Mount St. Helens permits available Feb. 1

If you want to climb Mount St. Helens or visit the Enchantments this year, get ready to apply for a permit on Monday!

The view from the rim of Mount St. Helens. Photo by Jennifer S.

First, Mount St. Helens. Permits for the 2010 climbing season, beginning April 1, go on sale Monday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m. and are sold online on a first-come, first-served basis through the Mount St. Helens Institute.  

Permits will be sold only online. Weekends and holidays go the fastest, so check your calendars (and the Farmer's Almanac for weather predictions). The cost is $22 per permit and you are able to purchase up to twelve permits for each day. 

Permits are required for climbing above 4800 feet on the volcano. From May 15 through October 31, climbing is limited to 100 people per day. It may seem like a lot of permits, but they go quickly, especially with guides and outfitters snapping up a dozen at a time. Moreover, 2010 marks the 30th Anniversary of the volcano's eruption, which will likely spur interest in climbing it.

Climbing Mount St. Helens is a challenging, but not a technical, climb. It boasts a relentless elevation gain, constant exposure to the elements and unstable footing, but the view from the crater rim is unrivaled and breathtaking. Everyone remembers their first climb to the rim.

• Mount St. Helen's Institute permit page.
• Gifford Pinchot National Forest climbing Mount St. Helens F.A.Q.

February 1 also marks the first day that people can sign up for the Mount St. Helen's field seminars. There are some very interesting offerings, and certainly a class before your hike up the volcano would add a layer of understanding to your trek.

Now, Enchantments permits. For the summer of 2010, Enchantment Area Permit applications will be accepted from Feb. 1 - 8. Applications postmarked before Feb. 1 will be rejected, and applications received after Feb. 8 will not be processed until all on-time applications have been considered. This is three weeks earlier than in past years.

Only 1500 permits are available for camping overnight in the area between June 15 and October 15. These go quickly, so make sure to read the fine print and apply next week!

• Download the application
• Read up on the details of the application process
• Read our previous blog post about Enchantments permits