Check Out Washington

Learn more about the Check Out Washington program, which allows you to borrow a Discover Pass from libraries statewide.

Your library card isn’t just for books — it’s also your key to checking out adventure on state-managed recreation lands with the Check Out Washington program. Library card holders can check out free Discover Passes for a week at a time and get day-use parking on state-managed lands.

Some libraries also have Adventure Packs to help first-time visitors, which include a Discover Pass, educational materials, three laminated pocket guides about wildlife and birds and a set of binoculars.  

Check out a Discover Pass at the following libraries listed alphabetically in the following dropdown menus.

Libraries A - D
Libraries E - K
Libraries L - O
Libraries P - S
Libraries T - Y

Background

The Check Out Washington program was created to increase access to public lands for individuals and families who might not have resources to buy a Discover Pass. It’s a chance for people new to the outdoors to get to know their state lands.

The program originally launched in 2019 as a partnership between State Parks and the Washington State Library Association with funding and development from the Washington State Parks Foundation. In 2022 the program expanded to include all libraries in the state, and the state Legislature began to fund two passes per participating library. That year, the Foundation purchased binoculars for the Adventure Packs and secured a sponsorship from WSECU for the program. 

In 2023, WSECU increased its sponsorship to reach 500 passes and Adventure Packs. The increased funding helped the program concentrate resources in communities with the greatest barriers to outdoor recreation, which corresponded to some of the highest health disparities in the state. The program now provides Discover Passes to 176 libraries in 15 library systems around the state. 

 

Check Out Washington Discover Passes were borrowed from libraries across Washington more than 9,000 times in 2024.

Program materials have been translated into Spanish, Somali and Mandarin.