Syracuse, N.Y. -- New York is offering a sale on the 2018 Empire Pass Card, a wallet-size card that gives the holder access to more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, boat launches and other places.
From now through March 31, 2018, the public can purchase the card for $65 - a $15 discount off the regular $80 price. After March 31, the price will go back up to $80.
They can be purchased online at www.parks.ny.gov. The 2018 Empire Pass Card is currently available online only and will be available for sale inside the parks in January.
The cards will be good for calendar year 2018 - a change from the 2017 card, which was good for the calendar, which ends March 31.
While the state is providing a break on the price of the 2018 card, it is discontinuing the Empire Pass decal, which cost $65 and could not be shared because it had to be attached to a single vehicle.
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation began offering the Empire Pass Card this year. Unlike the vehicle decal, it can be shared by the owner with family members and others and is not tied to a vehicle. (All 2017 Empire Pass decals will be accepted through their expiration on March 31, 2018.)
Randy Simons, a spokesman for the office, said the vehicle decal is being dropped in favor of the card because people found it inconvenient to have their pass restricted to one vehicle. Many families have more than one car, so they had to buy multiple decals if they wanted the option of using more than one of their vehicles to visit state parks, he noted.
The decal is also being dropped because the state plans to use scanners to speed up entry into its parks, and they don't work on car decals. The cards contain a QR code and an embedded chip that allows them to be scanned at park entrances, Simons said.
Though the cards can be shared with anyone, Simons said people should be aware that the state will charge a $30 fee to replace a lost card.
"You're on the hook if it's lost," he said.
The shareable cards have proven to be popular. The parks office has sold 35,000 of them this year, about half of the approximately 70,000 Empire Passes that have been purchased, Simons said.
The cards provide unlimited day-use vehicle entry to state parks, Department of Environmental Conservation forest preserves, boat launch sites, arboretums and park preserves.
In addition to one-year cards, the parks office also sells a three-year card for $205, a five-year card for $320 and a lifetime pass (not shareable) for $750.
Most state parks charge an entry fee of $6 to $10 a vehicle for day use. Parks may charge additional fees for amenities such as pools and picnic shelter reservations.
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