Fees:
The fee program at Olympic has recently changed in accordance with the Congressionally authorized Recreation Fee Demonstration Program.Entrance permits and passes are sold spring through fall at park entrance stations. The fee is $10 per vehicle ($5 per person for bicyclists and bus passengers) and is good for seven consecutive days at any park entrance. A $10 per vehicle fee is also collected at the Hurricane Ridge entrance on weekends during the winter. Season passes ($20; good for one calendar year) are also available. The Golden Eagle Pass, an annual pass good at all National Park Service areas, as well as other Federal Fee Areas is now $50. The lifetime Golden Age pass costs $10 for individuals who are 62 or older and the free Golden Access pass is available to individuals who can show written proof of permanent disability.
There are nightly fees (ranging from $8 to $12) for most park campgrounds.
Use of the park's RV sewage dump stations costs $3 per use.
There is a $1 daily parking fee at Ozette.
On May 23, Olympic National Park will begin charging fees for all overnight trips into the park’s wilderness backcountry. Proceeds from the wilderness fee program will go directly to fund projects that benefit park wilderness and wilderness users.
The Wilderness Fee program has two components--a Permit Registration Fee and an Individual Nightly Fee.
The Permit Registration Fee is $5 for a single permit good for up to 14 days and a maximum of 12 people.
The Individual Nightly Fee is $2 per person per night for any overnight stay in the park backcountry. Persons 16 years old and younger are exempt from this fee.
A Frequent Hiker Pass will be available for $30 per person/per year. This is an annual, non-transferable pass, good for twelve months from the date of issue. It covers all wilderness use fees for the pass holder. Additional Frequent Hiker Passes for members of the same household will cost $15.
Maximum fee amounts have been set at $50 for groups of one to six, for up to 14 nights, and $100 for groups of seven to twelve, for up to 14 nights. (Without the fee cap, a 6-person group staying 14 nights would be charged $173.)
For more information, call the Wilderness Information Center at (360) 452-0330.
Reservations/Permits:
Wilderness use permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry. During the period from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, some wilderness areas require reservations. Reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance by calling the park's Wilderness Information Center (WIC) at (360) 452-0300.
At other times of year and for areas which do not require reservations, wilderness use permits are available at all ranger stations and the WIC. The WIC is located just behind the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles.
Wilderness use fees will apply to all overnight trips into the Olympic National Park backcountry and will consist of both a permit registration fee and a per person nightly fee. Special rates apply for frequent users and for youth 16 and under.
