USA: Permits, Fees, and Reservations Info
With climbing-related fees, permits and
seasonal closures increasing by the year, it
frequently can be difficult to plan trips to
parks and forests across the United States. To
help in your trip planning efforts, the AAC has
compiled this list of known climbing
restrictions and fees for major climbing
locations throughout the country. Only
climbing-specific fees and permits are listed;
many parks and forests have increased entrance
fees and have imposed new fees for parking and
other services. While we have made every effort
to ensure the accuracy of this information, be
sure to contact the park or forest office listed
for the most current information about access
requirements and fees.
The Access Fund has researched and compiled
information about raptor closures at numerous
climbing areas throughout the country.
Note: Information is listed by state and will
be expanded as we get the time to locate new
information. Please send any new information you
have to Lloyd Athearn at the AAC offices:
lathearn@americanalpineclub.org.
Click on a state:
Alaska /
California /
Colorado / Idaho /
Montana /
Oregon /
Utah / Washington /
Wyoming
Climbers attempting Mt. McKinley/Denali and
Mt. Foraker must register at least 60 days prior
to the expedition departure and must pay a $150
per person fee. The Denali rangers have placed
an extensive amount of
mountaineering information about Denali on
the web, as well as the
registration form climbers need to complete.
A second Denali
mountaineering website contains additional
information, including annual statistical
information and guide services contacts. Contact
Talkeetna Ranger Station: 907..7332231.
Registration is not required and no fees
currently exist for climbers in Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park or Glacier Bay National
Park. However, it is recommended that climbers
complete a "trip itinerary" prior to departure.
Wrangell-St. Elias now has a
website containing mountaineering
information. Contact: Yakutat Ranger Station, PO
Box 137, Yakutat AK 99689, 907.784.3295.
Important Note: Climbers entering Kluane
National Park in Canada must secure a
mountaineering permit and permits for landing
aircraft on the icefields. Contact:
Mountaineering Warden, Kluane National Park &
Reserve, Box 5495, Haines Junction, Yukon, Y0B
1L0, Canada, or 867.634.7279.
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Free wilderness permits are required for any
overnight stay in the backcountry. Reservations
are advised for stays between May and September,
and can be made up to 24 weeks in advance. Up to
50% of backcountry permits can be reserved in
advance by writing to Wilderness Permits, PO Box
545, Yosemite CA 95389 or by calling
209.372.0740. A fee of $3 is charged for each
reservation. There is a 30-day camping limit in
the park and a 7-day limit for camping in
Yosemite Valley between May 1 and September 15.
Sunnyside Walk-in Campground (Camp 4) is open
all year on a first-come, first-served basis.
Free backcountry permits are required
year-round for all camping outside designated
areas. Quotas limit the number of people who can
enter a trailhead on a given day. Up to 75% of
trailhead permits for backcountry trips between
mid-May and September may be
reserved for a $10 charge. Reservations must
be made no later than three weeks before the
departure date. Reservations can be sent to
Wilderness Permit Reservations, HCR 89 Box 60,
Three Rivers CA 93271 or call 209.565.3708.
Wilderness permits are required for most
overnight stays in the Inyo National Forest
wilderness areas. Except for the
Mount Whitney Zone, quotas are in place
between the last Friday in June through
September 15 on all trails. Quotas are in place
in the Mount Whitney Zone from May 22 through
October 15 for both day and overnight use.
Reservation fees apply, including additional
fees for traveling through the Mount Whitney
Zone. Contact: Mt. Whitney Ranger District, PO
Box 8, Lone Pine CA 93545, 760.876.6200.
Wilderness permits are required to climb
Mount Shasta year-round, but there are no
quotas. Climbers attempting to summit Mount
Shasta must pay a $15 per person fee that is
valid for three days from the date of purchase.
An annual pass also is available for $25.
Parking fees are in place at some trailheads.
Contact: Mount Shasta Ranger District
530.926.4511. Wilderness permits are required
for the Trinity Alps. Contact: Weaverville
Ranger District 530.623.2121
Though no climbing permits or fees are in
place currently, Pinnacles has seasonal raptor
closures. Some of the roads were severely
damaged by flooding in 1998, and parking is
limited. Contact: 831.389.4485. Note: The US
Forest Service is considering imposing a
Cascades Volcanoes Climbing Pass for several of
the Cascade peaks located in Washington, Oregon
and northern California. The pass would fund
climbing-related projects. For more information
contact: 503.808.2441.
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Day use of the park requires no registration
or permit, however all bivouacs for climbing
require a bivouac permit between May 1 and
September 30, and payment of $15 per permit.
