How to Get a Hoh River Permit
Seventeen flat miles up the wettest forest in the lower 48, then a rope ladder down an avalanche chute and out onto the moraine below the Blue Glacier.
Check Hoh River permit availability$6 non-refundable reservation fee per permit, plus $8 per person per night for adults 16 and over. Under 16 camp free.
Permit Cost
3-4 days
Duration
17.4 miles
Distance
moderate
Difficulty
About Hoh River
The Hoh River Trail runs 17.4 miles from the Hoh Rain Forest to Glacier Meadows, with the park giving elevation as 600 feet to 4,300 feet - the two endpoints, not a cumulative climb, which it does not publish. It rates the trail easy to moderate with a best season of late June through September. The quota here is partial and its unit is sites. The park lists Elk Lake, Martin Creek and Glacier Meadows as quota sites along the Hoh River Trail, plus all group sites for parties of 7 to 12 and all stock sites. Hoh Lake and C.B. Flats are listed separately. The lower-river camps - Tom Creek, Five Mile Island, Happy Four, Olympus Guard Station and the individual sites at Lewis Meadow - are not quota-limited, which makes a three-day trip to Lewis Meadow and back one of the easier good permits in the park to get. The park publishes no number for any of it. Group sizes differ by camp: individual sites cap at six people, group sites take 7 to 12, and stock sites take 12 people with up to 8 head of stock. The Hoh River Trail and Hoh Lake Trail are both on the park's list of areas where parties of 7 or more must use designated group sites. The upper trail carries the real hazards. The way into Glacier Meadows crosses an avalanche chute where the trail washed out, leaving a rope ladder down a steep and loose rock slope; on 2026-06-14 the park reported that ladder with three broken rungs and one missing. Two stream crossings just before Olympus Guard Station have to be forded, and the park counted 37 downed trees between the trailhead and Glacier Meadows. Bear canisters are required. The park's food-storage page states that animal-resistant food containers are required in all wilderness areas of the park, and the permit's own rules say canisters are required for overnight stays anywhere in the Olympic Wilderness. They are free to borrow at Wilderness Information Centers. The Upper Hoh Road has a history of washouts and is county-maintained, but it was listed open as of 2026-05-05 on a road-status page reviewed 2026-08-07. Check it again before you drive.
The Hoh is the standard approach to Mount Olympus and the best long walk through temperate rainforest anywhere in the country. It also splits neatly in two: the first thirteen miles are nearly level river-bottom walking that almost anyone can do, and the last four are a different trip entirely.
The Experience
Moss hanging off every branch, elk trails braiding away from the main tread, and the river always somewhere to your left. It stays like that for most of a day and a half. Then the valley narrows, the trail climbs, and at Glacier Meadows you come out under the Blue Glacier with rock and ice above you and no moss at all.
The park publishes 17.4 miles to Glacier Meadows with elevation running from 600 feet to 4,300 - endpoint figures, not a cumulative gain, which the park does not publish. It rates the trail easy to moderate with a best season of late June through September.
Camps come in order: Tom Creek at 3 miles, Five Mile Island at 5, Happy Four at 6, Olympus Guard Station at 9.5, Lewis Meadow at 11, Elk Lake at 13, Glacier Meadows at 17.4. Everything up to Lewis Meadow is river-bottom walking. Above Elk Lake the trail crosses an avalanche chute where a washout has left a rope ladder as the way down a steep, loose rock slope - and on 2026-06-14 the park reported that ladder with three broken rungs and one missing. There are also two stream crossings just before the Olympus Guard Station sites that have to be forded, and the park counted 37 downed trees between the trailhead and Glacier Meadows.
