Leave No Trace:

An important aspect while engaging in outdoor activities, is to be mindful of where you are and your impact. Leave No Trace is a very valuable moral and ethical mindset to have while you are out enjoying the great outdoors. I’m putting this in the Passes and Permits sections to help serve as a reminder to do our part every time we go out.

Leave No Trace Seven Principles:

  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  3. Dispose of Waste Properly
  4. Leave What You Find
  5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
  6. Respect Wildlife
  7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
© 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org

To learn more about Leave No Trace, please visit and explore: https://lnt.org/

National Parks and Forest Passes

The Nation Parks pass information can be found here. Here is a link to the filtered results for the passes that can be purchased through REI.  The results in the link may vary.  Your local REI store may have local specific passes/permits on hand, but depending on the time of year and popularity they may not have any in stock. In 2018, I purchased the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass for $80 at REI.  This was most effective for me because it can be used for both National Parks and National Forest, which is primarily where I have been hiking.  The pass is also honored at sites managed by Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.  This was an efficient purchase because I was projecting to go to both National Forests and Parks throughout the year.  This will likely be the pass I continue to get in future years as I continue planning my trips. In 2017, I purchased the Annual Northwest Forest Pass from the USGS primarily because I knew I would be mostly going to the National Forests in the Northwest.  This was a cost saving measure as the pass is only $30 regardless of where it is purchased (REI, USGS, etc).

Northwest Forest Pass accepted at the following: (linked accordingly)

Regional/Multi-State Trails

Pacific Northwest Trail

The Pacific Northwest Trail is about 1200 miles long, stretching from the Continental Divide in Montana to the Pacific Ocean on the Western side of the Olympic Peninsula. The associated link will provide you details and information for making the trek, planning, trail conditions and warnings, as well as some permit information needed during some of the sections.

Pacific Crest Trail
Continental Divide Trail
Appalachian Trail
North Country Trail
Ouachita Trail
Tahoe Rim Trail

States

Washington

In Washington state, there is numerous state parks and recreation sites that are covered by the Discover Pass. At $30 for the annual pass, this is a good pass to have if you intend to frequent the designated areas. If you only intend to go 1 or 2 times, then getting the $10 day pass may be sufficient. Additional details about the Discover and other passes on the WTA website here.