State Foundation Makes Visiting Oregon's Parks Easier

From Oregon State Parks Foundation: The Oregon State Parks Foundation today announced partnerships with car-sharing services Zipcar and ReachNow to put free State Park day-use parking passes and State Parks guides in all of their car-sharing vehicles throughout Portland.

The partnerships seek to increase access to the outdoors without having to own a car or pay for parking. Zipcar and ReachNow vehicles can be reserved by visiting ZipCar.com or ReachNow.com.

Cars from both services can be reserved by the hour or day, and will now give Portlanders or visitors to the area the flexibility to get outside and explore the wonders of Oregon State Parks without having to own a car or pay for parking.

Oregon State Parks had more than 50-million day-use visits in 2017, people flocking to experience the state’s renowned forests, mountains, beaches, and rivers.

However, one proven barrier to this outdoor recreation for many people is a lack of transportation. Oregon State Parks are typically in areas not accessible by public transportation, but many are within a two-hour drive of Portland.

With today’s news, more people will have access to quintessential Oregon outdoor activities such as houseboating at Lake Billy Chinook, rock climbing at Smith Rock, fly fishing at Cottonwood Canyon, bungee jumping at Peter Skene Ogden, tide pool exploring at Devil’s Punchbowl, or sand dune adventuring at Honeyman.

For those who want to go bicycling, select Zipcars are equipped with a bike rack, and select ReachNow vehicles will be equipped with bike racks by this summer.

Great bicycling can be found on the Banks-Vernonia Trail or any of the 17 Scenic Bikeways managed by Oregon State Parks.

Learn more about cars equipped with racks at: ZipCar.com/yakima.

Here are a few ideas for ReachNow and Zipcar members looking for their next adventure:

Disc Golf

• Some of the top-rated courses in the nation are in Oregon’s State Parks. There are courses easily accessible at Milo McGiver, Champoeg, Stub Stewart and Rooster Rock.

Tidepools

• There are many tidepools along the Oregon Coast. All 362 miles of Oregon’s Pacific Coast Beaches are public and managed by Oregon State Parks. Haystack Rock near Cannon Beach, Oswald West near Manzanita, Devil’s Punchbowl north of Newport, and Seal Rock south of Newport are all easily accessible and waiting for explorers.

History

• Check out the only remaining water-powered grist mill in Oregon at Thompson’s Mill south of Corvallis, or the only place in the Continental United States to be fired upon by a foreign power: Fort Stevens.

Lighthouses

• Nine original lighthouses stretch from Tillamook in the north to Cape Blanco in the south. They are a perfect destination for a coastal day trip or weekend getaway.

About the Oregon State Parks Foundation

The Oregon State Parks Foundation is a state-wide, member-supported, non-profit partner of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The Foundation is dedicated to raising funds to enhance and preserve special places and experiences in Oregon’s State Parks.

You may not know that NOT A SINGLE PENNY of state taxes has gone to support the State Parks since 1998. Instead, user fees cover about 55 percent of the operating costs, and the Oregon Lottery covers about 44 percent.

Since 1995, the Foundation has supported many vital projects such as restoring Vista House at Crown Point, helping to renovate five Oregon Lighthouses, preserving the Kam Wah Chung & Co Museum, and putting the first yurts in State Parks anywhere in the country.

Most recently, the foundation raised funds to build a residential outdoor school facility at the Cottonwood Canyon State Park.

The Foundation strives to connect all Oregonians with their State Parks, to enrich the visitor experience through interpretation and education, and to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.

Zipcar first partnered with the Oregon State Parks Foundation in 2017, equipping 75 of its vehicles with free parking passes. The partnership has since expanded to include passes on all Zipcar vehicles in Portland due to popularity and demand.

To learn more about the Foundation, or to become a member, go to: www.oregonstateparksfoundation.org.

About Zipcar

Zipcar is the world’s leading car-sharing network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living.

With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour or day, Zipcar operates in urban areas and university campuses in over 500 cities and towns across Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Iceland, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Zipcar offers the most comprehensive, most convenient and most flexible car-sharing options available.

Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a leading global provider of mobility solutions. More information is available at

About ReachNow

ReachNow offers the convenience of renting hundreds of BMW and MINI cars on demand. Pay as you go with insurance and your first tank of gas included in the price.

ReachNow’s ecosystem of mobility services is powered by a fleet of BMW and MINI vehicles, including the sporty BMW X1 SAV and electric BMW i3, ensuring that you’re always traveling comfortably and in style.

Members can pick-up any available car on the street and drop it off anywhere within the Home Area.

ReachNow offers flat rates and competitive per day pricing that make it the convenient, and cost-effective way to get to work, meet friends for dinner, have some extra trunk space when running errands or get out of town for the weekend.

More information is available at ReachNow.com/en/portland-or.

Image via Ingo70/Shutterstock