Field Reports: Mount Rainier changes wilderness fees

Mount Rainier National Park is shaking up its wilderness fee permit structure, going from a flat rate by group to a nightly per-person fee.

Overnight wilderness permits will cost $10 per person per night, Mount Rainier officials announced in a news release. That replaces the previous system, in which overnight permits cost $20 regardless of the length of stay or size of group.

Park officials say the change makes the pricing more equitable, since the old system charged small and large groups the same rate.

They also say the change will allow the agency to “recover costs associated with each person’s impact on the resource.” Permit fees go toward maintenance work such as marking tail hazards, cleaning toilets and monitoring food storage.

“These fees diretly support the experience of wilderness permit holders,” superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in a statement.

The park typically sells about 7,000 backcountry and climbing permits each year. Wilderness permits allow people to camp in designated areas. Climbing permits allow permit holders to travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers.

It’s the first time in 26 years that wilderness permit fees have changed at Mount Rainier.

Permits must be picked up in person at a wilderness information or visitor center. Advance reservations are available on Recreation.gov for peak season – from June to September. Online reservations come with a $6 fee.

Glacier National Park to limit access to Many Glacier

Access to Many Glacier in Montana’s Glacier National Park will be limited this summer while construction crews work in the Swiftcurrent developed area.

Park officials announced in a news release that they will restrict vehicle access to Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent this summer and provide a temporary shuttle service for hikers from July 1 to Sept 21.

Construction crews are working to replace the water system at Swiftcurrent, a developed area accessible by road from the park’s east side, near the town of Babb. Crews are also working on road and parking lot improvements.

Work began last fall and is expected to continue through mid-May 2026.

The construction zone cuts the available parking in the valley by about half, so while the work continues, the construction zone is closed to vehicles, bikes and foot traffic, according to the release.

The shuttle will be accessible for hikers by purchasing a ticket on Recreation.gov.

The tickets will be available seven days in advance each morning at 8 starting on June 24 and at 7 the night before entry starting on June 30.

Details on the shuttle’s schedule will be announced in the spring, according to the release.

People with lodging reservations at the Many Glacier Hotel or horseback or boating reservations through Swan Mountain Outfitters or Glacier Park Boat Company will be allowed to drive into the valley by showing their reservation confirmation at the park entrance. Parking will be limited to the Many Glacier Hotel.