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Summit Climb
Permit required April 1 - October 31 to climb to the crater rim of Mount St. Hel...
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ReservationBackpackingHigh Demand
Mount Margaret Backcountry Permit
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Eight designated campsites on the ridgelines above Spirit Lake, one permit per site per night, released a month at a time.
“Eight tent pads on the ridges above Spirit Lake, one party each, in the blast zone of the eruption that flattened 230 square miles of forest.”
Booked one camp per night— we watch your whole trip window
Mount Margaret Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodReservation
Demand LevelHigh7/10
SeasonMay 1 - November 30
Cost$7 per person per night plus a $6 non-refundable reservation fee
Max Group Size4 people
Mount Margaret Permit Facts
- As of August 2026, Mount Margaret in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, National Forests & Wilderness requires a permit issued via reservation.
- Mount Margaret is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The permit season for Mount Margaret runs May 1 through November 30.
- Cancelled Mount Margaret permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
SeasonMay 1 - November 30
Permit Details
TypeBackpacking
Booking MethodReservation
Demand Level7/10
LocationSouthern Washington Cascades
Pro Tips
- •A single cancellation is a whole site — there is no partial availability at seven of the eight camps.
- •Ridge Camp is the only site that can hold a group of more than four.
- •Check the Gifford Pinchot road status before you commit; Forest Road 25 is closed as a through route and upper State Route 504 has been shut by a slide.
- •Your permit includes two trailhead parking passes, so you do not need a separate Northwest Forest Pass for the trip.
What to Expect
Route Details
Elevation Gain
2,000 ft
Route Type
Varies
Difficulty
StrenuousHighlights
- •Eight designated sites, one permit per site per night, two at Ridge Camp
- •Four people per group, eight at Ridge Camp
- •$7 per person per night from May 1 to November 30, plus a $6 reservation fee
- •Permits released a month at a time on the first of the preceding month, 7:00 a.m. Pacific
- •Raised tent pads and composting toilets at every site — camp on the pad
Best Time to Visit
Late July through September, once the snowdrifts are gone and both approach roads are open. May and June permits are sellable but the Forest Service does not guarantee the area is reachable on May 1.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Whittier Ridge Route #214: very narrow, unmaintained, with steep drop-offs
- !Snowfields into July and early winter conditions in the fall
- !Mountain goats habituated to humans — the permit specifically asks you not to urinate in camp areas
- !Seasonal water that may be dry when you arrive, especially at Ridge Camp and the Boundary Trail camps
- !Roads that close without much notice; Forest Road 25 is currently shut as a through route
How to Get This Permit
1
Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
2
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
3
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
4
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
When to Go
Peak: July through SeptemberShoulder: June and October
Conditions
Snowbound. The permit season opens May 1 but the Forest Service says access is not guaranteed and snowdrifts often remain until July.
Crowd Level
LowAdvantages
- +Sites are easy to get
- +Waterfalls and snowmelt streams are running
Challenges
- !Snow travel
- !Norway Pass road usually still closed
- !Route-finding over covered trail
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand4/5
Fitness and endurance required
Technical Skill2/5
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Exposure Risk4/5
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Navigation3/5
Route finding and trail clarity
Commitment3/5
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Experienced backpackers who want a designated site to themselves and are comfortable on narrow ridge trail.
Recommended Experience
Prior multi-day backpacking, water treatment, and enough judgement to turn around on an exposed traverse.
Not Recommended For
Anyone uncomfortable with heights — the Forest Service says so outright about Whittier Ridge — or a first backpacking trip.
About This Permit
All overnight camping in the Mount Margaret Backcountry requires a permit, and the permit is tied to a specific campsite on a specific night. There are eight designated sites — Panhandle, Ridge, Margaret, Obscurity, Snow, Bear, Dome and Shovel — and Recreation.gov issues one permit per site per night, except at Ridge Camp, which takes two. Group size is four people, or eight at Ridge Camp.
Permits are released one month at a time on the first day of the preceding month at 7:00 a.m. Pacific: May permits on April 1, June permits on May 1, and so on through the November 1-30 release on October 1. The season runs May 1 through November 30, but the Forest Service is blunt that the area is often snowbound until late spring or early summer and that snowdrifts often remain until July.
Because each site is one party, a single cancellation is the whole opening. Print the permit within 14 days of entry — it must be printed by 10 a.m. on the day you start or it is cancelled.
The Experience
Why It Matters
The Mount Margaret Backcountry sits in the northeast corner of the National Volcanic Monument Congress set aside in 1982 to let the 1980 eruption's aftermath run its course. Camping is capped at eight designated sites and one permit per site per night, which makes it one of the hardest small permits in Washington to land and one of the quietest places to sleep in the Cascades.
The Route
There are two ways in and they open at different times of year. The South Coldwater Trailhead off State Route 504 is the late-spring and summer approach; Norway Pass off Forest Road 26 is the late-summer approach and, per the Forest Service, Forest Road 99 and Forest Road 26 normally open from the end of June through November.
Once you are on the ridge system the trails are narrow and steep and can climb over 2,000 feet. The Forest Service singles out Whittier Ridge Route #214 as extremely challenging, very narrow, crossing steep cliffs, and unsuitable for inexperienced hikers or anyone uncomfortable with heights. Every other route into the camps avoids it.
The eight camps — Panhandle, Ridge, Margaret, Obscurity, Snow, Bear, Dome and Shovel — each have a raised tent pad and a composting toilet, and you must camp on the pad. Ridge Camp is the only one that takes two permits and eight people; everywhere else it is one party of four.
The Feeling
You climb through downed timber that has been lying in the same direction since May 1980, then break out onto open ridge where the whole story is laid out at once: the crater, the pumice plain, and Spirit Lake still carrying its raft of bleached logs. Mount Rainier stands to the north and Mount Adams to the east. There are no trees to hang food from and usually nobody else in sight.
Trailhead Information
Norway Pass Trailhead
Late-summer access to the Boundary Trail and the eastern camps.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Before you rely on this water
No water at the trailhead. The Forest Service publishes per-camp water location maps and warns that water availability may change through the summer at Ridge Camp and the camps along the Boundary Trail. Treat everything you find.
Parking
A Northwest Forest Pass or Interagency Pass is required to park, or $5 per vehicle per day. Your overnight permit includes two parking passes.
Getting There
Forest Road 99 and Forest Road 26 normally open from the end of June through November. Forest Road 25 has been closed as a through route by a slide, so check the Gifford Pinchot road status before you drive.
Nearest Services
Randle, on Highway 12, for fuel and groceries.
South Coldwater Trailhead
Late spring and summer access from the State Route 504 side of the monument.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Before you rely on this water
No water at the trailhead; carry what you need to the first camp and treat all backcountry sources.
Parking
Recreation pass required. The permit's two included parking passes cover either trailhead.
Getting There
I-5 exit 49, then State Route 504 east for 42 miles into the monument. Upper 504 has been closed at milepost 45.2 by a slide in recent seasons — check current conditions.
Nearest Services
Castle Rock, at the I-5 end of State Route 504.
Rules & Regulations
- •Camp only at the designated site and on the dates listed on your permit, and only on the provided tent pad
- •Maximum group size is 4, or 8 at Ridge Camp; at least one person must be 18 or older
- •The permit holder must carry government-issued photo ID — the permit is not valid without it
- •Print the permit within 14 days of entry; it must be printed by 10 a.m. on the date of entry or it is cancelled
- •No campfires anywhere in the Mount Margaret Backcountry — bring a stove
- •No pack stock, no drones, and no bicycles except on the Boundary Trail #1
- •Use the composting toilets and never put garbage in them; pack out all trash
- •Treat all water by boiling, tablets or filtering
Gear Checklist
Required
- A backpacking stove, since fires are prohibited
- A bear-resistant food canister — the Forest Service notes most sites have no trees to hang from
- Water treatment, because every source must be treated and some are seasonal
- Government-issued photo ID, which the permit is not valid without
- The printed permit, displayed on your tent while you occupy the site
Recommended
- Traction and poles for snowfields, which linger into July
- A wind shell — the camps sit on open ridge with nothing to break the weather
- A paper map, since there is no cell service and the trail network is easy to misread
Plan Your Trip
🎒
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Mount Margaret
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Key Landmarks
South Coldwater Trailhead
Late spring and summer access from State Route 504 via the Coldwater Lake road.
Norway Pass Trailhead
Late-summer access off Forest Road 26. A recreation pass is required to park here, and your permit includes two.
Whittier Ridge Route #214
Extremely challenging, very narrow, crosses steep cliffs. The Forest Service calls it unsuitable for inexperienced hikers or anyone uncomfortable with heights.
Panhandle Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet. One permit, four people.
Ridge Camp
The only camp that takes two permits a night and up to eight people. Water availability here changes through the summer.
Margaret Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet, under Mount Margaret itself.
Obscurity Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet.
Snow Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet.
Bear Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet.
Dome Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet.
Shovel Camp
Designated site with a raised tent pad and composting toilet.
Mount Margaret FAQ
When are Mount Margaret Backcountry permits released?
One month at a time, on the first day of the preceding month at 7:00 a.m. Pacific. May permits go out April 1, June permits May 1, and so on through the November 1-30 release on October 1.
How many people can be on one Mount Margaret permit?
Four, except at Ridge Camp, which allows two permits a night and up to eight people in total.
Can you camp anywhere in the Mount Margaret Backcountry?
No. Camping is limited to the eight designated sites and you must use the provided tent pad. Dispersed camping without a permit is authorised north of the Green River only.
Do you need a bear canister for the Mount Margaret Backcountry permit?
The Forest Service asks you to carry and use a bear-resistant food canister because most sites lack trees for hanging food.
👥Community
Trail Conditions
Questions
Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
The crater faces roughly southwest from the Mount Margaret ridges, so late light hits it square while the blast zone below goes gold.
Best Light
Early morning for Spirit Lake, which sits in shadow until the sun clears the east ridge and then lights up the log raft.
Beat the Crowds
Eight sites total means the backcountry is never crowded. The day-hiker traffic thins out within the first two miles of either trailhead.
Classic Shots
- 📍Spirit Lake with its 1980 log raft, crater behind
- 📍Downed timber still lying in blast direction across an open slope
- 📍A single tent on a raised pad with Mount Rainier on the skyline
- 📍Mount Adams from the Boundary Trail at first light
Can't Get a Mount Margaret Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Loowit Trail
Same AreaThe 30-mile circumnavigation of the volcano itself, on the other side of the monument.
No permit needed
Tradeoffs
No reservation to win and no designated sites, but a much harder route and no camping in the Blast Zone.
Mount St. Helens summit climb
Similar ExperienceThe climbing permit for the south side of the volcano, a separate Recreation.gov product.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
A day out rather than a night in, and its own quota to beat.
Dispersed camping north of the Green River
Easier AlternativeThe Forest Service authorises dispersed camping without a permit north of the Green River only.
No permit needed
Tradeoffs
No quota and no fee, but you give up the ridge sites, the tent pads and the crater views.
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