Bivouac permits are limited to: a) peaks more
than 3.5 miles from the trailhead and b) at the
base of routes in excess of four pitches in
length. Parties are limited to four climbers -
all of whom must climb -- and climbers must only
use bivi sacs (no tents are allowed). Bivouac
sites where permits limit the number of
occupants include Longs Peak (Broadway, Chasm
View, Mills Glacier and Meeker Cirque), Black
Lake (McHenry Peak, Arrowhead, Spearhead and
Chiefshead-Pagoda), Sky Pond (Taylor-Powell
peaks, Sharkstooth, Petit Grepon, Cathedral
Spires, Loch Vale Pinnacle, Saber) and Notchtop
Peak. Permit reservations can be obtained
starting March 1 by phone, mail or in person
through the Backcountry Office. (Phone
reservations end in mid-May). For more
information: RMNP Backcountry Office
970.586.1242
Free backcountry permits are required for all
inner-canyon travel, including access to many
climbing and bouldering areas. Overnight camping
on the canyon floor or on a wall is free.
Permits can be obtained from the South Rim
Visitor Center: 970.249.1915 x24.
Backcountry permits are required for
overnight camping between June 1 and September
15. Quotas are in place during peak season for
areas within the wilderness area. A $5 per
reservation fee applies. Reservations can be
obtained by phone, at the Boulder Ranger
District Office (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30
p.m.), or at selected area vendors. For more
information: Boulder Ranger District:
303.444.6600.
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Unless overturned by a new national rule
regarding use of fixed climbing safety anchors
in wilderness areas, no new fixed anchors
(pitons, bolts and nylon slings) may be placed
in the Sawtooth Wilderness except for emergency
placements. Contact: Sawtooth National Forest,
email
(fs/r4_sawtooth@fs.fed.us) or call
208.737.3200.
No known climbing fees or permits. Campsite
reservations can be made. Contact: City of Rocks
National Reserve, PO Box 169, Almo ID 83312 or
call 208.824.5519.
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Backcountry permits are required for all
backcountry camping. The fee is $4 per person
per night for adults. Reservations can be made
for an additional $20 per reservation.
Backcountry permits and fees also are applicable
for traveling in Waterton Lakes National Park
across the border in Canada.
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Free, self-issued wilderness permits
available at the Timberline Lodge climbers' hut
are required to climb Mt. Hood. No climbing
fees, reservations or quotas are in place at
this time. Climbing conditions on Mount Hood are
updated frequently during the climbing season,
and the KGW weather cam provides a current view
of the South Route. Contact: 503.668.1771.
Free, self-issue wilderness permits are
required to enter the Mt. Jefferson, Mt.
Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness Areas
between Memorial Day weekend and October 31. No
climbing-specific fees or reservations are in
place at this time. Contact: 541.388.2751 or
800.448.9453 (in Oregon only). Note: The US
Forest Service is considering imposing a
Cascades Volcanoes Climbing Pass for several of
the Cascade peaks located in Washington, Oregon
and northern California. The pass would fund
climbing-related projects. For more information
contact: 503.808.2441
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Free backcountry permits are required for all
overnight camping in backcountry areas. Permits
are issued in person only on the day the trip is
to begin or the day before. Permits are
available from Park Offices and Ranger Stations.
For more information write the Wilderness
District Office, 7280 Ranger Station Road,
Marblemount WA 98267, or call 360.873.4500.
A $15 Mountaineering Cost Recovery fee was
imposed in June 1995 for anyone attempting to
summit Mount Rainier or to climb above the
normal high camps (i.e. Camp Muir and Camp
Sherman). A $25 annual pass also exists for
people who anticipate making multiple summit
attempts in a given year. Climbing regulations
for Mount Rainier require parties to register
prior to and to check out following the climb.
Climbers under 18 years of age must have
written permission from a parent and solo
climbing requires prior approval from the
Superintendent. Limits are placed on the number
of people who can camp each night at Camp Muir
(110) and Camp Sherman (35), and the NPS has
proposed to limit the number of people who can
camp at Camp Hazard (36) on the Kautz Glacier
and at Thumb Rock (12) on the Liberty Ridge
route. Reservations for backcountry permits are
now accepted by phone 360.569.4453, fax
360.569.2255, or email
(mora_wilderness@nps.gov) within two months
of your departure date. Contact Mount Rainier
Climbing Rangers: 360.569.2211 ext. 2314.
Wilderness permits are required for all
overnight trips into the Park, including
mountain climbing. In May 1997 the park began
charging for overnight trips into the
backcountry. The wilderness fee program consists
of a $5 per person permit registration fee
(valid for 14 days and a maximum of 12 people)
and a $2 per person per night fee for overnight
stays in the backcountry. A non-transferable
frequent hiker pass will be available for $30
per person per year that covers all permit and
nightly fees. Quotas are in place for many
areas. Contact: Wilderness Information Center
360.452.0300.
