Park for Free at State Parks on Black Friday

Oregon State Parks and Recreation is waiving its day use permit fee at 24 open sites that normally require payment.

Milo McIver State Park Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept.
By Andi Prewitt

Black Friday is synonymous with deep discounts, and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department hopes that its holiday weekend bargain will actually lure you away from the stores and onto a trail instead.

On Nov. 25, the agency will waive its $5 day use parking fees at the 24 open state parks that normally require payment.

Encouraging people to observe “Green Friday,” a movement that encourages people to leave behind the frenzied retail environment the day after Thanksgiving in favor of a more leisurely forest outing, has become a tradition for Oregon Parks and Rec in recent years. The agency typically partners with businesses like REI to promote recreating in nature.

“We’re proud to promote this tradition and offer Oregonians an alternative to the busiest shopping day of the year,” Lisa Sumption, director of Oregon Parks and Recreation, stated in a press release.

Fee parks include popular destinations, like Fort Stevens, Cape Lookout, Silver Falls, Champoeg, L.L. Stub Stewart, Smith Rock and Milo McIver. You can find a complete list of sites that normally require permits to park at stateparks.oregon.gov. The waiver applies from open to close on Nov. 25, except at Shore Acres State Park on the Southern Coast, where it expires at 4 pm for the holiday lights event that runs Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.

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