State parks crowded on Green Friday
Green Friday meant thousands of people across California were able to take advantage of free vehicle day-use passes at more than 100 state parks. Green Friday is an alternative to Black Friday, and encourages people to get outdoors instead of shopping.
You won’t catch Jeff Frame and his family at a mall on the day after Thanksgiving. For them is all about enjoying the great outdoors.
“There’s no comparison, being at a mall, fighting for a parking space,” said Frame. “You know, you are up here it’s beautiful.”
The Frame family aren’t the only ones breaking a sweat instead of the credit card. The nationwide trend is called Green Friday.
“Green Friday is an alternative to going out shopping to getting out in nature instead,” said Christina Cecchettini with California State Parks.
To celebrate the day, California State Parks, California State Parks Foundation and Save the Redwoods League all teamed up to offer 13,000 free vehicle day-use passes to 116 participating state parks. But Cecchettini said on the Central Coast Passes sold-out quick.
“This year in our district every free pass that you could download was downloaded,” said Cecchettini.
Each park that was participating was given a certain amount of free passes based on how much parking was available. A strategic move by state park officials to make sure things didn’t get too crowded.
“We didn’t want people to come and then be frustrated that they couldn’t park what is the good of a free pass to get in if you can’t park?” said Cecchettini.
On Friday, the Forest of Nisene Marks in Santa Cruz County saw some longer than normal lines. Still, many hikers said they didn’t mind paying to park, a cost which ranges between $6 and $15 across California.
“I tried to but they gave 25 free vouchers,” That’s alright, it’s 8 bucks so whatever,” said hiker Spencer Webb.
Last year, six other states across the nation got involved offering free Green Friday programs at their state parks and Cecchettini hopes it’s a trend that keeps on growing.
“The sound of the ocean, the wind in the trees it’s just such a wonderful feeling,” Cecchettini.
