Wilderness Reservation Information

RETURN TO THE WILDERNESS CAMPING AND HIKING HOMEPAGE

 

The park starts accepting reservation requests on March 15th each year. We do not accept reservations for trips starting after September 30. If your hike or climb starts after September 30, you must show up in the park in person and attempt to acquire a first-come, first-served permit.

Reservation requests can be made by fax, letter (or in person after it opens to the public in late May) at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center only. No other Ranger Station in the park is set up to accept and process reservations. We do not accept reservation requests by telephone. Park Rangers will begin processing reservation requests on April 1. All requests received between March 15 and April 1 will be processed in random order. Requests arriving April 1 and after will be processed in the order in which they were received.

During this initial two week period the park can receive 800-1,000 reservation requests. Each one is processed by hand with usually only 2-3 rangers assigned to this duty. It will be well into May before this initial batch of reservation requests are completed. This means you may not get a reply from the park for some weeks. As the season goes on and the initial pile of requests are whittled down, the park is able to process and reply to reservation requests in a few days. If your reservation request is successfully processed you will receive a confirmation letter that shows your itinerary. Please note that this confirmation letter is not your permit. You must come into a Ranger Station to get your permit. If we are not able to process your reservation request you will receive a letter stating why, and what your options are. If we cannot book a reservation for you, you will not be charged a reservation fee.

If you are filling out the Reservation Request Form by hand, please use black ink only. Other colors often do not fax clearly. When this happens we cannot process your request until we are able to contact you and sort out the problem in question. In the meantime we move onto the next reservation request while yours sits in a folder waiting.

When the day arrives for you to come into the Ranger Station to get your permit, be sure to have the following information:

• An emergency contact phone number
• The license plate number of any vehicle being left overnight in the park
• The make, model and color of the vehicle

Also, please note that reservations will be canceled by the park if you do not show up by 10am on the day your trip begins. If you will be later than 10am you need to let the park know in advance. Once canceled, the camps you had reserved become part of the first-come, first-served pool of permits that other hikers will have the opportunity to use.

Travel here to go to the WILDERNESS RESERVATION REQUEST FORM.

 

DON'T WANT TO MAKE A RESERVATION?

The option to making a reservation is to attempt to get a first-come, first-served permit. For more information, travel here.

 

CLIMBING RESERVATIONS SPECIFIC IMFORMATION

• Reservations cost $20 per party (1-12 people) per climb (up to 14 consecutive nights). Reservation fees are non-refundable.
• All climbers must purchase an annual Climbing Pass (Mountaineering Cost Recovery fee) whether they climb one time or numerous times. The fee is $44 for 25 and older and $31 for youth (24 and younger). This climbing pass fee must be paid for each member of the climbing party at the time the reservation is made (or when registering for your first climb of the year if no reservation has been made). For example, you cannot request reservations for a party of eight, and only pay for five people. If you do, your request cannot be fulfilled. It is best for one person to pay all fees and the party members settle the finances at a later time. This will speed up your request for a reservation. This climbing fee is valid for an entire calendar year, expiring on December 31^st of the year it was issued.
• Climbing Pass fees are non-refundable.
• The park accepts VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and DISCOVER credit cards.
• One change may be made to a climbing reservation after it is confirmed at no additional fee, provided the change is requested at least 14 days in advance of the climb and the change can be accommodated by the park. Each subsequent change made at least 14 days in advance of the climb requires an additional charge of $20. Changes include altering climbing itinerary and increasing party size.
• Climbing parties with one or more members who have already purchased a Mount Rainier Climbing Pass for the current year must also complete and submit a Climbing Party Supplemental Form. This additional form ensures that your party is not charged climbing fees for those already possessing a valid climbing pass when requesting reservations. There is no need to submit this supplemental form if no one in your party has a current climbing pass. You need only submit the Reservation Request form indicating how many people are in your party and you will be billed accordingly. NOTE: After you receive your climbing passes they can be issued to anyone you want. However, they then become the property of whoever signs them.
• Each climber must present their Mount Rainier Climbing Pass and valid photo I.D. at the time they register for their climb. Failure to provide the climbing pass and I.D. will result in the climber being charged the climbing fee.

FEES, CHANGES AND REFUND POLICY

Wilderness Camping Reservations

• Reservations cost $20 per party (1-12 people) per trip (up to 14 consecutive nights). Reservation fees are non-refundable.
• The park accepts VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and DISCOVER credit cards.
• There is no charge for Wilderness Camping Permits.
• One change may be made to a Wilderness Camping Reservation after it is confirmed at no additional fee, provided the change can be accommodated by the park. Each subsequent change requires an additional charge of $20.