Backcountry News

It’s not to say “it’s a slow news day,” it’s to say the season is early in North America, and unless you want to dote on this or that “best of” list, which we don’t, maybe it is a slow news day. One item we’d like to draw your attention to is two policy-related items in the PNW. Both, we think, speak to the broader implications of supply and demand, as well as human wellness. There is parking to discuss. Yes, parking. We reported on this last season here and here, and it seems the parking conundrum evolves. 

Those venturing up to Snoqualmie Pass know the basics: lots of skiers/riders (which=cars) and not enough parking at certain times. Last season, paid parking, with some workarounds, mainly using an uphill pass, allowed folks to find ways to park, get a workout, go for a longer tour, and come home, sometimes with a lighter wallet. This year, paid parking at the Summit at Snoqualmie ski area, the prime gatekeeper of parking up on the pass, has a more lenient structure. According to the ski area, here are the basics:    

Paid Parking Dates

Parking permits are required 7am-3pm on the following dates during the 2025-26 season. 

• Saturdays & Sundays from Nov. 29 through closing day
• Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan. 2, 2026
• Jan. 19, 2026 (MLK Day)
• Feb. 16, 2026 (Pres. Day)

In this instance, “paid” refers to $15 for a parking permit at Summit and $25 for parking at Alpental; however, parking is included with a season pass. Additionally, there are price reductions for those who carpool. 

The good folks at the Cascade Backcountry Alliance have a more granular breakdown. If you are local (you’ve probably already seen it) or not, and you plan a jaunt to tour on the pass, it’s worth checking out CBA’s breakdown of the key information. Here’s their basics:

2025-2026 Parking Policy Summary

• Paid parking is only required on the following “peak” days (7am – 3pm):
  • Weekends from 11/29/2025 through closing day (typically in April)
  • 12/26/2025 – 1/2/2026
  • 1/19/2026 (MLK Day) and 2/16/2026 (President’s Day)
  • Critical Timing Note: On a peak day, a permit is required if your vehicle will be in a paid parking lot at any time between 7 am and 3 pm. This means that if you park before 7 am but plan to return to your vehicle after 7 am, you must still purchase a permit.

• TheUphill pass ($40) no longer includes a parking permit.

• The following parking fees apply to all visitors (excluding Summit passholders):
  • Summit West, Central, and East lots – $15/vehicle
  • Alpental – $25/vehicle

• Carpool discounts will be available this year.
  • Carpools of 3+ can park for free in designated lots as space allows.
  • Carpool vouchers will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis from 7AM to 10AM or until the lot fills.
    • Critical Timing Note: QR vouchers for carpool parking are available from parking lot attendants starting at 7am. If you park before 7am you will not be able to obtain a carpool voucher and will need to purchase a daily parking permit.
  • Designated carpool lots include:
    • All Alpental lots (see map below)
    • West Patrol lot (see map below

And in accordance with their good work, the CBA has also published guidelines regarding how this impacts backcountry skiers/riders. See below:

Backcountry Access

Summit at Snoqualmie’s updated parking plan directly affects how backcountry users access winter trailheads, as a parking permit is now required for many key access points. In summary:

• Non-Passholders: Must purchase a daily parking permit during peak dates (see above) to park in Summit lots for trailhead access.
• Summit Season Passholders: May park in any lot at any time during the season.
• Uphill Passholders Without Season Passes: Must purchase parking permits according to non-passholders as listed above.
• Uphill travel within the ski area is also no longer permitted during the following periods:
  • Weekends from 1/3/2026 – 3/1/2026
  • 12/26/2025 – 1/2/2026
  • 1/19/2026 (MLK Day) and 2/16/2026 (President’s Day)

While the details may not apply to most THR readers, the undercurrent of cause and effect does. Which, in turn, circles back to supply and demand. More folks are seeking limited parking, and in some cases, limited terrain (but that’s a different discussion). In the Snowqualmie case, it seems restrictions when demand is highest might be the long-term solution. We’ll allow locals to weigh in on that. Parking can be an issue elsewhere. See Teton Pass, or even once plenty-of-room-to-park Mount Bachelor and the Dutchman Sno-Park zone. On busy days—think holidays and weekends when there is ample snow and ample visitation from Washington, California, and Portland—if you seek parking near Mount Bachelor to access the high alpine, you should arrive when headlamps are necessary. And good on the CBA for keeping pace with the needs of backcountry skiers and riders.

The other news item also comes from the CBA. They have an excellent piece titled “Anatomy of a Ski Area Permit.” Ski areas operating on Forest Service land require a special use permit, which, for short, is referred to as a SUP in the article and is not to be confused with the stand-up paddle craft. This is not a license to go and break rules, although some say Hayduke still lives; it is a license to become better informed, as we were, after reading it. 

The author, Kira Tulley, makes clear what is critical to us as tourers who may want to know more about SUPs. She provides information on the duration and boundaries of SUPs, ski area permit fees, government oversight, rate regulation, parking, and backcountry access. She also includes several official SUPs for reference, all from Western Washington. 

For a primer, Tulley writes this regarding backcountry access (pull quotes are also from Tulley’s piece):

Backcountry Access

Just because a ski area has a permit for a given area does not mean it has exclusive use of that area. The permits explicitly state as such with the following language:

Except for any restrictions that the holder and the authorized officer agree are necessary to protect the installation and operation of authorized improvements, the permit area shall remain open to the public for all lawful purposes.

It would be incorrect to believe that we are free to do entirely as we please within ski area boundaries, however. The language specifically states that restrictions may be placed as deemed necessary by the ski area and the Forest Service.

Similarly, state and local laws apply too. For example, in Washington RCW 79A.45.070 criminalizes knowingly skiing in a posted closed area of a ski area:

Except for any restrictions that the holder and the authorized officer agree are necessary to protect the installation and operation of authorized improvements, the permit area shall remain open to the public for all lawful purposes.

But aside from these restrictions that you’re likely already aware of, ski areas may not restrict access to their terrain for the purposes of backcountry access, for instance.