More clarification on the Discover Pass
"Sno-Parks" that are located on DNR lands are actually called "Winter Recreation Sites". These sites are the Ahtanum winter parking areas (3) and the Little Rattlesnake on Chinook Pass. Almost all of the other "sno-parks" are located on USFS land.
A "Discover Pass" solely will not work in the State Parks Sno-Parks, nor will a "Sno-Park permit" solely work on DNR lands.
The grooming on DNR lands are paid for by your snowmobile registrations (going through WSPR). The plowing and sanitation on DNR lands are paid for by your Discover Pass.
The grooming on USFS lands are paid for by your snowmobile registrations (going through WSPR). The plowing and sanitation on USFS lands are paid for by your snowmobile registrations (going through WSPR).
The Discover Pass system was enacted about 3 years ago to fund recreation on the states public lands; mainly due to the loss of revenue from hits to the states general fund and the decrease in logging revenue. Basically, logging was subsidizing the upkeep of roads that we use for recreation (in our case, for snowmobiling). The role of these state lands is revenue for the states general fund, a lot of which flows to our state school system. Subsidized recreation is not a top priority - Hence, the funding solution that gave us the Discover Pass.
The website is confusing in that it does not differentiate between the two types of land management
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For the most part, the Discover Pass seems to be accepted and there has been no noticeable attendance drop in the Ahtanum area's snowmobile use. The extra funding from the Discover Pass was the main reason for the construction of the new upper level parking lot in the Ahtanum. If anything (excepting this crappy snow year), snowmobile use in the Ahtanum has increased with the additional parking. The DNR has worked well with the local snowmobile community since the implementation of the Discover Pass.
A plan is going forward with DNR and local snowmobile groups to make a groomed route from the North Fork Rd (intersection with McClain Canyon) up to Jackass Rd. just where it starts heading north on the top of the ridge. This will enable more (and a much longer season) and easier access to the area of Nasty Creek Flats and Divide Ridge. Great riding, but somewhat hard to get to since the open portions of the lower Jackass Rd. blows off so often and early.
Prior to the Discover Pass, the Yakima Ski-Benders had two years of fundraising to keep the Ahtanum State Forest open to winter recreation (snowmobilers and others). The club raised around $25,000 over a two year span towards this effort.
Or you can save $30 annually and have a closed DNR parking areas, no DNR groomed roads and that big yellow perpendicular gate across the lower road access.
Hope this helps. There was a tremendous amount of discussion on this a couple of years ago and some huge (and heated) public meetings. For the majority (not saying how large it was)-the Discover Pass was pushed as the best option. From my point of view, we gained a great new parking area and other minor things that have made snowmobiling better in the Ahtanum.
Tampico