ASHFORD, Wash. – Mount Rainier National Park has changed its wilderness permit fee structure from a flat $20 per trip to $10 per person per night. A $6 fee for trips reserved through Recreation.gov remains unchanged.

Youth 15 and under are free. Individuals seeking walk up permits will incur the same per person, per night fees as those who have made advance reservations.

The change in the wilderness fee structure ensures equitability. Under the prior per trip flat fee, smaller groups that had less impact and used fewer resources paid higher costs individually than larger groups who had a greater impact on park resources.

“These fees directly support the experience of wilderness permit holders,” said park Superintendent Greg Dudgeon. “For instance, they support the work of rangers who patrol the park’s more than 270 miles of maintained trails; manage and transport backcountry users’ food caches; clean, service, and pack out accumulated waste from backcountry toilets; and ensure compliance with permits and regulations that protect park resources and the wilderness experience.”

Wilderness permit reservation fees at Mount Rainier National Park have remained unchanged for 26 years. A Recreation.gov use fee was added in 2021. The park issues almost 7,000 wilderness and climbing permits each year.

Information on wilderness permits can be found on the Mount Rainier National Park website.