State park passes cost $35 unless you buy them directly from rangers

Annual state park passes are being sold for $35, not the expected $30, said the Seattle PI today. State parks will begin charging for access beginning July 1, and the annual pass is being sold for $35 on the state's Web site, Discover Pass, as well as by licensed dealers such as sporting goods stores.

Annual state park passes are being sold for $35, not the expected $30, said the Seattle PI today.

State parks will begin charging for access beginning July 1, and the annual pass is being sold for $35 on the state’s Web site, Discover Pass, as well as by licensed dealers such as sporting goods stores.

The price includes a 17 percent markup: a $3 transaction fee and a $2 dealer fee. The day use pass costs $11.50 on the site.

When SB 5622 was announced this spring, proponents said the passes would cost $30 for an annual pass and $10 for a day use pass.

The only place on Orcas Island where the passes can be purchased for the advertised $30 and $10 prices is Moran State park, where representatives say passes can be purchased every day between 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. The passes are sold at the park’s registration booth, located just inside the park’s north entrance beyond the white arch.