Dumb question, but if I'm not camping do I still need the timed entry passes for national parks? Or can I just buy the yearly $80 one and show up whenever? I was looking into visiting: Olympic,Mt Saint Helens, Rainier, and North Cascades.

Comments

platoaddict t1_jdxwzua wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:14 AM

None of the parks you listed have announced that they will require timed entry permits for 2023. In fact, North Cascades doesn’t have an entry fee at all.

Mt St Helens isn’t technically a national park and is maintained by the National Forest Service, but a valid America the Beautiful pass is accepted.

6BakerBaker6 OP t1_jdxx78z wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:15 AM

Thank you so much for all the information! I'm visiting from Ohio so I'm pretty clueless on the ins and outs of the parks out there. Thanks again.

platoaddict t1_jdxxnbp wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:19 AM

No problem. The individual sites for each park are actually super helpful. Highly recommend checking them out when planning your trip. They’ll have maps and info about hours, entrance areas and times, and closures.

Be aware of the size of these parks and the distances between them as well. Depending on the length of your stay/visits, it may not be feasible to do all of them.

6BakerBaker6 OP t1_jdxyarq wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:23 AM

Thanks. Great points. I'll be out there 15 days and I'm looking to do something like: Seattle, Olympic (3 days), Portland down the coast (1 night), Mt Saint Helens, Burlington/whaling San Juan islands (Sailiish Sea?), North Cascades, Rainer.

Most of the trips will be 1-2 days besides Olympic.

I also saw Hurricane Ridge opens Memorial Day, and I'll be out there May 31-June 15, so I can only imagine how crazy that'll be lol.

appendixgallop t1_jdyppf7 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 3:55 AM

North Cascades may not be open when you are there.

6BakerBaker6 OP t1_jdzcasb wrote on March 28, 2023 at 8:35 AM

Thanks. Yeah I'm assuming I might just have more time at the other places. Where would you spend more time at instead based on the general area?

doktorhladnjak t1_jdz3tdv wrote on March 28, 2023 at 6:33 AM

The weather is often not very summery here in early June so it may not be as crazy as you're expecting

cascadesordie t1_jdxyl0q wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:25 AM

America the Beautiful is also good for Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands access, so it’s a good thing to have. And if you’re a 🇺🇸veteran, it’s free. Good advice earlier to check the individual park websites for more info, including info on roads and trails that may be closed. The ‘plan your visit’ pages on each site are super helpful. The State of Washington also has a site for State Parks (there are many).

antairon t1_jdz04rq wrote on March 28, 2023 at 5:45 AM

You may need a Discover pass as well for state parks in Washington.