Sno-Park fees to increase this fall

The Washington State Parks Winter Recreation Program announced today that the price of Sno-Park permits will increase when they go on sale again Nov. 1. This will be the first increase since 2009.

The price increases reflect the rising costs of Sno-Park operations, which include trail grooming, plowing, clearing lots and roads, bathroom maintenance, fuel and staffing. In addition, the program has had to replace aging equipment, including snowcats. Finally, over the last 12 years, the program opened several new permanent Sno-Parks and created temporary Sno-Parks to meet customer demand. 

The Sno-Park permit fees for the 2021-22 season are:

 Seasonal permit: $50 (up from $40)

€Annual snowmobile permit: $50 (up from $40)

 Special Groomed Trail Sticker: $70 (up from $40)

€Daily Sno Park permit: $25 (up from $20)

The Discover Pass is not needed for parking at Sno-Parks.

In 2019, the Winter Recreation Advisory Committee, which oversees non-motorized Sno-Parks, appointed a subcommittee to review permit fees. The subcommittee surveyed and compared Washington’s fees to those of other private and public entities, some of which charge several hundred dollars a season for one family to access one location. 

The subcommittee also called on such stakeholders as ski and dogsled clubs, the majority of whom supported the increase.

“Washington state has a wonderful Sno-Park program that is a model for rest of the nation,” said long-time volunteer Karen Behm of the Central Cascades Winter Recreation Council. “The 12-year lapse in rate hikes created constant challenges when it came to meeting demand for services and equipment.”

The Winter Recreation Program is fully self-supporting, relying on Sno-Park permit sales, snowmobile fees and a small portion of the state’s fuel tax to fund operation of 130 Sno-Parks statewide. 

High demand during pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sno-Park use reached an all-time high. Winter Recreation staff and partners responded to customer demand by opening a new Sno-Park near Winthrop, three temporary play areas near Cle Elum and a sledding hill in Southwest Washington. This quick response helped to ease traffic, parking congestion and safety hazards, particularly along the I-90 corridor.