What to Expect
17.4 miles one way to Glacier Meadows, from 600 feet to 4,300 feet
Camps at Tom Creek (3), Five Mile Island (5), Happy Four (6), Olympus Guard Station (9.5), Lewis Meadow (11), Elk Lake (13) and Glacier Meadows (17.4)
Quota sites are Elk Lake, Martin Creek and Glacier Meadows, plus all group and stock sites - the lower river camps are not quota-limited
Individual sites take six people; group sites take 7 to 12; stock sites take 12 people and 8 stock
Two fords just below the Olympus Guard Station campsites
A rope ladder down a loose slope in an avalanche chute below Glacier Meadows, reported on 2026-06-14 with three broken rungs and one missing
Bear canisters required, free to borrow at a Wilderness Information Center
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Permit Requirements
A wilderness permit is required for every overnight trip and must be reserved on Recreation.gov
Group size is limited to 12 people and 8 stock; affiliated groups may not combine and must camp and travel at least 1 mile apart
Parties of 7 to 12 must use designated group sites on the Hoh River Trail and the Hoh Lake Trail
Bear canisters are required for overnight stays anywhere in the Olympic Wilderness
Permits are issued around 3 days before your trip start date
No sites are held as same-day walk-ups, and trailhead self-registration no longer exists
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •An approved bear canister - free to borrow at a Wilderness Information Center
- •Shoes you can ford in, for the two crossings below Olympus Guard Station
- •Rain gear built for sustained rain, not showers
- •Water treatment
- •Gloves, if you are going past Elk Lake to the ladder
Recommended Gear
- •Trekking poles for the fords and the loose slope above Elk Lake
- •A dry bag for the sleeping bag - this is the wettest forest in the lower 48
- •An ice axe if you intend to go above Glacier Meadows onto snow
- •Insect repellent for the meadows in July
Hazards & Safety
The rope ladder in the avalanche chute below Glacier Meadows, reported by the park on 2026-06-14 with three broken rungs and one missing
Two fords just before the Olympus Guard Station campsites
37 downed trees reported between the trailhead and Glacier Meadows
River rise on the Hoh, which drains a glacier and comes up fast in rain
Snow and rockfall above Glacier Meadows on the moraine
The Upper Hoh Road is county-maintained and has a history of washout closures
Best Time to Visit
Late June through September, which is the park's own best-season window - the upper trail and Glacier Meadows are snowbound outside it. July and August give the driest tread and the most reliable fords. September is quiet and the elk are bugling in the lower valley. The reservation season runs May 15 to October 15, and a spring trip to Lewis Meadow and back is a perfectly good use of the lower river when the top is still under snow.
Pro Tips
If you just want the rainforest, book Lewis Meadow or Five Mile Island. They sit outside the quota list, so they are far easier to get than Elk Lake or Glacier Meadows.
Check the trail conditions page for the ladder before planning anything past Elk Lake. Three broken rungs and one missing was the park's 2026-06-14 report.
The first eleven miles gain almost nothing, so you can cover ground faster than the mileage suggests - and then the last four take longer than you expect.
Borrow the canister free at the Wilderness Information Center when you collect the permit.
Book on April 15 at 7:00 am Pacific for the whole summer. Olympic holds nothing back for walk-ups.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Hoh River permit?
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Hoh River permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Hoh River?
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Late June through September, which is the park's own best-season window - the upper trail and Glacier Meadows are snowbound outside it. July and August give the driest tread and the most reliable fords. September is quiet and the elk are bugling in the lower valley. The reservation season runs May 15 to October 15, and a spring trip to Lewis Meadow and back is a perfectly good use of the lower river when the top is still under snow.
How difficult is Hoh River?
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Two different groups. To Lewis Meadow it is a beginner-friendly rainforest walk on almost flat ground. To Glacier Meadows it is a committing mountain approach.
What gear do I need for Hoh River?
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Essential gear includes: An approved bear canister - free to borrow at a Wilderness Information Center, Shoes you can ford in, for the two crossings below Olympus Guard Station, Rain gear built for sustained rain, not showers, Water treatment, Gloves, if you are going past Elk Lake to the ladder.
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