Backcountry Permits

Wilderness Information Center 2023
The Wilderness Information Center is open mid-May to mid-October. Photo by NPS

Beginning in 2025, North Cascades National Park Service Complex will allow most backcountry visitors with advanced reservations to obtain their permits via email.

Follow these steps:

  1. Make a reservation for a backcountry trip on Recreation.gov.
  2. Watch a mandatory video about park rules and regulations, Leave No Trace principles and safety. Contact us if you have questions.
  3. Email noca_wilderness@nps.gov to request a permit no more than 3 days before your trip start date. Rangers will review your itinerary and issue your permit.
  4. Print your permit online from Recreation.gov.
  5. Bring a signed copy of your permit with you into the backcountry to show rangers in the field.

Permits for most walk-up sites and areas accessed from Cascade River Road (Eldorado, Boston Basin, and Cascade Pass) must be picked up in person.

We strongly encourage first time visitors to North Cascades National Park to talk with a ranger before going on a backcountry trip. Please email us several days in advance if you are unsure about your itinerary.

You must come in person to pick up your permit if you need to borrow a bear canister, which are required for certain camps and zones. Bear canisters are available at the Wilderness Information Center and Glacier Public Service Center.

See the details below for where to get walk-up permits, which can only be issued the day of or day before you start your trip.
Permits cost $10 per person plus a $6 fee, youth 15 and under are free.

 

Where to Pick up a Permit

These locations are only open during the summer: Operating Hours and Seasons.
No permit services are available in Sedro Woolley or Stehekin.

A small subalpine lake with a sea of mountains in the background.
Wilderness Trip Planner

Plan a trip into the backcountry of the North Cascades.

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Backcountry Reservations

Reservations for backcountry permits begin in March 2025.

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Conditions

Learn about current conditions for roads, trails, lakes, and more.

A hiker walks on a trail through a meadow, with mountains in the distance.
Hiking Safety

Plan on hitting the trail? Be prepared!

 

Are you a thru-hiker?

Beginning in 2020, North Cascades National Park will honor the long-distance Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hiking permit issued by the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) for camping at specific camps. PCTA long-distance permit holders no longer need to obtain an overnight backcountry camping permit for Six Mile Camp and Bridge Creek Camp within North Cascades National Park.

Any hiker without a PCTA Long-distance Permit and Pacific Northwest trail hikers must request, in advance, a park-issued backcountry permit for camping inside North Cascades National Park. We recommend you make reservations ahead of time on Recreation.gov. Visit the Pacific Crest Trail and Pacific Northwest Trail pages for more information.

 
A climber travels on snow at sunset
Permits help ensure solitude and a quality backcountry experience. Photo by NPS /F. Shafer
 

Permits Are Limited

To protect the wilderness and visitors’ experiences, the number of permits issued for each area is limited. Popular areas such as Cascade Pass, Ross Lake, Copper Ridge, and Thornton Lakes can be very busy during the height of summer, and permits can fill quickly. The busiest climbing areas are Sulphide Glacier, Boston Basin, and Eldorado cross-country zones. To maximize your chance of obtaining a permit and finding solitude, visit these areas midweek or after Labor Day, and have a backup itinerary or climb in mind if your first-choice area is already full. Ask a ranger for less busy alternative areas to visit. There is always somewhere to go.

Why do I need a permit?

Backcountry permits protect your wilderness experience and prevent overcrowding at camps or climbing routes, provide for opportunities for solitude and a quality backcountry experience, and protect natural resources so that all visitors – including future generations – can enjoy them. Permits also serve an important safety function in the event of an emergency or wildfire, and allow park managers to gather data important for planning and decision making. Thanks for doing your part to help steward these important wilderness resources.

Last updated: May 16, 2025

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

810 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

Phone:

360 854-7200

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