washington state hiking passes
If you are new to hiking in Washington, you might not realize that many trails require a pass in order to park at the trailhead. And there is more than one type of pass, depending on which trailhead you want to use! Don’t find yourself unprepared or try to forgo the pass, as it’s quite common to be ticketed if you aren’t displaying a pass.
•discover pass•
A Discover Pass is a motor vehicle permit needed to use state land in Washington, including land managed by Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Washington Department of Natural Resources. You do not need a pass to access state lands on foot, bicycle, horseback, or by boat.
It only costs $30 for an annual pass, and $10 for a one-day pass. You must clearly display the pass in your windshield, such as from your rear-view mirror. With the annual pass, you can also list two license plates and switch the pass between vehicles as needed (but it can’t cover both in the same trip). Note that there are certain days that are “free days” and do not require a pass, which are listed on the official site. You can buy a pass online, or you can also purchase them at places such as REI or Ace Hardware. If you purchase the pass online, they do allow you to print a temporary pass. Passes are also on sale at some state park entrance stations and certain locations with automated pay stations. Note that in a pinch, you could buy a pass online IF you have cell phone service at the trailhead, and they allow you to write the transaction number and date on a clearly displayed paper on our dashboard. You can also look into borrowing a Discover Pass from your local library.
•sno-park permits•
There are over 120 Sno-Parks, or parking areas cleared of snow, in Washington State for winter recreation. Snowmobile Sno-Parks are open to both motorized and non-motorized types of recreation, while non-motorized Sno-Parks are only open to non-motorized recreation (snowshoeing, playing in the snow, cross-country skiing, etc.). Sno-Park Permits are required at all Washington State Sno-Parks from December 1st through March 31st (including on Discover Pass “free days”). This allows access to plowed lots in order to use groomed and backcountry trails.
There are three types of Sno-Park permits. The first is a single day pass for $25 that is valid at any Washington State Sno-Park location, including special groomed trail permit areas. The second type of permit is a seasonal sticker for either snowmobile or non-motorized recreation and costs $50. Note that this seasonal pass is not transferable between vehicles. The third pass is a $70 seasonal add-on sticker that is a special groomed trail permit needed at eight of the state’s Sno-Parks where trails are groomed for cross country skiers.
Sno-Park permits are available online or at a variety of area vendors. Note that a Discover Pass is not needed to accompany the Sno-Park permits, but the Discover Pass free days do NOT apply to Sno-Park areas. As with the other passes, your pass must be clearly visible on your vehicle’s dashboard.
•northwest forest pass•
This pass covers federal land at U.S. Forest Service sites in Washington and Oregon. The cost is $30 for an annual pass, or $5 for a daily ePass. However, you do not need this pass if you have an America the Beautiful National Park pass (see below). The annual Northwest Forest pass allows for two household signatures, although all members of the household are allowed to use the pass even if they haven’t signed. Again, the pass should be clearly displayed in the vehicle, such as from the rearview mirror. You can buy the passes online, and the day passes are printable, but the annual passes are not. You can also purchase a pass at retailers such as REI or Ace Hardware (although not all vendors carry single day passes) and at National Forest Service offices.
•america the beautiful pass•
A National Park pass is required to enter certain areas of Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks. Note that North Cascades National Park does not currently require a pass, although if you want to park at trailheads within the park, you will need either an America the Beautiful pass or Northwest Forest Pass. As mentioned above, the annual National Park pass can be used in lieu of the Northwest Forest Pass at any locations where it is required.
An annual America the Beautiful pass costs $80, and a 7-day pass costs $30 per vehicle. It allows access to all National Parks in the United States plus National Forests and Federal Recreational Lands, including over 2,000 sites. The annual pass can be signed by two owners and admits one vehicle to the park. Passes can be purchased online and they will send you a physical pass (printing is not acceptable), or in person such as at National Park entrance stations. Note that there are free passes available for the military and those that are permanently disabled, and there are discounted lifetime passes available for senior citizens. There is also a really cool program called Every Kid Outdoors which allows every fourth grader to get a free National Park pass! Mount Rainier and Olympic also both offer $55 annual passes, although the pass is only good at that one park.
•other hiking information•
•Hiking Permits•
Certain hikes in Washington may require a backcountry or wilderness permit in order to backpack and camp overnight. For example, this includes the popular trail known as The Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area of the Cascades near Leavenworth. The Washington Trails Association website has a great summary of permits required and application timelines.
•Other Fees•
Some National Wildlife Refuges in Washington charge a daily entrance fee. For example, this includes the Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge which is relatively close to Seattle and charges a $3 daily entrance fee. However, they do accept (and sell) the America the Beautiful Pass in lieu of this fee.
The Washington Trails Association website is a great resource if you’re not sure what pass is required to hike a certain trail. They also offer volunteer opportunities where you can earn free passes for your service, so be sure to check that out if cost is an issue or you simply want to help out.
•Hiking Trails•
See my separate posts about hiking 101 tips, as well as finding hiking trails in Washington and some popular recommended hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty!