Olympic National Park Permits
Yes, you need an Olympic National Park wilderness permit for every overnight stay, all year. One permit covers your whole trip, and on Recreation.gov you reserve the wilderness area for each night.
It is not a lottery. Summer dates, May 15 to October 15, are released April 15 at 7:00 am Pacific, and the busiest areas can sell out within minutes. Bear canisters are required in every wilderness camp area. When a reservation is canceled, PermitSnag alerts you that the dates have opened.
Signature Experiences
The most sought-after permits in Olympic
Olympic Coast
“Walk one of America's wildest coastlines where tide tables replace trail maps and sea stacks rise from the mist like ancient sentinels.”
Enchanted Valley
“Thirteen miles up the East Fork Quinault to a meadow ringed by a thousand waterfalls, with a 1930s chalet leaning at the far end and more bears per acre than anywhere else in the park.”
Olympic Wilderness
“One permit unlocks glaciated peaks, temperate rainforest, and wild coastline inside a single national park, the only place in the lower 48 where you can do all three on one trip.”
Thru-Hikes & Long Trails
Epic multi-day traverses starting from Olympic
All Permits
Select a permit to learn more and set up alerts
Olympic Coast Trail permit
Wilderness beach traverse along Washington's wildest coastline, from Shi Shi Beach to Rialto Beach, with sea stacks, tide pools, and rainforest headlands.
Enchanted Valley permit
Famous valley with historic chalet.
Olympic National Park Wilderness permit
The single overnight permit for backpacking anywhere in Olympic National Park's 95 percent wilderness, covering the Hoh rainforest, the High Divide, the Sol Duc and Elwha valleys, and 73 miles of wild Pacific coast. Required year-round and booked on Recreation.gov by wilderness area.
Ozette Triangle permit
Coastal wilderness camping.
Seven Lakes Basin permit
High Divide area camping.
Hoh River Corridor permit
Rainforest trail camping.
Other National Parks Areas
Explore more wilderness permits in the region
Yellowstone permits
4 permits
Grand Teton permits
4 permits
Rocky Mountain permits
5 permits
North Cascades permits
5 permits
Olympic Permit FAQ
Do I need a permit to backpack in Olympic National Park?
Yes, all year, for every overnight stay. One wilderness permit covers your whole trip, and you reserve the wilderness area where you camp each night.
Which Olympic National Park permit do I need for the coast?
The same park wilderness permit covers the coast: you reserve the coastal wilderness area for each night. A start at Shi Shi Beach also needs a $20 Makah Pass. The Olympic Coast Trail and the Ozette Triangle each have their own page here.