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The Overland Directory

Guides in Washington

Guided trips and local guides for the places where knowing the ground matters: remote deserts, high passes, long river corridors and borders.

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Washington by the numbers

Acres of federal land 1
12.2M
28.6 percent of the state
Mount Rainier, the highest point in Washington 3
14,411 ft
Pierce County. The low point is the Pacific Ocean, at sea level
Acres of national forest 1
9.4M
The Colville, Gifford Pinchot, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan-Wenatchee and Olympic, plus the Umatilla from Oregon
Acres of National Park Service land 1
1.8M
Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 2
232
173 Forest Service, 44 National Park Service, 9 BLM and 6 Army Corps. 192 take reservations
Harts Pass, the highest point in Washington you can drive to 4
6,200 ft
The Forest Service says the road ends near timberline at over 6,000 feet. This is the USGS figure for the pass itself
Acres of state trust land the DNR manages 15
3.3M
With more than 160 recreation sites and 80 free campgrounds
Of ocean beach that is legally a public highway 10
62 miles
Street-legal vehicles only, 25 miles per hour

When a guide earns the money

The strongest case in Washington is not difficulty but access rules. Between Discover Passes, Northwest Forest Passes, Motor Vehicle Use Maps, Green Dot roads, ORV metal tags and beach sections that close on April 15, there is a lot to get wrong, and a guide who works here knows which gate is open this month.

Timing is the other reason. Harts Pass, Artist Point, Sunrise and Obstruction Point all run short seasons, and someone local knows which one has melted out.

The full guide to overlanding Washington

What a guide adds

A guide earns the fee in the places where the map runs out of detail. They know which wash flooded last week, which gate is locked, where the fuel is, and how long the hard section really takes with a group.

A guided trip usually brings

  1. 01Route knowledge and current conditions
  2. 02Permits and access already arranged
  3. 03Recovery skill and equipment
  4. 04A pace that suits the group
  5. 05The history and natural history of the place

How to choose a guide

Ask the questions a land manager would.

  1. 01Ask whether they hold the permits and insurance required to operate commercially on the land they use.
  2. 02Ask about group size and the minimum vehicle requirements.
  3. 03Ask what is included: meals, camping gear, communications, a support vehicle.
  4. 04Ask about first-aid training and the plan for emergencies.

What to tell a guide

Honesty about experience makes for a better trip.

  1. 01Your vehicle and what has been done to it
  2. 02Your experience off pavement
  3. 03Who is coming, including children and dogs
  4. 04Your dates, and what you most want to see

Questions people ask

Do I need a guide?

Not for most travel. A guide earns the fee on routes that are remote, technical or hard to get permits for, and on first trips where you would rather learn than guess.

Can I join a guided trip in my own vehicle?

That is how most overland guiding works. The guide leads in their vehicle, you drive yours, and the trip sets minimum requirements for the vehicles that come.

How high is Washington?

From Long Beach at 20 feet to Mount Rainier at 14,411. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Republic West side of Sherman Pass on SR 20, in the middle of the Colville National Forest and the Kettle River Range. 2,564 ft
  2. Spokane On I-90 near the Idaho line. Base for the Colville forest, the Kettle Crest and the eastern scablands. 1,870 ft
  3. Winthrop Methow Valley town on SR 20, east side of the winter closure. The Harts Pass road leaves from up-valley. 1,761 ft
  4. Colville On US 395 in the northeast. Services for the Three Rivers and Newport ends of the Colville forest. 1,612 ft
  5. Ellensburg I-90 at the north end of the Yakima River Canyon byway, below the Naneum Ridge state forest roads. 1,536 ft
  6. Leavenworth On US 2 below Stevens Pass, at the mouth of Icicle Creek. 1,171 ft
  7. Chelan At the foot of Lake Chelan, the road gateway to the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. 1,130 ft
  8. Yakima South end of the Yakima River Canyon. Gateway to the Naches and Ahtanum country and the Green Dot roads. 1,067 ft
  9. Packwood On US 12 between White Pass and Mount Rainier, at the north edge of the Gifford Pinchot. 1,054 ft
  10. Omak On US 97 in the Okanogan valley, east of Loup Loup Summit and south of the Canadian border crossings. 845 ft
  11. Wenatchee Headquarters town of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, on the Columbia where US 2 meets US 97. 668 ft
  12. Marblemount Last services on SR 20 before the North Cascades. Cascade River Road starts here. 322 ft
  13. Forks US 101 town for the Hoh and the Olympic wilderness coast. Fuel before the long empty stretch south. 305 ft
  14. Seattle Where I-5 meets I-90. The usual arrival point and the last big-city parts supply before the Cascades. 173 ft
  15. Port Angeles On US 101 at the bottom of Hurricane Ridge Road, the main entrance to the Olympic high country. 67 ft
  16. Long Beach On the 27-mile Long Beach stretch of the Seashore Conservation Area, where driving on the sand is legal. 20 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Mount Rainier The highest point in Washington. No road to the top; Sunrise, at 6,400 feet, is as high as a vehicle gets 14,411 ft
  2. Mount Adams Yakima County, the volcano the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route passes on its way north 12,276 ft
  3. Mount Baker Whatcom County, above the far end of the Mt. Baker Highway 10,767 ft
  4. Mount Olympus Jefferson County, the high point of the Olympic Mountains 7,928 ft
  5. Sunrise Sunrise Road, Mount Rainier: SR 410 at the White River entrance to the Sunrise visitor area 6,400 ft
  6. Harts Pass Harts Pass Road, Forest Road 5400: Mazama in the Methow Valley to the Pacific Crest Trail crossing 6,200 ft
  7. Sherman Pass Sherman Pass, SR 20: Republic to Kettle Falls across the Kettle River Range 5,575 ft
  8. Washington Pass North Cascades Highway, SR 20: Marblemount and the Skagit valley to Winthrop and the Methow 5,475 ft
  9. Chinook Pass Chinook Pass, SR 410: Enumclaw and Mount Rainier to Naches and Yakima 5,430 ft
  10. Hurricane Ridge Hurricane Ridge Road: Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge visitor area 5,242 ft
  11. Artist Point Mt. Baker Highway to Artist Point, SR 542: Bellingham and Glacier to the end of the road below Mount Shuksan 5,140 ft
  12. Blewett Pass Chelan County, between Ellensburg and the Wenatchee valley 4,138 ft
  13. Stevens Pass King County, the US 2 crossing of the Cascade crest 4,117 ft
  14. Loup Loup Summit Okanogan County, between Omak and the Methow Valley 4,017 ft
  15. Cascade Pass Trailhead Cascade River Road: Marblemount on SR 20 to the Cascade Pass trailhead 3,660 ft
  16. Snoqualmie Pass Kittitas County. The lowest Cascade crossing measured here, and the one I-90 uses 3,014 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

