Olympic Permit Guide 2026
Washington · No dogs in the backcountry
By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger
Last updated
Olympic National Park spans glacier-topped peaks, temperate rainforests, and wild Pacific coastline on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, with backcountry destinations like Enchanted Valley, the Hoh, and the Seven Lakes Basin. A wilderness camping permit is required for overnight backcountry trips, covering the specific campsites on your itinerary. Popular sites and summer weekends fill quickly, so competitive dates can be hard to secure.
Olympic issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. Reservable year-round in two blocks at 7:00 AM Pacific: the summer season (entries May 15 – October 15) opens April 15, and the winter season (entries October 16 – May 14) opens September 15. No lottery - cancellations reopen sites continuously. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.
When permits are released
Reservable year-round in two blocks at 7:00 AM Pacific: the summer season (entries May 15 – October 15) opens April 15, and the winter season (entries October 16 – May 14) opens September 15. No lottery - cancellations reopen sites continuously.
Fees
- Reservation: $6 per permit (non-refundable)
- Per person, per night: $8 per person per night (ages 16 and up; youth 15 and under free)
How to get a Olympic permit
- Plan your route by choosing the campsites you want for each night of your trip, grouped by district (Hoh, Sol Duc, Staircase, the coast, and more).
- Note the release blocks: the summer season (entries May 15 to October 15) goes on sale April 15 at 7:00 AM Pacific, and the winter season (entries October 16 to May 14) goes on sale September 15 at 7:00 AM Pacific.
- There is no lottery - reserve as soon as your entry date's season opens on recreation.gov.
- Book your permit, reserving each campsite for the nights of your planned itinerary.
- If your dates are sold out, keep watching - cancellations reopen sites continuously, and Permit Ranger can alert you the moment a watched site frees up.
Notable trails
- Cameron Creek via Three Forks Trail - 5.0 on AllTrails
- Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier Trail - 4.8 on AllTrails
- High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin Loop - 4.8 on AllTrails
- Sol Duc Falls Trail - 4.8 on AllTrails
- Enchanted Valley Chalet via East Fork Quinault River Trail - 4.8 on AllTrails
- Olympic Wilderness Coast Trail: Third Beach to Toleak Point - 4.8 on AllTrails
- Second Beach - 4.8 on AllTrails
- Home Lake via Upper Big Quilcene, Upper Dungeness, Constance Pass - 4.8 on AllTrails
Top passes in this area
The most in-demand Olympic entry points, each with its own detail page.
- Big Log
- Camp Pleasant
- Camp Pleasant Stock Camp
- Flapjack Lakes Group Site (No Campfires)
- Flapjack Lakes/Gladys Divide (No Campfires)
- Heart Lake (No Campfires)
- Heart Lake Junction Camp (No Campfires)
- Nine Stream
Frequently asked questions
When do Olympic permits open?
What if my dates are sold out?
Does Permit Ranger book the permit for me?
More permits in Washington
Plan ahead
Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.