City Guide Filming in Mount Washington, WA
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Minimum Cost: $300 per day
Minimum Insurance
- Provide a certificate of insurance with a liability of at least $1,000,000
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Mount Washington
Mount Washington is a mountain in Washington State that lies about thirty miles southeast of Seattle off Interstate 90. It sits west of the iconic mountain range known as the Cascade Range and used to be known as Profile Mountain before its name was changed because the mountain cliff resembles the portrait of George Washington. Mt. Washington offers amazing views of surrounding peaks, Chester Morse Lake, Masonry Pool, and many other picturesque natural areas.
For filmmakers, Mount Washington is an amazing place to shoot forest-themed movies and take aerial photographs and recordings of panoramic views. Some of the projects shot in the areas surrounding Mt. Washington include Twin Peaks (1990–1991), Twin Peaks (2017), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), The Vanishing (1993), Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014), Lucky Them (2013), Continental Divide (1981), and Hunting Bigfoot (I) (2021). Use Giggster to find amazing locations within and around the Mt Washington area that perfectly fit your next production.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Mount Washington?
The filming laws in the Mt. Washington area allow personal recordings without a film permit, so if you are in the area on vacation or hiking a trail up the mountain, feel free to take videos with family and friends for as long as you wish. In addition, news media filming on Mt. Washington does not require a film permit.
On the other hand, you require a film permit for commercial filming and educational filming activities in the Mt. Washington area. Reach out to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission for clarifications or questions about any other permits or approvals you may need for your film shoot.
Permit Management in Mount Washington
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is the agency to reach out to if you wish to obtain a permit to shoot commercial production in and around the Mt. Washington area. For your request to be processed adequately, ensure you submit your permit application at least sixty days in advance of the date you plan to commence production. This will allow enough time for all the relevant agencies to review your production details and coordinate what is required with you.
As soon as you are ready to start the application process, obtain the application form online and complete it appropriately. Return the completed form along with the following:
The non-refundable application fee.
The site location fee and any other fees assessed based on the nature of your production.
A certificate of insurance.
When your application is received, the Area Manager will carry out an initial review of the application within ten days and notify you about the status of your request. If you need to provide additional supporting documents for your application, you will be duly notified as well. If your application is approved, the Area Manager will send you a copy of the approval and your film permit. You must carry this permit with you for the entire duration of the production.
What Insurance Do I Need in Mount Washington?
As part of the filming regulations in Mt. Washington, you must present proof of insurance before you can shoot production in the area. The insurance requirements, which you must comply with, are highlighted below:
Provide a certificate of insurance with a liability of at least $1,000,000.
List Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission as an additional insured.
Include Mt. Washington and the dates that you wish to film in the certificate of insurance.
If you need to provide additional insurance because of the nature of your project, you will be notified. Ensure you provide adequate insurance within the appropriate timeframe so that your production goes on according to schedule.
If you are part of an educational institution, you can present the insurance of the school to comply with the production insurance requirements for Mt. Washington.
If you can’t meet any of these requirements, you’ll need to explain in writing why you can’t meet the requirement to the Office. They will determine if the shoot can go ahead without the necessary insurance.
Note that these requirements are minimum requirements. Larger and more complex shoots may require additional insurance which will be determined by the Office.
What Kind of Filming Locations Are Available in Mount Washington?
Mt. Washington has several trails and unpaved roads that lead up and down the mountain, and some of these are good spots for quick film shots. Examples of such trails include the John Wayne Trail, Iron Horse Trail, and Mount Washington Trail. There are several small creeks, rock outcrops in gravely terrain areas, old-growth forest pine trees, dense vegetative areas, small marsh areas, and an alpine meadow.
Around the Mt. Washington area, there are other beautiful filming locations as well like parks, campgrounds, waterfalls, lakes and pools, and small municipalities. Some of these include Iron Horse State Park, Ollalie State Park, Cedar Falls, Twin Falls Natural Area, Ragnar, Masonry Pool, Chester Morse Lake, Weeks Falls, Cedar Butte, Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area, Alice Creek Campground, and Tinkham Campground.
Special Requirements in Mount Washington
King County
If you wish to film in Cedar Falls or any other property under the control of King County, you must obtain a Special Use Permit from the Real Estate Services Section of the County six weeks before the date of production. Feel free to download the Special Use Permit form online and submit it when you have filled it out completely. If you are not sure what type of permit you need for your project, you can reach out to the County Real Estate Services Section via phone or email.
There is a $500 non-refundable fee that must accompany your application for a Special Use Permit in King County. This amount only covers the cost of processing the permit. Therefore, you may be required to pay additional fees for land use, inspection, administration, plan review, or personnel fees during production. Make payments via check to the King County Office of Finance.
When submitting your application to the Real Estate Services section, you may be required to include the following depending on the nature of your project:
Site plans, construction drawings, or sketches.
A certificate of insurance with a valid insurance policy that names King County as an additional insured.
A hold harmless agreement.
Permits or approvals from other agencies that have jurisdiction over filming areas outside the County’s jurisdiction.
What Does it Cost to Film in Mount Washington?
The film permit application fee for commercial production in and around Mt. Washington is $100. You may be required to pay additional fees because of the nature of your production and how it will affect the filming area. Educational filmmakers are not required to pay the application fee; however, they must pay every other fee assessed for the production. If you wish to pay the application fee by check, send it with the application packet by mail. To pay by credit card, submit the permit application via email and include your contact information so that you can be contacted for payment information. A summary of the fees required is available here.
