Northeast State Parks

Pennsylvania is the only Northeast state where every state park is free to enter. Elsewhere the fee model changes at the state line: Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont charge per person, the other states per vehicle. Connecticut-registered cars get in free through the Passport to the Parks, and Rhode Island charges only for beach parking. If you plan several park days in New York, the $80 Empire Pass covers state parks, beaches and recreation areas.

10 States

1,063 Park Profiles

Northeast States Compared

State	Parks profiled	Day-use fee (resident)	Annual pass (resident)
Connecticut	187	$0 (CT-registered vehicles) per vehicle Source: portal.ct.gov	Passport to the Parks: $0 (included in vehicle registration)
Delaware	21	$5–10 (residents) / $10–20 (out-of-state) per vehicle Source: destateparks.com	Annual Pass: $50 (resident)
Maine	92	$2–6 (residents) / $3–8 (non-residents) per person Source: maine.gov	Individual Pass / Vehicle Pass: $55 individual / $105 vehicle
Massachusetts	137	$3–15 (residents) per vehicle Source: mass.gov	MassParks Annual Pass: $60
New Hampshire	83	$4–5 (adults) per person Source: nhstateparks.org	Individual Season Pass: $60
New Jersey	96	$0–10 (residents; most parks free, seasonal fees at some) per vehicle Source: dep.nj.gov	State Park Pass: $50
New York	207	$6–10 per vehicle Source: parks.ny.gov	Empire Pass: $80
Pennsylvania	148	Free Source: pa.gov	None (entry is free)
Rhode Island	29	$6–7 (residents; beach parking only) per vehicle Source: riparks.ri.gov	Season Beach Parking Pass: $30 (resident, beach parking)
Vermont	63	$5 adults / $2 children 4–13 per person Source: vtstateparks.com	Individual Pass / Vehicle Pass: $40 individual / $105 vehicle

Parks profiled: published park profiles in our database for each state, counted live. Fees and pass prices: standard resident rates published by each state park agency, verified in July 2026 for our 50-state fee study. Many states charge out-of-state visitors more, so confirm the current rate with the agency before you go.