To make reservations, visit the North Cascades Backcountry Permits site on Recreation.gov.
Photo by NPS Application ProcessAll backcountry reservations are processed through Recreation.gov and approved by North Cascades National Park wilderness rangers before permits can be picked up. Early-Access LotteryApply for the lottery between the time frame listed below. If you are successful, you will be awarded a timeslot to make a reservation. Lottery winners are allowed to make just one reservation from the beginning of the timeslot until the end of the lottery period. General On-SaleAfter the lottery, the remainder of reservable sites will be open for reservations during the General On-Sale. Reservations must be made at least 2 days before the trip start date. Your reservation is not a permit. Permits must picked up by 11 am on the first day of your trip or they will be cancelled. Walk-up PermitsIf you are unable to make a reservation, approximately 40% of sites can be reserved through walk-up permits. Permits can be picked up in person at the Wilderness Information Center and certain permitting offices the day of or day before a trip begins.
Fees and CancellationsRecreation Fee: Adults (16 and older) - $10 per person Youth (15 and under) - free Reservation Fee: $6 non-refundable The reservation fee is charged to apply to the Early-Access Lottery, make a reservation during the General On-sale, and get a walk-up permit. Only debit and credit cards are accepted, no cash. The per person recreation fee can be refunded if a trip is cancelled at least 3 days before the trip start date. You may make changes to your reservation, if sites are available, up until the day before your reservation date. Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about the reservation process by exploring the questions below.
What areas in the park are the most popular?
The Cascade Pass area is one of the busiest trailheads in the park and permits are very competitive, especially for Sahale Glacier camp. Ross Lake boat-in sites and the Copper Ridge area are also popular. How much of the park’s backcountry campsite inventory can be reserved in advance? Approximately 60% of the park’s backcountry campsite inventory is reservable in advance. The remainder are available as walk-up permits on a first-come, first-served basis. When can I hike to Cascade Pass or Sahale Glacier camp? Cascade Pass and Sahale Glacier campsites melt out in early July and become unreachable in late September when snow returns to high elevations. Cascade Pass Trailhead is typically open mid-July, road dependent. At this elevation, winter weather conditions can last until early summer. Navigation and travel challenges include steep, icy slopes, uncertain river crossings, and flooded or snow-covered camps. Reservations for this area are not allowed for trips starting before July 1st, but walk-up permits are available year round. What about Copper Ridge? Camps along Copper Ridge such a Boundary, Egg Lake, Silesia, and Copper Lake remain snow covered into July, depending on snow pack and spring temperatures. The prime backpacking season for the Copper Ridge area is mid-July to mid-September. Attempting to access the ridge before the snow melts is dangerous. Visitors must be proficient with an ice axe for steep snow fields and be prepared for high creek crossings. Reservations for this area are not allowed for trips starting before July 1st, but walk-up permits are available year round. What about boating trips on Ross Lake? Boat-in campsites along Ross Lake will also be available for reservations on Recreation.gov. However, Ross Lake is a reservoir and water levels fluctuate throughout the year. Some boat-in campsites are not available if the lake level is too low. Visit the boating on Ross Lake site for more information. The lake generally reaches full pool at the beginning of July, use this site to monitor: Ross Lake levels. Reservations for this area are not allowed for trips starting before July 1st, but walk-up permits are available year round What if I want to go on a mountaineering trip?
Popular mountaineering areas such as Mt. Shuksan, Boston Basin and Eldorado are all located in cross-country zones. Only the following zones are available for advanced reservations: Boston Basin, Eldorado, Sulphide, Price, Triumph, and Tapto Lakes. The remaining cross-country zones are walk-up only. What are cross-country zones? Cross-country zones begin a mile from designated camps and a half mile from trails. There are no maintained camps or trails in cross-country zones, and travel is very difficult due to rugged terrain. How do I get permits for walk-up only cross-country zones? You must visit the Wilderness Information Center or appropriate permit issue station the day of or day before your trip to get a Backcountry Permit for walk-up only zones. Reservations are only available for high-use cross country zones. How do I participate in the Early-Access period?
