North Cascades National Park Backcountry Permits
There are countless backcountry routes and possibilities at North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Come to paddle on the turquoise waters of glacially fed lakes, backpack to remote passes or climb rugged mountains carved by ice.
The diversity of climate and geography creates very different habitats on the west and east side of the crest, as well as fostering a great array of plants and animals. Cascading water is fed by over 300 glaciers and countless snowfields. Lakes are abundant. Almost 400 miles (644km) of trails, mostly in major drainages and over high passes, traverse this tremendous landscape. Your path may follow a route used for many centuries by people who have long crossed these mountains or sought food and resources here, or you may venture to an area so wild it feels as if you are the first explorer.
The North Cascades National Park Service Complex includes 684,000 acres in three units: North Cascades National Park, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Congress has designated 94% of the Complex as the Stephen Mather Wilderness. People seek wilderness for many reasons: physical or mental challenge; solitude, renewal, or a respite from modern life; or as a place to find inspiration and to explore our heritage. Today, as in the past, wilderness is an important part of everyone's story.
Notifications and Alerts
There are closures in the park due to fires: Check for Fire Closures and Trail Conditions.
The North Cascades National Park Backcountry Permits General On-Sale opens April 29, 2024 at 7 am PT. Users can see campsite availability and make reservations for trips occurring between May 17 and October 12, 2024.
Permit & Season Information
A permit is required year-round for all overnight stays in the backcountry. A backcountry permit allows the permit holder and their group to camp in a designated camp or area. Reserved permits must be picked-up in person by 11am on the start date of the trip, or the reservation will be cancelled.
Approximately 60% of backcountry sites are available for advance reservation for trips during peak season, see dates below. Reservations must be made at least 2 days in advance of the trip start. The remaining 40% are issued through a walk-up permit on a first-come, first-served basis at a permit issuing station. See below for information on the Early-Access Lottery and other important dates.
Backcountry permits outside of the peak season are first-come, first-serve. When the Wilderness Information Center is closed, permits are issued by self-registration .
Visit Plan Your Visit for more information.
Need to Know
When planning your trip, please keep the following in mind:
- Permits are required year round. Learn more about Backcountry Permits and Winter Travel considerations.
- Recreation.gov provides access to view availability and to secure reservations for permits. Pre-planning using the Wilderness Trip Planner, the North Cascades National Park website, and other trip planning resources such as guide books is strongly encouraged.
- Any overnight stay in the backcountry requires a permit. Cross-Country Zone and Permits for Climbing or Mountaineering can be obtained at the Wilderness Information Center and certain permitting offices.
- Reserved permits must be picked-up in person by 11am on the start date of the trip, or the reservation will be cancelled.
- Visitors interested in accessing high-demand areas such as Sahale, Copper Ridge and Ross Lake during peak season are encouraged to participate in the Early-Access reservation lottery.
- Because camping off itinerary can affect camping opportunities for others and damage natural resources, your itinerary must be achievable. For this reason, the maximum daily mileage between camps is limited on Recreation.gov. Trips with longer daily mileage can be booked by contacting the Wilderness Information Center.
- It is possible to book reservations for areas that include life-threatening hazards and require specialized equipment and experience. Stay up to date with Current Park Conditions .
- In designated camps, all food, garbage, and scented items must be hung from a tree, stored in a bear box or secured in an approved animal-resistant canister. Permit holders may borrow bear canisters for free at the Wilderness Information Center.
- Bear canisters or bags are required in some cross-country and alpine areas where it is not possible to hang food 12 feet high and 5 feet out from a tree trunk. Learn more about Food Storage Requirements.
- Camping is only permitted in the camp area designated on your permit itinerary, on the date indicated.
- Visitors are limited to 14 days in the backcountry per permit and 30 days per calendar year. Overlapping reservations for the same permit holder are not allowed.
- Backcountry camps have varying capacities and maximum group size restrictions of 4, 6, 8 or 12 people, see the Wilderness Trip Planner for more details. You cannot book more than one site per night, you must select a site that can hold your entire group. Some group sites have a size requirement of 5 or more people.
- Cross-country zones type I allow groups of up to 12, all other zones allow groups up to 6.
- Stock are allowed only in specific camp areas and trails, learn more about Backcountry Travel with Stock .
- Pets are allowed in the Ross Lake National recreation Area, Lake Chelan Recreation Area and the Pacific Crest Trail, learn more about Backcountry Travel with Pets .
- Weapons other than firearms, vehicles, bicycles and other wheeled devices are not permitted on park trails, meadows, or in any undeveloped area of the park. Hunting is only permitted in Ross Lake and Lake Chelan Recreation areas, the use of firearms is prohibited in the national park.
Leave No Trace
Please follow all principles of Leave No Trace including: Plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors.
Fee Policy
Recreation Fee:
Adults (16 and older) - $10 per person
Youth (15 and under) - free
Reservation Fee:
$6 non-refundable
The reservation fee is charged to apply to the Early-Access Lottery, make a reservation during the General On-sale, and get a walk-up permit.
Only debit or credit cards will be accepted, no cash.
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your reservation three or more full days before your reservation date and receive a refund. The $6 reservation fee is non-refundable.
You may make changes to your permit itinerary, if space is available, up until the day before your reservation date. Your start date cannot be changed without cancelling your permit and starting over. Once your permit has been issued, you cannot make changes to the permit unless approved by a ranger.
One additional permit holder can be identified when the reservation is created. Otherwise, reservations and permits are non-transferrable.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
7280 Ranger Station Rd Marblemount WA 98267
Email (preferred): noca_wilderness@nps.gov
Phone Number
(360) 854-7245
