Community Events

No matter what you’re into, whether it’s running 5k races or gathering with buddies at a local brewery or at a fireside circle in your neighborhood, we bet there’s a way you can support Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks while doing it.

Upcoming Events

Seattle Kraken: Olympic National Park Night

Jan 6 / 7:00 pm

Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle, WA

The Seattle Kraken and WNPF are celebrating Olympic National Park with specialty-priced tickets that give back! A portion from each ticket sold supports WNPF, and includes a limited-edition water bottle. Watch the Kraken face the Boston Bruins! Get your tickets here.

Hurricane Ridge Public Listening Session

Jan 14 / 4:00 pm

Field Arts and Events Hall | Port Angeles, WA

Olympic National Park is inviting the public to share design ideas for a future Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, following the loss of the previous Day Lodge in 2023. Join the park for a public listening session on January 14. Find event details here.

The Kula Academy: Winning Lottery and Protecting the Places We Love: Mount Rainier Edition

Jan 29 / 6:00 pm

Virtual

Join for an unforgettable virtual tour through Mount Rainier National Park, where you’ll get to see the park’s most spectacular scenery, hear expert guidance on the wilderness permit process, and learn how to protect this precious landscape for generations to come.

Virtual Field Trip - Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher: A Career of Service at Mount Rainier

Feb 12 / 12:00 pm

Virtual

The Kula Academy: Winning the North Cascades Lottery and Protecting the Places We Love

Feb 26 / 6:00 pm

Virtual

This virtual session will immerse you in the beauty of North Cascades National Park while helping you navigate the complexities of the permit system. Whether you dream of camping at Sahale Glacier, exploring Cascade Pass, or venturing into remote wilderness areas, we’ll help you turn that dream into a reality.

The Kula Academy: Exploring Olympic National Park & Protecting the Places We Love

Mar 26 / 6:00 pm

Virtual

Whether you’re dreaming of sleeping under a canopy of trees or trekking to breathtaking alpine views, careful planning is key to making your Olympic adventure a reality. Join this virtual class that will equip you with the tools to navigate the permit process & explore responsibly while enjoying this epic wilderness.

Ride the Hurricane

Aug 2

Port Angeles, WA

On the first Sunday in August, cyclists have the opportunity to ride the iconic Hurricane Ridge road when it is closed to all vehicles. This 18-mile climb to the summit of Hurricane Ridge begins at Port Angeles City Pier. A portion of proceeds gets donated back to WNPF. To learn more and sign up: Ride the Hurricane!

Dick's-A-Thon

Oct 17

Seattle, WA

The Dick’s-A-Thon is a 26-mile loop around Seattle, stopping at each Dick’s Drive-In to eat menu items along the way. This challenge tests physical, mental, and gastrointestinal endurance. Created in memory of Ian Cox, proceeds support WNPF, Mountaineers Access Fund, and five search and rescue organizations. Details here.

Out and About in the Community

Fireside Circles

Our Fireside Circles are enjoyable gatherings that bring park friends – old and new – together with park rangers and superintendents for an evening of community building and casual conversation.

Neighborhood fireside circles are intimate events hosted in homes and businesses with good food, conversation, and park guests and programming. And a couple of times a year we host a longer Fireside Circle that involves a weekend in a park, usually in a park lodge.

Attendees at a Fireside Circle in Sequim
Park supporters at a Fireside Cicle in Sequim

Pints for the Parks

WNPF partners up with local breweries and cideries for our Pints for the Parks events, where a portion of the proceeds from the duration of the event are donated back to the parks. At some events, we have guest speakers, a free raffle, and trivia!

Interested in brewing up a future Pints for the Parks event at your brewery/cidery/winery? Reach out to Kristen, Events and Partnerships Manager, at kristen@wnpf.org.

Brewery event at Aslan Depot in Bellingham Pints for the Parks at Aslan Depot in Bellingham

Nightfall Charity Haunt

Held at a private residence in West Seattle, this spooky neighborhood haunted experience is a different kind of fundraiser, bringing Halloween to life while benefitting the parks! All are welcome, but note that Nightfall Charity Haunt may be too intense for some younger children.

Nightfall Charity Haunt typically takes place on Halloween and weekends throughout October. Dates and times are subject to change, though, so be sure to check the website for the latest at nightfallhalloween.com.

Mr. Black at Nightfall Orphanage
Mr. Black at Nightfall Charity Haunt (photo by Kathryn Skvarla)

Calling All Cyclists

RAMROD

RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day) is a one-day ultra-marathon cycling event. Put on by the Redmond Cycling Club, it combines the incomparable scenery of Mount Rainier National Park with a challenging course for 800 riders. With 10,000 feet of climbing over 150 miles, this cycling event is not for the faint of heart.

Through RAMROD, nearly $200,000 has been raised for the park over the years.

Learn more on the RAMROD webpage.

Cyclists on the road during RAMROD

Ride the Hurricane

Ride the Hurricane is a challenging round-trip bicycle ride up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. Hosted by our friends at the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce, this unique ride offers exclusive, vehicle-free access on your climb from Heart of the Hills up, with several route options available.

Proceeds are split between the Peninsula Trails Coalition, the Chamber, and WNPF, with thousands of dollars donated to support the park to date.

Learn more at ridethehurricane.org.

Cyclists ride along Hurricane Ridge Road

Run (or Walk!) for the Parks

Wander Project Half Marathons

Interested in running a half marathon while supporting Washington’s national parks? We’ve partnered with Wander Project to bring you charity bibs for the Mount Rainier Half & Trail Events (July 18-19, 2025) and Orca Half Marathon (September 20-21, 2025), to enable you to cross a half marathon off your bucket list while giving back.

A charity bib is a free entry into the race in exchange for raising funds and awareness for WNPF. Once registered, Wander Project provides tools, resources, and coaching need to engage your friends and family in your fundraising efforts to support WNPF!

mount rainier trail event wander project

Pacific Runderland

The Pacific Runderland 5K & Kids Run is a great activity for families and hard-core runners alike to give back to Washington’s national parks. The USATF Certified 5k course is an out-and-back paved course along the White River that begins and ends at Roegner Park in Auburn.

A portion of each entry fee is given to Washington’s National Park Fund to support projects in the parks. Since it began, this event has generated tens of thousands of dollars in funding for the parks.

Learn more at pacificrunderlandevents.com.

Dick’s-A-Thon

Dick’s-A-Thon began in 2022 as a celebration of the memory of Ian Cox, an adventurer and lover of the North Cascades (read his story here). Through this truly unique event, participants circumnavigate Seattle via the classic hamburger drive-in, Dick’s, making a 26-mile loop of the city while eating the famed Dick’s menu items along the way.

All proceeds are donated to the Mountaineers and Washington search and rescue organizations, including WNPF. Through this event, thousands of dollars in funding have been donated.

Learn more at dicksathon.com.

Runners at the 2022 Dick's-A-Thon

We like Washington’s National Parks and the Pacific Northwest. We also like running. So, we thought we’d do something we love, in a place that we love to help preserve something we love.

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Cover photo: North Cascades National Park by Lindsey Allison Ganahl, and footer photo (below): Olympic National Park by John Gussman