Recreation.gov is piloting a new, Early-Access lottery. Applications to participate in the lottery are accepted in early March, see specific dates above. Using a fair and randomized approach, a set amount of participants will be awarded specific access timeslots to log-on and submit a reservation. How many people apply for Early-Access Lottery? Since 2017, the park has accepted reservation applications. For most of that period, reservations received in the first two weeks have been processed in random order, effectively creating a lottery for trips. Participation in the early reservation lottery has been increasing over the years, see the table below for more details.
Does winning an Early-Access timeslot guarantee that I will get the trip I want? No. Although successful applicants will be assigned an access timeslot for a chance at a reservation, they will be competing with others who have been assigned that same access timeslot and those individuals with an earlier assigned timeslot. The number of successful applicants is a conservative estimate made by the park to ensure those participating in the Early-Access period have a reasonable chance to secure a desired trip. Successful applicants are granted early access to reservations, with the earliest access timeslot offering the most options to secure permits for the most desirable dates. Lottery participants with later access might not have access to their preferred itinerary but can create an alternate trip using available camps. What are my chances of getting a reservation after the Early-Access period? During the general on-sale, you can make a reservation based on actual availability. Many popular climbing and backpacking sites will be booked early in the season, but there are many other less frequently visited camps that may remain available for reservations throughout the season. What tips do you have for securing the trip I want? Use the Wilderness Trip Planner to pre-plan your route. During the Early-Access period, all award recipients can view availability starting late March. If you have a later access timeslot, pay attention to availability as it changes, and adapt your intended dates and route if necessary. Use the hours prior to your access timeslot to plan out a good itinerary based on the most current availability. Because you are competing with a small number of other applicants with the same timeslot, be prepared with alternate dates and camps in case your preferred itinerary becomes unavailable. What should I do if I can’t get the trip I want? Research several different sites and itineraries before you make your reservations. It might be helpful to rank your trips in order of preference, first choice, second choice, etc. If you are flexible, you should be able to find a great backpacking trip during your early-access window. Can I submit multiple reservations? Applicants are limited to a single reservation during the Early-Access period. Additional trips can be booked once the general on-sale starts. You can only apply once to participate in the lottery and you cannot apply for a friend or family member. Can I make a change to my reservation during the Early-Access period? Yes, a new feature for 2023 allows you to make changes during the Early-Access period, based on availability. Can I cancel my reservation and make a new reservation during Early-Access? Yes, a new feature for 2023 allows you to cancel and make a new reservation during the Early-Access period. You are only allowed one reservation and it is based on availability. Why does the camp that I want not show up? It could be due to a few reasons: 1) It is more than a reasonable distance away from the last camp you clicked on; 2) It is full for reservations or closed; 3) It is in a different start area than the start area you selected. Keep in mind that not all areas can be reserved ahead of time or before a certain date. Why are all the camps I want listed as W (walk-up)? How am I supposed to reserve a camp if it's only available for walk-up? That means all the reservable sites have already been booked and the only sites left at the chosen camp are first-come, first-served. Walk-up permits are available up to 24 hours in advance at the Wilderness Information Center. Do I have to wait for a ranger to review and modify my request before it is confirmed?
