Rules · Washington

Dispersed-camping rules in Washington

Washington sits at the intersection of federal public land, state trust land, and a patchwork of state-park, wildlife-area, and private land. The rules that govern free and dispersed camping vary substantially across those categories. Washington requires the Washington Discover Pass (state lands) and DNR camping permit (some sites) ($30/year for Discover Pass; some DNR campsites free with permit) for general recreation on state trust land. The federal stay limit applicable to Washington is generally 14 days in a 30-day period on most national forests, after which you must move at least 25 miles to a new general area. Some units within Washington apply tighter local stay limits in popular areas. Fire restrictions in Washington are issued by the Washington Department of Natural Resources for state and private land, and by each federal land-management unit independently for federal land. Always check both before lighting anything. The notes below summarize the practical rules most dispersed campers in Washington need to keep in mind, with links to the authoritative agency pages — bookmark those, because the specifics change yearly.

State trust land in Washington

Washington Discover Pass (state lands) and DNR camping permit (some sites). $30/year for Discover Pass; some DNR campsites free with permit. The authoritative page is www.discoverpass.wa.gov — read the actual rule before relying on a third-party summary, because state agencies update permit terms more often than federal land managers do.

Fire restrictions in Washington

Restrictions in Washington are issued by the Washington Department of Natural Resources for state and private land, and by each federal land-management unit independently for federal land. The current statewide picture is published at www.dnr.wa.gov. Always check both sources before lighting anything — even a propane stove can trigger enforcement under Stage II conditions.

Specific quirks worth knowing

Discover Pass is required to park at most state-managed trailheads and DNR-managed dispersed sites. Olympic NF and Gifford Pinchot NF have seasonal road closures and Northern Spotted Owl restrictions. Cascades east-side dispersed (Okanogan-Wenatchee) is generally permissive; west-side is much more restricted.

Agencies you'll deal with

• BLM Washington (small)
• Okanogan-Wenatchee NF
• Olympic NF
• Gifford Pinchot NF
• Mt Baker-Snoqualmie NF
• Colville NF
• WA DNR

How this page interacts with the rest of the directory

The rules above govern every campsite in our Washington directory. They also govern the regional zones we curate inside Washington — see the regions index for the named dispersed-camping corridors. None of these rules override unit-specific orders posted at the trailhead; if a sign says "no camping," that's the controlling instruction regardless of what this page says.