Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Gifford Pinchot National Forest) · WA

Mount Margaret Backcountry permits are gone at release. Cancellations come back all season.

Eight designated campsites strung along the ridge above Spirit Lake, staring straight into the 1980 blast zone and the volcano's crater — one of the most photographed backcountry camps in the Cascades, on a very small quota.

Live quota
checked 26 minutes ago via recreation.gov

Right now: remaining quota on 54 dates in September 2026.

Not your dates? Get free alerts the second one opens ↓

Tue, Sep 1 · 1 of 1 left · Dome Camp · claim →Tue, Sep 1 · 4 of 4 left · Margaret Camp · claim →Tue, Sep 1 · 1 of 1 left · Obscurity Camp · claim →Tue, Sep 1 · 8 of 8 left · Ridge Camp · claim →Tue, Sep 1 · 1 of 1 left · Shovel Camp · claim →Tue, Sep 1 · 1 of 1 left · Snow Camp · claim →Wed, Sep 2 · 1 of 1 left · Dome Camp · claim →Wed, Sep 2 · 4 of 4 left · Panhandle Camp · claim →

+ 46 more dates this month.

Free permit alerts

Get emailed the second a Mount Margaret Backcountry date opens. Your Scout starts checking the moment you subscribe — the first email arrives right away with where quota stands.

When somebody returns a permit, the next email in your inbox is your Mount Margaret Backcountry date — claim link included, while the quota is still there.

I'll email you the second a date opens.

Free — one Scout per email. Alert-only: it never enters lotteries and never claims a permit for you. Reply to any of its emails to adjust dates or stop.

Want to change more — different logic, several permits, push instead of email? Open this Scout in the builder. Check recreation.gov yourself →

The release game

How Mount Margaret Backcountry permits actually release

Permits release one month at a time on the first of the preceding month at 7 a.m. Pacific (May campsites go up April 1) for the May–November season; the page doesn't document an automatic re-release but explicitly asks holders to cancel promptly so others can rebook — check the permit page for this year's exact schedule.

The part the permit page doesn't advertise: plans change. Reserved dates flow back to recreation.gov all season as trips get cancelled — and popular dates are re-claimed within minutes of reappearing. That second game is the one a Scout wins: it never blinks.

The loop

How it works

01Tell your Scout the dates you want for Mount Margaret Backcountry.
02It checks recreation.gov quota every 30 minutes, around the clock, and stays silent while nothing changes.
03The instant a date shows remaining quota, you get an email with the link — claiming the permit stays in your hands.
Straight answers

Questions

How fast are alerts?

A free Scout checks every 30 minutes, around the clock, and emails you the moment a permit date shows remaining quota. Returned permits are usually re-claimed within minutes — faster checks are on the paid plan.

Does it enter lotteries or claim permits for me?

No. It never enters a lottery, never holds a spot, and never books — you get the link the moment a date opens, and claiming it stays in your hands.

Can it get me a Half Dome or Wave permit?

No — those are lottery-only, and an availability watch can't win a lottery. We only cover permits where cancelled or unclaimed dates genuinely return to recreation.gov.

What does it cost?

Watching one thing is free. More Scouts and faster checks are on the paid plan.

Also chasing: Mt. Whitney via Trail Crest (overnight) · The Enchantments (Core Zone overnight) · Yosemite Wilderness Permits · Paria Canyon Overnight · all permits →

After a campsite instead? Campground cancellation alerts →