No. Campsite availability is displayed in real time, but availability can change between the time you add a camp to your itinerary and when you complete the itinerary by clicking “book now.” You will have immediate feedback on whether or not your requested trip is available, or if you need to make a modification. A ranger will still review your permit before it is issued and resolve any necessary modifications. It is possible to create an unrealistic itinerary in Recreation.gov. It is your responsibility to plan your trip according to your abilities. Why does a camp that I know is available show zero quota once I begin building my itinerary? To reduce the potential for unrealistic itineraries, Recreation.gov will not allow users to book sites that are more than a reasonable day’s hike or paddle apart. The environment around many backcountry camps is fragile and very sensitive to trampling. It is very important that parties reserve trips that are achievable so that they can make it to their destination. Camping off-itinerary can create crowded conditions in already booked sites, or natural resource impacts from camping in undesignated areas. Many factors can affect how far a group might hike in a day: fatigue, injury, river crossings, rough trails, elevation changes, interactions with wildlife, ripe berry batches, etc. Paddling trips on Ross and Diablo Lake can be impacted by winds, high waves and inclement weather. If you are interested in an itinerary with longer distances, you may email the Wilderness Information Center at noca_wilderness@nps.gov. Rangers might be able to adjust your itinerary, depending on availability. In addition, the farther you can hike in a day, the better your chances of obtaining a first-come, first-served permit. Note: Staff are not able to submit non-standard itineraries during the Early-Access period. Do I have to book a separate reservation for each night of my trip? No. You may book up to 14 days on one permit, with payment of a single fee. Attempting to extend a trip by purchasing an additional reservation is not allowed. Modifications can be made before the permit is issued based on availability. What if I want to book a cross country zone that only shows walk up availability? Most cross country zones in the park are walk-up only, meaning they can only be reserved in person at a permit issue station. If you plan on spending a night in a cross country zone as part of your reservation itinerary, you can select "Placeholder Cross Country Zone" under the "Out of Park/Other" starting area. When you pick up your permit the day of or day before, you can add the cross country zone to your itinerary. What is a walk-up permit?
These permits cannot be reserved in advance, online, nor through the Recreation.gov Contact Center. Instead, these permits are claimed in person, once you are physically on site at the Wilderness Information Center or other permitting office for North Cascades National Park. Permits are granted to visitors in the order that they arrive, to those with an itinerary already in mind, and if there is space available. Visit our Backcountry Permits page for more information. How many days in advance can I attempt a walk-up permit? Up to 24 hours in advance. For example, if you want to start backpacking on July 31, you may attempt a walk-up permit on July 30 or July 31. When attempting to get a walk-up permit, what should I come to the ranger station prepared with? Before leaving home, check availability on Recreation.gov. Camps that still have walk-up quota available will display a "W". Full camps will display a "0" (zero). If you are attempting a walk-up permit then you will need to come with an itinerary in mind. The park will not plan your trip for you. Be willing to accept an alternate itinerary, even if it is in a different part of the park or for fewer days than you would prefer. If I am first in line, does that mean I am guaranteed a permit? No. It will increase your chances, but it will also depend on your flexibility. Just as you are picking up a walk-up permit for, say, a 10-day trip, hikers like you may have shown up a day or more before you and secured walk-up sites for their multi-day trip, so some of the walk-up sites they picked up on their permit are now taken. If I am really flexible with my itinerary can the ranger just plan my trip for me? No. You need to come with an itinerary in mind. If you arrive without an itinerary you will receive a trip planner map and be instructed to plan an itinerary that will work for you while rangers continue helping other visitors. How can I increase my chances of obtaining a walk-up permit?
How many days in advance can I pick up a permit that I have a reservation for?
Up to 24 hours in advance. For example, if your reservation starts on July 31, you may pick up your permit on July 30 or July 31. You must convert your reservation to a permit by 11 am on your trip start date. Do I need to go to the Wilderness Information Center to acquire my permit or can I do it over the phone or online? Your backcountry reservation will indicate the station where you can pick up your permit. If you are unsure of where to get your permit, please visit the Backcountry Permits page or email noca_wilderness@nps.gov. Can I make changes to my reservation? You can make changes to your reservation on Recreation.gov up until the day before your start date. After that, all changes must be made in person with a ranger when you activate your reservation. You cannot change your trip start date, you must make a new reservation for a new date. 
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Last updated: May 24, 2024