All Over Albany

You can now renew your Empire Pass (or get a new one) at a discount

New York State Parks has opened online renewals for the next season of the Empire Pass, and you can save a few bucks doing so. Blurbage:

The Empire Pass program provides unlimited day-use vehicle entry to state parks, boat launch sites, arboretums, park preserves and Department of Environmental Conservation forest preserves. By renewing online, Empire Pass-holders will keep their existing card and not have to wait for the pass to be mailed to them nor face waiting in line at the park to pick up a new pass during peak season.

If you renew your Empire Pass -- or get a new one -- between now and March 31, it's $80 -- a savings of $10 off the regular price.

Empire Pass?
The Empire Pass is basically a season pass for New York State parks that offers unlimited admission for a calendar year. If you're a frequent state park visitor -- say, 8-10 times or more during seasons with admission fees -- it's the cheapest and easiest way to pay the admission fee. And the card can be shared among family members. (The cards have replaced the old car stickers.)

If you go to state parks a lot every year, and you've got the cash, the State Parks also offers a 3-year and 5-year Empire Pass -- they're $205 and $320, which saves another few bucks.

There's also a lifetime pass for $750.