CUA / SUP Backcountry Permit Reservation Guide

A Commercial (or Special) Use Authorization (CUA or SUP) is required to operate within North Cascades National Park Service Complex, for day or overnight use, for all commercial groups (both for-profit and non-profit) who provide services within the park. Backcountry Permits are required for all overnight trips in the backcountry and must be obtained at a ranger station by the trip leader prior to entering the backcountry. CUA/SUP permitees may apply for an optional Backcountry Permit Reservation subject to the terms listed below.

Reservation Timeline

• February 1 – May 31: Submit all reservations for current year. Trips must be at least two weeks from request date.
• June 1 and beyond: Reservations not accepted.

Fees and Payment

$20.00 non-refundable application cost recovery fee for each trip. Payment can be made online at pay.gov using credit card, debit, and other EFT payment options. Payment may also be sent via mail. Payments made by money order or checks should be made payable to "National Park Service".

How to Submit

• Online: Submit reservation form and fees online at pay.gov. Search for North Cascades National Park and select the “North Cascades NP Commercial Backcountry Reservation Fees” form. Form is accessible beginning February 1.
• Via mail: Send reservation requests to Backcountry Reservations, North Cascades National Park, 7280 Ranger Station Road, Marblemount, WA 98267. Payment must be received at the same time for request to be considered complete. Requests must include company name, contact name, contact phone and email, and complete itinerary: total number of people, stock, and boats (if applicable), starting and ending trailhead and dates, and dates/camps requested for each night spent in the park.

One reservation per trip. All reservations postmarked or received by February 1 are processed in random order. Initial processing may take up to a month. Subsequent reservations are processed in the order received. You will receive confirmation of all reserved itineraries. To maximize the chances of obtaining a reservation, list alternative sites or itineraries for each trip.

Changing or Canceling Reservations

Once a reservation has been confirmed, changes are not allowed. You may cancel the trip and submit a new reservation request, subject to the same fee structure.

Cancellations: Please notify the Wilderness Information Center (360-854-7245) if a trip cancels, so other visitors may use the sites. Reservations not picked up and converted to a permit by 11 a.m. on the trip start date will be cancelled and the sites may be reassigned.

Converting Reservations to Backcountry Permits

Reservations must be converted to a backcountry permit by 11 a.m. of the first day of the trip or the reservation will be cancelled and the reserved site(s) made available to other visitors. Backcountry permits must be picked up by the trip leader in person at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount, no earlier than the day before the start of a trip. If your party cannot meet the 11 a.m. deadline, call the Wilderness Information Center (360-854-7245) the day of your trip to hold your reservation. If you are not passing through Marblemount, backcountry permits can be obtained at the point of entry nearest your trip:

• Park/Forest Information Center, Sedro-Woolley: Entry via Baker River drainage (Sulphide Glacier) or the north end of Ross Lake (Hozomeen).
• Glacier Public Service Center, Glacier: Entry via Mount Baker Highway 542
• Golden West Visitor Center, Stehekin: Entry via the Stehekin Valley.
• Methow Valley Ranger Station, Winthrop: Entry via the east, State Route 20 (Mon – Fri only).

Contact Information

Backcountry reservations questions: Contact the backcountry reservation coordinator in Marblemount, 360-854-7243.

Trip planning assistance (May – Oct): Call the Wilderness Information Center, 360-854-7245.

Commercial Use Authorization questions: Contact the concessions office in Sedro-Woolley, 360-854-7213.

 

Camp Reservation Limits

• Not all camps are reservable. Please see the following table to determine camp capacity (some hold less than 12) and which sites allow reservations. If a camp is not listed, it is not reservable.
• Additional reservation restrictions apply in certain high use areas, including: Ross Lake, Cascade Pass, and Copper Ridge. See the table below for details.

Cross Country Zones

• For each zone, there is a limit of one backcountry trip per night per CUA/SUP
• Total reservations per zone are limited to 1/3 of the zone capacity (example: 2 of 6 permits reservable for Boston Basin, Sulphide, Price, and Eldorado zones).
• Some zones are not reservable, but may still be available via a walk-up permit.

 

Camp	Maximum Reservation Capacity	Reservation Restrictions
39 Mile	8
39 Mile Stock	12
Basin Creek	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Beaver Pass	12
Bench Creek	12
Big Beaver	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Boundary	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Boundary Bay	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Bowan	8
Bridge Creek	4
Bridge Creek Group	12
Bridge Creek Stock	8
Buster Brown	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Cat Island	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Copper Creek	12
Copper Lake	12	Not reservable July 1 - Sept 30
Cosho	12
Cottonwood Group	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Dagger Lake	12
Dagger Lake Stock	12
Deerlick Stock	12
Desolation	8	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Devils Creek Hiker	8
Devils Creek Stock	12
Dry Creek	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Egg Lake	12	Not reservable July 1 - Sept 30
Fireweed	6
Fireweed Stock	12
Fisher	12
Five Mile Stock	12
Flat Creek	12
Fourth of July	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Graybeal	8
Graybeal Stock	12
Green Point	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Grizzly Creek	8
Harlequin	8
Harlequin Group	24
Heaton Stock	12
Hidden Hand Group	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Hidden Meadows Stock	12
Hideaway	12
High Bridge	12
Hozomeen Lake	12
Indian Creek	12	Not reservable July 1 - Sept 30
Johannesburg	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Juanita Lake	8
Juanita Lake Stock	12
Junction	8
Junction Stock	12
Lakeview (Stehekin)	12
Lightning Creek	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Little Beaver	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Lodgepole	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Luna	8
McAlester Lake	12
McAllister	12
McMillan	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Neve	4
Nightmare	12
North Fork	12
Panther	12
Park Creek	8
Perry Creek	12
Ponderosa	12
Pumpkin Mountain	8
Rainbow Bridge	8
Rainbow Meadows Group	12
Reynolds Stock	12
Roland Creek	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Sahale Glacier	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Silver Creek	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Six Mile	12
Skagit Queen	12
South Fork	8
South Fork Stock	12
Stillwell	12
Sulphide Creek	12
Thornton Lake	8	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights
Thunder	12
Thunder Basin	8
Thunder Point	12
Tricouni	8
Twin Rocks	12
US Cabin	8
US Cabin Stock	12
Walker Park Stock	12
Whatcom	12	High use area, maximum of 2 consecutive nights