Want to climb Mount St. Helens this year? Here’s the low-down on how to get a permit
It’s almost time to reserve a permit if you want to stand on top of Mount St. Helens this year and peer over the crater rim.
Permits are required April 1 through Oct. 31 if you want to go above 4,800 feet.
This year, they go on sale at 7 a.m. Wednesday and can be reserved at Recreation.gov.
The cost per person is $15 with a $6 reservation fee. Groups are limited to 12 people.
Permits to climb the 8,328-foot volcano can sometimes sell out quickly.
Summer weekends and Mother’s Day weekend are the most popular, in part due to the tradition of many who wear dresses, skirts and tutus to honor their mothers on the holiday.
In 2018, so many people logged on the first day (11,000) to buy permits that the system crashed.
“Although strenuous, Mount St. Helens is considered a non-technical climb and is suitable for people in good physical condition who are comfortable scrambling on steep, rugged terrain,” according to Recreation.gov.
Only a limited number of climbers are allowed on the mountain each day to reduce crowding and protect natural features.
From April 1 to May 14, the daily quota is 500 people. That drops to 100 climbers allowed each day from May 15 to Oct. 31.
No permit is required to climb during the winter months.
When Mount St. Helens Institute started processing permit sales in 2012, about 12,000 climbing permits were issued. In 2017, the institute issued 20,000.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 1:54 PM.