Day use and overnight visitors to the Alpine
Lakes Wilderness need to obtain a free permit
from ranger stations or at the trailhead. A
quota system is in place between June 15 and
October 15 for the Enchantments, Colchuck Lake,
Stuart Lake, Snow Lakes, and Eightmile/Caroline
Lakes areas. Reservations for 75% of the
available
wilderness permits are handled by the
Leavenworth Ranger Station and can be submitted
after March 1 (by mail) or March 31 (in person).
The permit fee is $3 per person per day. The
remaining 25% are available through a lottery on
the day of issuance. Contact Leavenworth Ranger
Station: 509.548.6977.
Free, self-issue wilderness permits are
required in all wilderness areas, including the
Mount Adams Wilderness. Climbers should register
as either the Mount Adams Ranger Station or the
Randle Ranger Station. A hotline updates
climbing conditions: 360.891.5015. The Forest
Service in November 1998 proposed that a
climbing fee be charged and that use of the
South Climb be limited. Contact: Mount Adams
Ranger Station at 509.395.3400.
Permits are required year-round for climbing
above 4,800 feet on the mountain. A $15 per
person, per day fee is in force from April 1
through October 31. A quota system is in force
during peak climbing season (May 15 through
October 31) limiting the number of climbers to
100 per day. Up to 60 permits per day are
available through advance reservation. Climbing
permit reservations can be made starting
February 1 by sending an application to:
Climbing Coordinator, Mount St. Helens NVM,
42218 NE Yale Bridge Road, Amboy WA 98601. The
remaining 40 permits are available through a
lottery at 6 p.m. at Jack's Restaurant and Store
for climbers wishing to climb the mountain the
following day. An annual pass valid from January
through December is available for $30, but the
daily climbing permit is still required.
Climbing permits can be obtained from Jack's
located 5 miles west of Cougar on State Route
503. Climbers are required to register prior to
the climb and check out afterwards at Jack's.
Check on conditions by viewing the
live volcano cam. Contact for climbing and
permit information: 360.247.3961.
Note: The US Forest Service is considering
imposing a Cascades Volcanoes Climbing Pass for
several of the Cascade peaks located in
Washington, Oregon and northern California. The
pass would fund climbing-related projects. For
more information contact: 503.808.2441.
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Registration for day climbs is not required,
however free backcountry permits are required
for overnight stays in the backcountry.
Reservations may be made between January 1 and
May 15, or up to 24 hours ahead of your first
night's stay for a fee of $15 per trip. The
Jenny Lake Ranger Station provides
mountaineering information, and is open from
early June to mid-September, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information: 307.739.3300.
Climbers are required to obtain a self-issue
permit at the park headquarters for climbing on
Devils Tower. There is a voluntary closure of
Devils Tower to climbing during the month of
June to show respect for American Indian
cultural values. For more information:
307.467.5283.
No climbing fees or restrictions known at
this point. All backcountry users must fill out
a self-issue wilderness permit at the trailhead.
For more information: Bridger National Forest,
307.739.5500 or e-mail
btnfinfo@rmisp.com.
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Free backcountry permits are required to camp
overnight in undeveloped areas, but permits may
not be reserved in advance. Permits are not
required for day-use rock climbing, but many
regulations apply. Climbing on all named arches
on current USGS 7.5-minute maps is prohibited,
as is climbing on Balanced Rock (all year), Bubo
(1/1 to 6/30), and Industrial Disease on the
Devil Dog Spire (1/1 to 6/30). Use of motorized
drills is prohibited, and climbers must only use
chalk that is colored to blend in with the
natural rock. For more information: call
435.259.8161 or write: Arches National Park, PO
Box 907, Moab UT 84532.
Backcountry permits are required for
overnight use and are restricted by quotas.
Reservations are encouraged. Fees apply to both
backcountry permits and reservations. Permits
are not required for day-use climbing, though
many restrictions apply. Some areas are off
limits to climbing, including natural bridges
and archaeological sites. Use of motorized
drills is prohibited, as is cleaning a route,
chipping and/or gluing holds. No new fixed
anchors are allowed, but existing fixed anchors
can be replaced. For more information: call
435.259.7164 or write: Canyonlands National
Park, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd., Moab UT
84532.
Backcountry permits are required for all
overnight camping. The cost is $5 per person per
night. Climbing and rappelling is prohibited on
the cliffs above Middle and Lower Emerald Pools
and Weeping Rock. Some routes may be closed
seasonally for peregrine nesting. For more
information: call 435.772.3256 or write: Zion
National Park, Springdale UT 84767.
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