Olympic wilderness permit at Olympic: what applies in 2026?

Exact conditions

Status

Required under the listed conditions

Applies to

overnight guests

Place or corridor

All Olympic National Park wilderness overnight camping. Quota areas include Ozette Coast, Yellow Banks to Point of the Arches, Hoh River Trail (Elk Lake, Martin Creek, Glacier Meadows), Hoh Lake and C.B. Flats, Sol Duc / Seven Lakes Basin, Grand and Badger Valleys, Royal Basin, Lake Constance, Upper Lena Lake, Flapjack Lakes, East Fork Quinault.

Effective dates

January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

Published fee

$8

Release model

fixed date

Release detail: Summer-season (May 15 - October 15) permit reservations are released April 15 at 7:00 am Pacific Time. Quota areas are bulk released and no additional availability opens later. Some quota areas such as Sol Duc / Seven Lakes Basin have a narrower season based on snow. NPS states 7:00 AM Pacific Time in one place and 7:00 AM PST in another; the intent is park local time.

Fee detail: $8 per person per night (16 and older; 15 and under free) plus a $6 non-refundable reservation fee per permit. An Olympic Annual Wilderness Pass is $45 per person and covers the per-night fee but not the $6 reservation fee.

Exceptions and limits

• Day hiking does not require a wilderness permit.
• There are no longer paper self-registration permits at trailheads - all permits must be obtained in advance.
• No sites are held as same-day walk-ups; availability updates in real time on Recreation.gov.