California State Parks is bringing back the popular “Golden Poppy” annual pass, and is introducing a new Tahoe-area regional pass in its annual park pass program, said Vicky Waters, deputy director of public affairs.

The department’s annual park pass program consists of four different passes, with a variety of admissions to parks statewide, she said. In addition, there is the off-highway day-use annual pass.

“The different passes are priced to meet visitors’ individual needs,” Waters said.

The $125 “Golden Poppy,” which Waters said was popular in the past, allows vehicle entrance to 112 state parks for the year.

The new pass is the “Tahoe Regional Annual Pass,” which costs $75.

“This new regional pass was created this year specifically for one of the jewels of the state, the Lake Tahoe region,” Waters said.

The pass covers admission to D.L. Bliss State Park, Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, Emerald Bay State Park, Kings Beach State Recreation Area and Donner Memorial State Park.

Available again for 2015 are the “California Explorer” and the “Historian Passport” historical passes.

The California Explorer pass is $195 and offers vehicle entrance to 134 state parks, including the Southern California beaches along the Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego coasts, she said.

The Historian Passport, at $50, covers admission for up to four people to the state historic parks that generally charge a per-person admission charge.

“Pass holders will be able to tour a California mission, see where the Gold Rush happened and experience Native-American culture,” Waters said.

The “Off Highway Vehicle Day Use Annual Pass” costs $50, and its use and price are unchanged from last year, she said. It allows unlimited access to the California State Park vehicular recreation areas.

The 2015 passes went on sale Tuesday at the California State Parks online store at the department’s website, www.parks.ca.gov, and the park pass sales office, 1416 Ninth St., Room 144, in Sacramento.
From the website, park enthusiasts also can buy annual boat passes for $100 and oversized vehicle passes for $75.

Beginning Jan. 5, passes will be available at state park sites where fees are collected. Each pass is valid for a floating 12-month period from the date of purchase, Waters said.

In addition, she said, the 2014 annual passes — the “Surf Explorer,” “150th Commemorative” and “California Park Experience” — will be sold until Dec. 31 at walk-in sites. Those will be honored for a full year after the date of purchase, but sale of those passes will end Jan. 1, 2015, Waters said.

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