Fee increases are coming to Washington State Parks
Published 1:30 am Friday, March 20, 2026
Washington State Parks announced Tuesday that it is hiking up certain fees later this year and early next.
The state agency explained in a March 17 news release that revenue from camping, roofed accommodations, other fees and Discover Pass sales helps to keep the state parks open, running and staffed.
Increases will be seen in three areas: non-resident reservation fees, senior off-season passes and roofed accommodation fees pertaining to cabins, vacation homes and yurts, per the release. This comes after the Washington Legislature boosted the cost of the Discover Pass from $30 to $45 last year.
Visitors who don’t live in Washington are currently charged a $5 reservation fee on top of the regular reservation fee when booking campsites, cabins and other spots in the state parks system, according to the agency’s website. Now that fee will increase to $15 as of April 1, though this won’t apply to reservations made prior to April 1, according to the news release.
The average non-resident reservation lasts at least two nights, so the adjustment “adds less than $5 per night to an average stay while shifting a small percentage of the user fee burden away from Washington residents,” the release says.
For the senior off-season pass, the current $75 fee will get bumped $25, up to $100, effective Sept. 1. In addition, the nightly utility fee will go from $10 to $12. Washington State Parks notes that this is the first time both the non-resident reservation and senior off-season pass fees have changed in more than 10 years. Roofed accommodation fees will rise effective Jan. 1, 2027, the release says.
Yurt and cabin pricing will be standardized to offer consistency, while teepee, Adirondack and some vacation rental fees won’t shift. Those looking to book will notice the new fees starting April 1 for trips beginning the first of next year. Increases on roofed accommodations vary depending on the season and whether the booking is for the weekend or weeknight.
For example, reserving a cabin at Dash Point State Park currently costs $80 for weekends or weeknights during peak season, according to the state agency’s website. Starting next January, however, it will cost $100 on weeknights and $110 on weekends. Learn more by visiting
