Olympic Peninsula Mountain Hiking

[mizzile]

I read that it's a $15 entrance fee to the park? Is that correct? That's one of the things I want to avoid...paying for hiking is just nuts to me. I was raised in a remote area and we'd just walk out the door into the wilderness. It's sure hard to adjust...haha.

[fluffydelusions]

Originally Posted by mizzile

I read that it's a $15 entrance fee to the park? Is that correct? That's one of the things I want to avoid...paying for hiking is just nuts to me. I was raised in a remote area and we'd just walk out the door into the wilderness. It's sure hard to adjust...haha.

Plenty of places you can just walk into while some cost money

[CrazyDonkey]

There are free entrance days. For 2016: Jan. 18 (MLK Day), April 16-24 (National Park Week), September 24 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day).

National Passes:

National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass: $80
Senior Lifetime Pass ($62 or older): $10 - may include 50% discount on some facility or service fees.
Access Pass (for the permanently disabled): Free - may include 50% discount on some facility or service fees.
Volunteer Pass (for volunteers with 250 service hours for federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program): Free

Passes are good for the pass-holder plus passengers in a non-commercial vehicle (at per vehicle fee areas) or three adult passengers (at per person fee areas - children under 16 are admitted free).

Olympic National Park:

Annual Pass: $50

Entrance Fee (for seven days): $25 per non-commercial vehicle of 15-passenger capacity or less; $15 per motorcycle; $10 per person (hiking, biking, walking).

Wilderness Camping Fee: $5 per person (16 and older) per night.

Campground Fee: $15-23/night where or when charged. Sol Duc $20-23, Kalaloch $22, Deer Park/North Fork/Queets/South Beach $15, Dosewallips Free (walk-in/road washed out), all others $20.

RV Dump Station Fee (where available): $10

Summer reservations only at Kalaloch and Sol Duc Campgrounds. All others are first-come, first-served.

https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvis...lands-pass.htm

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by fluffydelusions

Plenty of places you can just walk into while some cost money

Sorry to be clueless; I just don't have much NP experience. So you can just walk in without fees some places and it's legal, but other places you have to pay? If you just hike in from wherever and you get caught, will you get a fine?

[deb8997]

I visited my sister in September from NJ, she's in Darrington and we did a lot of hiking around her,i had read that you needed a pass, we went to Lake Twenty Two,Mt Pilchuck and an off beat trail Near Rainier and we never got a pass. I just didn't know where to go to get one.. And neither did my sister as she's not the out-doorsy type like we are..

[CrazyDonkey]

Other passes:

National Forest Recreation Day Pass and ePass: $5/car
Park at trailheads for one day. You can purchase several day passes ahead of time and write the dates on them as you use them. The pass is available at National Forest offices and visitor centers, via private vendors or online. You can also buy the day pass (called an ePass) online and print it at home.

Northwest Forest Pass: $30/year
Honored at all Forest Service day-use or entrance fee sites in Washington and Oregon. The pass is available at National Forest offices and visitor centers and via private vendors or online.

Discover Pass Day Pass: $10/car
Allows visitors to park at state recreation lands for one day. If using a retail outlet or the online service, upcharge applies ($1.50). See below for purchase options.

Discover Pass: $30/year
Allows visitors to park on state recreation lands for one year. Purchase at state parks, when renewing car tabs, online through Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s automated system and in person at the 600 retail locations that currently sell hunting and fishing licenses. If using a retail outlet or the online service, upcharge applies ($5). Staffed state parks and unstaffed payment stations sell the Discover Pass at face-value. The Discover Pass is transferable between two cars.

https://www.wta.org/hiking-info/pass...nd-permit-info

[mishigas73]

Originally Posted by deb8997

I visited my sister in September from NJ, she's in Darrington and we did a lot of hiking around her,i had read that you needed a pass, we went to Lake Twenty Two,Mt Pilchuck and an off beat trail Near Rainier and we never got a pass. I just didn't know where to go to get one.. And neither did my sister as she's not the out-doorsy type like we are..

You were fortunate not to get a ticket, especially in those areas. The ticket is $100 or so- waived if you get to a ranger station within 24 hours (I think) and either show your pass or buy one.

For future reference, there's a ranger station in Darrington that sells them.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by mizzile

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the info. I'm not local (I live in Alaska) and the local stores don't carry the maps you refer to. I'll definitely grab a map next time I'm down your way.

I don't recall paying fees to hike around the Lake Quinault area. Maybe though, it's been a few years.

Remember that we have rate free Olympic Peninsula rain forest x 100 here in SE.

[deb8997]

Originally Posted by mishigas73

You were fortunate not to get a ticket, especially in those areas. The ticket is $100 or so- waived if you get to a ranger station within 24 hours (I think) and either show your pass or buy one.

For future reference, there's a ranger station in Darrington that sells them.

yes she lives right up the road from that ranger station and we never thought to go in and ask, and when we finally realized we may need a pass it was a Sunday and they were closed... most of the hiking was done during the week and mid September maybe that's why we got lucky, but next time we visit we will def get a pass..

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

I don't recall paying fees to hike around the Lake Quinault area. Maybe though, it's been a few years.

Remember that we have rate free Olympic Peninsula rain forest x 100 here in SE.

The area south of Lake Quinault and the Lodge are in the National Forest, not the National Park. The National Forest Recreation Day Pass ($5/car) or National Forest Pass ($30/year), or one of the other federal Discover America Passes (Free to $80/year), is required. As long as you're walking in, and not parking at a Forest Service trailhead, I doubt you'll be frisked for your pass on the trail (especially since you're expected to display it on your dashboard).