” park that you frequent. Mine is Wekiva Springs State Park, and if you ever have questions about that park specifically, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for all of my tips. With an annual pass though, there are so many unique options that are available to us. I’m challenging myself, and you, to branch out this year and explore even more.
How many Florida State Parks will YOU cross off of your list this year?
**** OutdoorTravelWriter.com is in no way affiliated with Florida State Parks. We do not make a penny if you buy an annual pass, and just want to make you aware of this great deal that is available to help you explore all of the awesome outdoor fun here in Florida.