Washington water passes 101

With so many lakes, rivers, bays, inlets and ocean shores, it’s no wonder boating, paddling, angling and beach camping are popular in Washington, especially when the weather gets warm.

Washington State Parks manages public boat ramps, docks, launches and mooring buoys, and each has its own pass or permit requirements.

Here is your handy guide to help you determine which passes you may need for your favorite water activity:

Boaters in a dinghy with red and orange life vests. One is waving. — Boaters launch and travel in all kinds of watercraft, including this group at Spencer Spit.

Water passes explained

Day pass to launch from a Washington State Parks boat ramp

Cost: $7

What it covers: Watercraft launch (you’ll still need your Discover Pass to park).

Where to buy: At the park’s pay station

Explore which parks have boat launch sites.

Annual Natural Investment Permit pass

Cost: $120

What it covers: Boat launch, day-use parking (no Discover Pass needed!) and trailer dump fee. Interchangeable between vehicles and valid for one year from the month of purchase. Only valid in Washington State Parks.

Where to buy: Online, by mail or at select parks

A boat moored offshore, looking from onshore between two trees. — With the right permits, boaters can tie up to Parks mooring buoys off islands, as this boater has done at Skagit Island Marine State Park.

Moorage

Moorage fees are collected between 1 p.m. and 8 a.m. If you are using the moorage sites during other times, no fees will be applied.

Cost for docks and linear moorage sites: $1 per foot of your vessel’s total length, with a $23 minimum

Cost for moorage buoy sites: $23, open to vessels under 40 feet

What it covers: First-come, first-served moorage areas

How to pay and register your vessel when you're using a moorage site: Use the park’s self-pay registration station on shore with cash or a check, or the phone-in buoy registration (available for buoys and linear sites) from your vessel at select parks using a debit or credit card.

Proof of payment and registration are required between 1 p.m. and 8 a.m.

A man in a gray sweatshirt walks a brown dog on a leash down a dock with boats. — Many boaters, like this visitor to Stuart Island, and his pup, prefer dock moorage to buoys, for easy access to land.

Annual Moorage Permit

Cost: $7 per foot of your vessel's total length, with an $80 minimum

What it covers: Moorage for one vessel (not interchangeable) from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of the year purchased. Vessel registration or Coast Guard number must be provided on purchase. Vessels used commercially do not qualify for this permit.

Where to buy your permit: Online, by mail or at select parks.

How to register your vessel when you're using a moorage site: Use the park’s self-pay registration station on shore, or the phone-in buoy registration (available for buoys and linear sites) from your vessel at select parks. The phone-in option does have a $4.50 convenience fee, which can be paid by debit or credit card.

Proof of permit and registration is required between 1 p.m. and 8 a.m.

A boat moored offshore and people in a rowboat paddling toward it. — Several marine state parks have phone-in options to register on mooring sites, so boaters don't have to row to shore to pay, as this group did at Matia Island Marine State Park.

Phone-in buoy registration

Cost: Moorage fee or annual permit, plus $4.50 convenience fee.

What it covers: Three-day maximum stay at a State Parks mooring sites at specific parks in the San Juan Islands, Olympic Peninsula/Whidbey Island, South Sound and Hood Canal.

Where to buy: From the comfort of your vessel, by phone. Be prepared to provide your buoy number, credit or debit card information and Annual Moorage Permit number if you have one.

If you don't have an annual permit, you can still pay for a site using the phone-in buoy registration.

Three fishermen on a pier in the sunset. Two are standing, one is sitting. — Fishing and shellfishing, with proper licenses, are popular activities at state parks. Here, three anglers enjoy the sunset at Deception Pass.

Fishing and shellfishing

Many lakes at Washington state parks are stocked with fish, and shellfish can be bountiful at coastal, island and Puget Sound parks.

Anglers and harvesters must have proper licenses and abide by seasonal openings and closures for the species they’re looking to catch.

Cost: Varies by species, season and dates

What it covers: Varies by license purchased

Where to buy: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife manages fishing and shellfishing licenses. Create an online account with WDFW to purchase.

A red kayak beached in a sandstone cove with glassy water. — Several marine state parks have campsites for folks arriving by wind and human-powered watercraft. Here, two kayaks sit in Sucia Island's Ewing Cove. Photo by Hobbes Barber.

Marine state park camping

Many state parks in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands offer Cascadia Marine Trail and other primitive campsites for paddlers and sailors arriving by non-motorized craft.

Cost: $12 a night, first-come, first-served

What it covers: A primitive campsite with pit toilet in walking distance. Marine state parks may not have water available.

Where to buy: Self-register or pay onsite by cash or check

Originally published May 22, 2025