By Kacee Saturay, WNPF Donor Stewardship and Social Media Manager
When you think of the coast, you probably imagine salty breezes, tidepools, and maybe a seal or two — not toilets. But if you’ve ever hiked, camped, or backpacked along Olympic National Park’s Pacific Coast, you’ve likely benefited from something you didn’t even realize was there: a backcountry toilet. And now, the park needs your help.
In 2021, we took you behind the scenes of wastewater management at Olympic during a Virtual Field Trip with Park Engineer Kerri Cook. You can still watch it here — and it’s just as eye-opening today. That trip “followed the flush” across a park that manages 37 onsite sewage systems, 21 frontcountry toilets, and a whopping 92 backcountry privies. With over three million annual visitors, waste management is a monumental task.
And nowhere is this challenge more urgent than along the rugged, iconic coastline.
The coastal stretch of the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness draws 75,000 overnight visitors a year — that’s a lot of boots on the ground and, well, other things, too. The 23 backcountry toilets along this stretch were never built to accommodate this level of use, and the traditional pit privy model just isn’t cutting it anymore. In fact, in high-traffic zones like Cape Alava, some privy holes fill up in a single season.
Here’s where it gets serious: in some spots, it’s no longer even possible to dig new holes. Without intervention, the only remaining option could be to drastically reduce visitation — a loss not only to public access, but to the communities, traditions, and tribal treaty rights tied to this land.
Enter the urine-separating toilet — a mouthful of a name, but a small engineering miracle. These toilets separate liquids and solids, allowing for more efficient decomposition, zero odor, easier maintenance, and less impact on the environment. Once installed, the solids break down into a coffee-ground-like material that can be safely packed out.
Olympic has already tested this solution at two coastal sites, and the results are promising. No stink. No need to relocate the structure every season. And most importantly: a sustainable future for high-use wilderness areas.
The challenge now? Scaling up. But that’s where you – and Washington’s National Park Fund – come in.
We’re aiming to support the park in replacing the pit privies along the coast – an effort that will cover:
The National Park Service currently replaces 1–2 toilets a year, which puts the projected completion date way out in 2035. But with your support, we can help the park pick up the pace — and protect this fragile coastline before damage forces closures.
This is about more than convenience. It’s about:
Let’s be real — no one wants to hike for miles only to find a full, unusable privy. And the park doesn’t want to be in a position where it has to turn visitors away. The solution is clear. What we need is the funding to make it happen.
Washington’s National Park Fund donors have rallied around this cause, and as of March 2026, we’ve reached our fundraising goal.
By supporting this effort, you’re helping protect one of the park’s most beloved and vulnerable areas. You’re not just solving a toilet problem — you’re solving a massive public access, environmental, and cultural preservation challenge all at once.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Donations fund scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone.
Cover photo by Andy Porter, WNPF Creative Partner. Backcountry toilet photos courtesy of NPS/Olympic National Park, Jon Christensen, and Kerri Cook.