It’s the middle of winter, but it’s also time to start planning for summer outdoor adventures: You need to start reserving permits soon.
Norther Emily of Wild Solitude Guiding offers tips for the Pacific Northwest’s most scenic backpacking destinations:
Enchantments (Washington)
The Enchantments is renowned for its stunning lakes and mountain vistas. There’s no easy way to break the bad news: Getting a permit to the Enchantments is like winning the real lottery — highly unlikely. It's just $6 to enter. So you might as well!
Permits are required for overnight use.
When are permits available? Lottery is open from Feb. 15 to March 1, with results on March 17.
There’s one consolation. Check out all the great options for day hikes throughout the larger Alpine Lakes Wilderness that the Enchantments is a part of.
Mount St. Helens (Washington)
Our region’s most famous volcano attracts a lot of visitors. It’s a challenging but nontechnical climb, meaning no rock climbing or belaying required. “Probably the permit that I hear most people talking about right now is the permit to climb Mount St. Helens,” says Emily. “ It's a lot of people's first nontechnical summit.”
Permits are required year-round for anyone climbing the volcano. Until March, there is no limit on the number of climbers.
But come April, you need to reserve your permit on the first day of the preceding month. For example, 7 a.m. on March 1 for all of April.
Mount Margaret (Washington)
It has “beautiful flower meadows and beautiful views of the mountain,” says Emily. “ Mount Margaret has excellent backpacking opportunities.”
It’s a “moderately challenging backpack” trip. Expect some elevation gain and loss.
It’s closed during winter. Permits are required May through November for overnight camping.
Next available? 7 a.m. on April 1 for all of May. The permits are rolling, so sign up on the first of the month for the following month.
Tip: Bring your sunscreen. There’s not a lot of tree coverage.
The Soda Meadows of the Central Cascades. (USDA Forest Service)
Central Cascades (Oregon)
This is the region that includes some of Oregon’s most majestic peaks — Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas.
When are permits required? June 15 to October 15.
Next available? First chunk: 7 a.m. on April 1. Next chunk: on the Saturday of the week before any outing.
Tip: This is an area that often gets hit by wildfire during the summer, so you may want to opt for getting the permit closer to travel time.
Olympic National Park (Washington)
The Olympic Peninsula has it all — rainforests, beaches, and climbs. The hiking trail can be unexpectedly rugged.
“That is one of the hardest backpacking trips I've ever been on,” says Emily. “And it was not because the athletic requirements were steep. It was because it was miles of walking over slimy rocks where you pay attention to every single step. It was just super slow going.”
You’ll need a permit for overnight backpacking trips during the summer.
Next available? 7 a.m. on April 15, for the summer season (May 15 through Oct 15).
