Zipcar members have a new excuse to get outdoors, starting Memorial Day weekend. The car-sharing company has announced the launch of the Zipcar free park pass program, which gives members free entry and parking at designated state and provincial parks in the U.S. and Canada.
The goal is to make it even easier for Zipcar members to easily go from the city to the wilderness, allowing them to explore the outdoors without the hurdle of extra costs. The program was initially piloted in five states, but was so successful that Zipcar expanded it to seven states and Canada.
“We know our members love the cities they live in, but also enjoy the freedom of being able to hit the open road and explore areas beyond city limits from time to time,” said Sherrill Kaplan, head of marketing and sales at Zipcar, in the official press release.
How The Zipcar Free Park Pass Program Works
Hundreds of Zipcars have been outfitted with free park passes, giving members easy access to popular state and provincial parks across the U.S. and Canada. The passes are attached to a variety of park-friendly vehicles, including Subaru Crosstreks, Toyota Corollas, and Honda CR-Vs.
From May 2019, the Zipcar park pass program allows members to get free park passes (with parking) in these U.S. states (as well as Canada’s Ontario Parks System):
- Colorado: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Michigan: Huron-Clinton Metroparks
- New Jersey: New Jersey Division of Parks & Forestry
- Oregon: Oregon State Parks Foundation
- Rhode Island: State of Rhode Island Division of Parks and Recreation
- Washington: Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Natural Resources and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
These park systems include popular camping destinations such as Eleven Mile State Park in Colorado, Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, and Mt. Greylock State Reservation in Massachusetts.
Parking is subject to availability; camping and additional access fees may apply. When reserving a Zipcar with a park pass, look for “Park Pass” in the car name, or a tree icon next to the car’s image.
Connecting City Dwellers to the Outdoors
Zipcar is hoping to encourage people to get outdoors by removing the transportation barriers that may otherwise stand in their way. With the free parks pass program, people don’t have to own a car in order to visit the parks.
“I always feel much more calm and centered when I leave the city behind. I can breathe more easily and just being in nature in the summer helps me get through the rest of the year working in my office,” said Zipcar member Stephanie Selover. “It doesn’t take long to drive to somewhere beautiful and quiet, and there are always new places to explore. If I didn’t have access to a Zipcar, I’d likely go hiking far less often.”
Making public lands more accessible is beneficial for everyone involved. “This program is a creative way to help people from our urban centers interact with nature—even if they don’t own a car,” Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz, told Zipcar. “And when people visit and play in the outdoors, we create more champions for the environment, helping ensure our public lands remain vibrant, cared for, and available for generations to come.”
Zipcar’s goal is to make responsible urban living easy by providing access to on-demand, self-service vehicles by the hour or the day. Zipcar can be found in over 500 urban areas and university campuses around the world, including Seattle, Boston, and Toronto.
Prices vary by location and membership type. For more information on becoming a Zipcar member, or to see if Zipcar operates near you, visit www.zipcar.com.
