Camp ObserverGlacier Island Cross Country Zone
Permit required
Fees
Lottery Application/Permit Reservation Fee: Each early access lottery application or permit reservation is subject to a non-refundable $6.00 fee. If you are successful in the early access lottery, no additional permit reservation fee is due.
Note: The park also charges the $6 permit reservation fee for first-come, first-served permits issued in person. This fee supports the permit and reservation management system.
Recreation Fee: $12 per person, per night (starting with the February 2025 lottery). Youth 15 and under are free
Note: In January 2025, the park restructured wilderness recreation fees to directly fund staff and services that support backcountry use.
Entrance Fee: The park charges an entrance fee which you may pay upon arrival or purchase in advance. The park honors valid America the Beautiful-the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes (e.g. Senior, Military, 4th Grade, etc.) also known as interagency passes. Visit the park's Fees & Passes page for details.
Rules
When planning your trip, please keep the following in mind:
Permits are required year round. For information about winter camping, please start here
Recreation.gov provides access to view availability and to secure reservations for permits. Pre-planning using the Wilderness Trip Planner , the Mount Rainier National Park website, and other trip planning resources such as guide books is strongly encouraged.
Travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers requires a climbing special use permit and payment of the climbing fee. The climbing fee must be paid by every person on the climbing permit and must be paid for each climb (ie: if you climbed in May and you are climbing again in June, you must pay the climbing fee for the May climb and then again for the June climb). Climbing permits can be obtained in person at a Wilderness Information Center. A wilderness permit is still required, and reservations are encouraged for peak season.
Solo travel above high camps or anywhere on glaciers is not permitted except with prior written permission of the Superintendent. Submit a request for a solo permit.
Visitors interested in a complete Wonderland Trail itinerary or other high-demand camps during peak season are encouraged to participate in the Early-Access reservation lottery.
Because camping off itinerary can affect camping opportunities for others and damage natural resources, your itinerary must be achievable. For this reason, the maximum daily mileage between camps is limited to 17.5 trail miles on Recreation.gov. Trips with longer daily mileage can be obtained in person or reserved in advance by contacting the Wilderness Information Centers after the early access period ends.
It is possible to book reservations for areas that present life-threatening hazards and require specialized equipment and experience.
Non-stop itineraries that span two calendar days, such as ultra-running or single-push summit climbs, still require a permit for safety and visitor use management purposes.
In designated camps, all food, garbage, and scented items must be hung from a bear-pole or secured in an approved animal-resistant canister. Permit holders may borrow bear canisters for free at Wilderness Information Centers.
Bear Canisters are strongly recommended in cross-country and alpine areas where it is not possible to hang food 12 feet high and 10 feet out from a tree trunk.
Camping is only permitted in the camp area designated on your permit itinerary, on the date indicated.
Excluding Paradise winter group camps, the maximum party size is 5-12 depending on camp area, and affiliated groups must camp and travel at least one mile apart.
Stock are prohibited in most camp areas and trails. They are permitted on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Laughingwater Creek Trail.
Pets, weapons other than firearms, vehicles, bicycles and other wheeled devices are not permitted on park trails, meadows, or in any undeveloped area of the park.
The use of firearms is prohibited in the national park.
Parties of 6 or more must camp in designated group sites. Parties of 5 or less must not camp in group sites unless specifically indicated on their permit.
A park Entrance Fee is required for entry into the National Park. Pay your entry fee in person or online.
Leave No Trace
Please follow all principles of Leave No Trace including: Plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors.
For more information on planning your trip in the wilderness of Mount Rainier National Park, visit our Wilderness Trip Planner.
Stay Limit
4 nights
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Availability
Permit quota applies to each night. See the dated quota below, then choose your camp in the permit flow.
Permit trip planning
Show this permit: Mount Rainier National Park Wilderness and Climbing Permits
Food storage: In designated camps, all food, garbage, and scented items must be hung from a bear-pole or secured in an approved animal-resistant canister. Permit holders may borrow bear canisters for free at Wilderness Information Centers.
Minimum group size: 1
Camp lists a group-size cap of 5; check permit rules
Stay limit at this camp: 4 nights
Check the full permit fees and rules and this page's Rules section before planning your trip.
Camps on this permit
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