Sources for this page

58
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  2. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export, federal campgrounds reachable by vehicle in Washington. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot.. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  5. Washington State Parks, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fish and Wildlife. What is the Discover Pass?. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  6. Washington State Parks. Fees. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  7. Washington State Parks. Washington outdoor passes explained. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  8. Washington State Parks. Park Rules and Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. Washington State Parks. Sno-Park Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  10. Washington State Parks. Seashore Conservation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  11. Washington State Legislature. Chapter 352-37 WAC, Ocean beaches (motor vehicle use, closures and the 25 mile per hour limit). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  12. Washington State Legislature. WAC 204-24-050, Tire chains and approved traction devices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  13. Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.09.442, Wheeled all-terrain vehicles: metal tags, off-road and on-road registration tabs. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  14. Washington State Department of Licensing. Registering off-road vehicles and motorcycles. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  15. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Recreation. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  16. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Where to go, What to do (camping rules, stay limit and recreation figures). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  17. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Find your Campsite. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  18. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Forest and Trust Lands. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  19. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Ahtanum State Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  20. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Naneum Ridge State Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  21. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Burn Restrictions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  22. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. WDFW-managed lands. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  23. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Recreational opportunities and rules on your WDFW public lands. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  24. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Green Dot maps. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  25. Washington State Department of Transportation. SR 20 North Cascades Highway closes for season Thursday, Dec. 4 (news release). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  26. Washington State Department of Transportation. SR 410 Chinook Pass and SR 123 Cayuse Pass close for the season Friday, Oct. 24 (news release). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  27. Washington State Department of Transportation. Mountain pass closure and opening dates. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  28. USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  29. USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  30. USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Naches Ranger District. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  31. USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Bethel Ridge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  32. USDA Forest Service. Celebrating Wildflowers: Hart’s Pass. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  33. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest. Colville National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  34. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest. Sherman Pass Sno-Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  35. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest. Kettle Crest Trailhead (Sherman Pass). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  36. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest. Motor Vehicle Use on the Colville National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  37. USDA Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot National Forest. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  38. USDA Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Forest Visitor Guidelines and Safety. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  39. USDA Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Forest Road 99. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  40. USDA Forest Service, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  41. USDA Forest Service, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Mt. Baker Highway (SR 542). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  42. USDA Forest Service, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Artist Point Trailhead. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  43. USDA Forest Service, Olympic National Forest. Olympic National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  44. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. Passes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  45. National Park Service, Olympic National Park. Olympic Fun Facts. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  46. National Park Service, Olympic National Park. Visiting Hurricane Ridge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  47. National Park Service. Hurricane Ridge Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  48. National Park Service, Olympic National Park. Current Road Conditions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  49. National Park Service, Mount Rainier National Park. Sunrise. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  50. National Park Service, Mount Rainier National Park. Fees and Passes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  51. National Park Service, North Cascades National Park. Cascade River Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  52. National Park Service, North Cascades National Park. Road Conditions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  53. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hanford Reach National Monument: About Us. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  54. Bureau of Land Management. Spokane District Office. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  55. Bureau of Land Management. Yakima River Canyon, Washington. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  56. Bureau of Land Management. Juniper Dunes OHV Area, Washington. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  57. Bureau of Land Management. Juniper Dunes Wilderness, Washington. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  58. Backcountry Discovery Routes. Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR). Retrieved September 19, 2026.

Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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