Washington Lifetime Disabled Veteran Park Pass

Washington State Parks issues a Lifetime Disabled Veteran Pass, free of charge, to a Washington resident veteran with a combined service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or greater. RCW 79A.05.065 is the authority. What makes this pass unusual among state park benefits is that it covers camping, not just entry. The holder gets free day-use parking, with no Discover Pass required, free boat launching, free trailer dump, and free camping or moorage. The statute entitles the holder and the members of their camping unit to free use of any campsite in any state park. That camping-unit language means the benefit reaches a family rather than an individual. For a veteran who camps regularly with family, this is worth more per year than most of the cash benefits in this catalog. Apply with proof of Washington state residency and a VA award letter showing a service-connected rating of 30 percent or more, addressed to the Washington address. The pass is free to apply for, and State Parks asks for six to eight weeks from a completed application to the pass arriving in the mail. A veteran planning a summer trip should apply in spring rather than in June. The pass replaces the Discover Pass for the holder, so there is no need to buy one. Contact State Parks at 360-902-8844. A veteran below 30 percent should look at the Discover Pass options WDVA describes, and a veteran over 65 should note that the hunting and fishing benefit in the previous entry uses an age path this one does not.