National Parks - Washington

Mt. Rainier National Park

Official NPS Website - Mt. Rainier National Park

All activities with a total group size of 25 or more people  must obtain a Special Use Permit (SUP) from Mt. Rainier National Park. Branch activity committees are responsible for obtaining these SUPs. More information and regulations on Permits for Organized Group Recreation can be found on the park's website, and the permit application may be downloaded here. If you need additional support applying for an SUP, please contact  staff at info@mountaineers.org.

If your total group size is between 13 and 24 people, you may need to obtain a Special Use Permit (SUP) from Mt. Rainier National Park. Please contact Tiffany Powers at mora_special_use@nps.gov or 360-569-6623 to inquire if a SUP is required. If your total group size is 12 people or less, then no SUP is required.

Mountaineering Activities

According to Mt. Rainier National Park's rules for SUPs, fee-based (course-related) "mountaineering training" is only allowed at Paradise location and Nisqually Glaciers, with a maximum group size of 60 people. Only one group per day is permitted to conduct training at these locations. Mt. Rainier National Park manages this process, and more information can be found at the Permits for Organized Group Recreation page on the park's website.

Mt. Rainier National Park defines "mountaineering training" as an activity where there is organized or planned instruction from any number of 'teachers' to any number of 'students' involving mountain weather, self arrest, team arrest, cramponing, rest step, crevasse rescue, glacier navigation and route finding, rappelling, rock climbing, glacier climbing, skiing, avalanche skills, avalanche rescue, or anything of a nature of mountaineering.

Paradise

One of the areas within Mt. Rainier National Park that is often used for Mountaineers trips and course field trips is Paradise. Due to its popularity with Mountaineers courses for climbing instruction, Paradise is one of the routes/places included in our Internal Climbing and Scrambling Lottery for course-related field trips. For more about the Internal Lottery, please click here. 

Below are links to the Paradise permitting calendar. Use the iCal feed to get calendar alerts.

PERMITTING CALENDAR FOR ParadiseParadise CALENDAR - ICAL FEED

Observation Rock

One of the areas within Mt. Rainier National Park that is often used for Mountaineers trips and course field trips is Observation Rock. Due to its popularity with Mountaineers courses for climbing instruction, Observation Rock is one of the routes/places included in our Internal Climbing and Scrambling Lottery for course-related field trips. For more about the Internal Lottery, please click here. 

Below are links to the Observation Rock permitting calendar. Use the iCal feed to get calendar alerts.

PERMITTING CALENDAR FOR Observation RockObservation Rock CALENDAR - ICAL FEED

North Cascades National Park

Official NPS Website - North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National park currently does not require The Mountaineers to obtain permits for any of our trips and courses. Please follow all Mountaineers group guidelines when leading trips or courses in North Cascades National Park. Staff-led programs (e.g., youth) should  contact a ranger to determine whether they need to obtain a Commercial Use Authorization. 

Olympic National Park

Official NPS Website - Olympic National Park

All fee-based (course-related) trips require a Non-Profit Special Use Permit, along with documentation from the IRS of The Mountaineers non-profit status. Branch activity committees are responsible for applying for these Special Use Permits. For more information and to apply for a permit, contact the Olympic National Park Concessions Assistant or call 360-565-3028.