Home › States › Washington

Camping in Washington: campsites, permits and passes

Camping in Washington starts in one of a few places: Washington State Parks for state park campsites, Recreation.gov for federal campgrounds, or free dispersed camping on National Forest and BLM land. Here's where to book each, plus permits, passes and licences.

Most people go to:

State park campsites

Washington state park campgrounds are booked through Washington State Parks ↗. Book as early as you can for summer and holiday weekends, and check each park's page for cabins, yurts, group sites and pet rules.

National parks in Washington

• Mount Rainier National Park
• North Cascades National Park
• Olympic National Park

Campgrounds in national parks are booked on Recreation.gov. See every park, monument and historic site in Washington on the National Park Service Washington page ↗.

National forests and free camping

Washington's national forests include Okanogan-Wenatchee, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Gifford Pinchot, Olympic. Developed campgrounds are booked on Recreation.gov (some are first-come, first-served), and most national forest land allows free dispersed camping away from developed sites, usually for up to 14 days. Check the forest's rules and any fire restrictions first.

Washington also has large areas of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, where dispersed camping is generally free and allowed for up to 14 days in one spot unless posted otherwise. See BLM recreation ↗.

Permits and lotteries

• The Enchantments (Alpine Lakes Wilderness) overnight permits use a lottery on Recreation.gov.
• Olympic wilderness camping needs a permit.

Fishing and hunting licences

Licences for Washington are sold by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife ↗, online or at local retailers. Rules and seasons differ by species and water, so check before you go.

Passes

The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at national parks and many federal lands in Washington. State parks usually sell their own day or annual passes; see Washington State Parks.

Best time to camp in Washington

July to September is the driest window. Coastal camping works year-round with rain gear; high trails can hold snow into July.

Questions

Packing checklists

Nearby states (Pacific Northwest)