100 Years of Black History Month: MLK's Influence on California State Parks

February 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, and we’re celebrating by looking back at one of the century’s most influential figures, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His enormous impact on our nation cannot be confined to his too-short lifespan, as he laid out a vision for the future that still calls us to action today, even in our California state parks.

In his 1963 book Strength to Love, Dr. King wrote,

“We, through our deeds and words, our silence and speech, are constantly writing in the Book of Life. … Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day), January 19, 2026, California State Parks Foundation answered that question by funding free vehicle day-use entry to more than 200 California state parks. At the request of Governor Newsom and the Director of California State Parks, California State Parks Foundation covered park admission fees, removing cost barriers that can prevent visitors from experiencing the outdoors.

Equitable access is integral to California State Parks Foundation’s mission of “protecting and preserving the California state park system, for the benefit of all,” and aligns with Dr. King’s vision of a more just society, build on equality and civil rights.

Free entry to state parks is an important element of bringing people into parks and making them feel welcome. Which is why California State Parks Foundation advocates for year-round discounted passes like the California State Park Adventure Pass, the Golden Bear Pass, and the California State Library Parks Pass — state-funded programs that help more people experience nature, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

How California State Park Lovers Honored MLK Day

The response from the community to the MLK Day free-entry program was immediate and enthusiastic. Several visitors went to a new park for the first time, an encouraging sign that the free access day had its intended effect of opening new experiences with nature to those who hadn’t had them before.

“To honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I took my daughters to Olompali State Historic Park in Novato,” park visitor Josh D. shared. “On the drive there we talked about Dr. King’s work around social justice and the struggle for civil rights. At the park we read signs about the Coast Miwok and Ohlone people who inhabited the lands of the Bay Area long before European colonists arrived. We toured the replica redwood bark shelters and then hiked the Miwok Loop trail on the slopes of Mount Burdell. It was a great day out in nature with my girls, and we learned a lot! Thank you for making it a free day. As a divorced dad who is currently unemployed, it helped make the park accessible to my family.”

Free access spanned throughout California, giving many visitors the opportunity to visit parts of California they had never been to before. “We visited Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on MLK day. I have lived in California for over 25 years and have never been to this part of town. Our family of four even invited some friends to go with us, two families who have never been inside a state park!” another visitor, Lara P., said. “We were very lucky that the wildflowers were in bloom early and there's water flowing at the oasis Palm Canyon Nature Trail. The kids enjoyed the scavenger hunt and the quick loop at the Visitor Center. Safe to say the other two families are now hooked, and the kids have been asking to visit more parks! Kudos to all the staff and rangers that make our state parks great!”

Another visitor, Andrea G., also spent time in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park with family. “I was born and raised in the nearby Coachella Valley and our family has always had a deep appreciation of desert ecosystems. I was reminded of the great importance of keeping areas like these protected,” said Andrea, who was inspired to write a poem based on their experience in the park.

Jackie Z., who took advantage of the free admission day to bring her children to Big Basin Redwoods State Park for the first time, shared, “My daughter said it was the best day of her life. The volunteer at the visitor center, Liza Coe, was amazing, so kind, and knowledgeable. She answered all of my son’s questions about banana slugs and so much more. The staff at the kiosk booth were also very kind.”

MLK’s Impact on Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

Dr. King’s legacy is also deeply intertwined in the inception of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. Allensworth — California’s first town founded, financed, and governed by and for Black community members — was added to the state park system in 1974, as “the product of a spirited community campaign sparked in the wake of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” according to The African American History & Engagement (AAH&E) project, a partnership between California State Parks and the California African American Museum which began as part of the Reexamining Our Past Initiative.

On their informative site, Black History in State Parks, AAH&E shares critical, under-documented histories, including this story of Dr. King’s tie to Allensworth: “In 1968, Black community leaders throughout the state charged the California Department of Parks and Recreation with being deficient in historical preservation and interpretive programs giving attention to the pivotal role played by Black citizens in the development of California. In 1969, Cornelius Ed Pope, an African American landscape architect for California State Parks and former Allensworth resident, proposed the township as a potential State Park site for its legacy and protection from agricultural development at the time.”

House at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

Celebrating Black History Month in California State Parks

Many more California state parks also preserve and unlock important elements of Black History, such as:

Angel Island State Park — where Colonel Allensworth served as a chaplain just before he founded his namesake town, and later, where 31 Issa Somali laborers passed through as they were deported from the United States after protesting withheld pay;
Black Miner’s Bar at Folsom Lake State Recreational Area — once home to a thriving Black community of gold miners;
Candlestick Point State Recreational Area — which was created due to public demand by the local, predominantly Black, Bayview–Hunters Point community;
Columbia State Historic Park — where Black achievers contributed to an important gold-mining town;
Fort Ord Dunes State Park — the site of the first integrated military base in California; and
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park — home to important Afro Mexican and Black Maritime Histories, including the story of Allen Light.

Visit a California State Park with a California Library Park Pass

The parks that participated in the MLK Day free-entry program are the same parks that accept the California State Library Parks Pass year-round. California State Parks Foundation has been a key proponent of this pass, which provides free park access to library cardholders, since its creation in 2021, advocating for it to be permanently funded by the state government.

As Rachel Norton, Executive Director of California State Parks Foundation, wrote in Capitol Weekly, “While the program was included in the 2026 state budget, it lacks a permanent funding source and is dependent on the annual state budget process, which varies widely from year to year, making long term planning difficult.” That's why California State Parks Foundation has sponsored AB 1804 (Hart), which explicitly authorizes California State Parks to work with the California State Library to provide and distribute passes each year.

This Black History Month and beyond, California State Parks Foundation encourages everyone to check out a California State Library Parks Pass from their local library and visit one of the incredible parks listed above. Or, dig into the history of another state park to uncover the hidden stories that may lie just below the surface. You are sure to find that Black communities and Black leaders, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., helped shape the land, culture, and stories of California in innumerable ways that deserve to be protected and preserved, for the benefit of all.

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