Additional Fees
In addition to the park personnel rates and the filming application fee, there’s an additional $100 fee for expedited applications. However, it is only available for applications that are submitted less than 30 days before filming. Qualified educational activities do not have to pay for the application fee.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Mount Washington?
Mount Washington is closely surrounded by hills and mountains. The municipalities of Tanner, Riverbend, North Bend, and Snoqualmie all lie a few miles northwest of Mt. Washington along Interstate 90 while Wilderness Rim lies west of the mountain range. Seattle and Bellevue are located further away from the mountain range, about thirty miles northwest. The closest municipality east of Mt. Washington is Cle Elum, about forty-five miles southeast along Interstate 90.
North Bend
Film production is welcome in the city of North Bend, and the process is managed by the City Administrator. If you wish to conduct a commercial shoot on city property or public right-of-way here, complete the Special Event Permit Application at least thirty business days from the date you intend to commence production. When you submit the completed application to the city, it will be reviewed by appropriate City Departments.
Before your application can be approved, you must fulfill the following requirements: Pay the Special Event fee of $100 per day. Provide proof of insurance that aligns with the city’s production insurance requirements. Attach a site plan/map. Include any other permits (e.g., Health Permit). Present a neighborhood and business notification plan. Include a security and traffic control plan. Include a parking plan.
The insurance requirement for commercial film production is a certificate of insurance with general liability for bodily injury and property damage of at least $1,000,000 that endorses the City of North Bend as an additional insured. The City Administrator may deem a higher insurance minimum necessary if the nature of your production warrants it. The insurance certificate must be valid for the entire period of filming.
Seattle
In Seattle, every commercial filmmaker that intends to use city property for production requires a film permit for any of the three categories of filming: Low-impact filming – filming on sidewalks, and parks, with no traffic control or parking reservation. Medium impact filming – filming with parking reservation, traffic control, hiring officers, builds, and off-hours work. High-impact filming – filming with drones, street closures, stunts, pyrotechnics, large builds, and a high number of officers.
If your production is “low-impact”, apply for the film permit at least three business days before the date of production. If your production is “medium-impact”, ensure you submit your film permit application at least five business days in advance of the filming date. For high-impact filming, reach out to the city’s Film Permit Specialist. However, bear in mind that you need at least ten business days for your permit to be reviewed.
The application process for all three categories of filming in Seattle is the same and requires every filmmaker to complete an online form. For inquiries or questions, reach out to the Film Permit Specialist via email or phone.
You do not require insurance for your production if your project consists of all the following: Your production budget is less than $10,000 and you have less than six cast and crew in total. You will film with only one camera and will not shoot inside a city facility. You will not require traffic control and not impact pedestrian traffic on sidewalks. You will not impact public parking nor generate electricity and run set-ups for lights.
If you require insurance for your production, comply with the following conditions: Commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Automobile liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Pyrotechnics liability of $2,000,000. Name the City of Seattle as an additional insured. Review the sample insurance certificate as a guide. Email the certificate of insurance to the Film Office. As for the costs associated with filming in Seattle, these are the fees that filmmakers pay: The film permit is $25 per day. The parking fee for production vehicles is $15 per metered space per day. There is a $500 to $1000 refundable damage deposit for high-impact filming. Some low-impact films may qualify for reduced fees.
Snoqualmie
Filmmakers are welcome to bring their commercial project(s) to Snoqualmie. Before commencing production, you need a film permit from the city, so apply for the permit at least thirty days before the start of production. The Community Liaison and City Staff will review your application. You can either apply online or download and complete the application form and send it in via email.
You may also need to obtain permits from other city agencies like the Fire Department, Police Department, etc., and pay additional fees for their services. The City assists filmmakers by helping them determine all they need for their production so that the filmmaker can obtain the required documents.
The Certificate of Insurance must name the City of Snoqualmie as an additional insured and cover liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
Bellevue
To shoot production or carry out any film-related events in the city of Bellevue, you must put in an application of intent form at least ninety days in advance of the film date. The Special Events Committee of the city will then review the intent application and notify you of all the permits, approvals, and conditions that you must meet for your production to be successful.
Other permits that you may require depending on the nature of your production include Fire Permit, Health Permit, Business Registration, etc. Ensure you indicate where you need city support services too. For further inquiries, contact the Community Services Supervisor by phone or email.
These are the general steps and conditions for film production in Bellevue: The filmmaker submits the intent form and pays the non-refundable application fee of $62. The filmmaker attaches the facility or park use form, site plan and area map, parking plan, sound permit application, and insurance certificate to the application form. The filmmaker meets the Routing and Location Subcommittee to find out the filming conditions. The residents and business owners in the filming area that will be affected by the production will be notified about the project. The filmmaker pays all the fees associated with the production at least thirty days before the start of filming.
The minimum insurance coverage that the filmmaker provides must be acceptable to the Risk Management Office of the city and include the following: Commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Employer’s liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per disease/accident. Automobile liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per accident. Workers’ Compensation coverage as required by statutory laws in the State of Washington. Complete and sign a hold harmless and indemnification form. Endorse the city of Bellevue as an additional insured on the certificate and ensure that it remains valid for the entire duration of production.
Tiger Mountain State Forest
The Tiger Mountain State Forest is managed by the Department of Natural Resources in Washington State. If you want to film in Tiger Mountain State Forest, you must contact the South Puget Sound Region via email or phone to discuss your production details and find out what you need to do to get a filming permit.
Outreach in Mount Washington
Because of the location of Mount Washington, an outreach may not be applicable if you wish to shoot a film in and around the mountain area. However, if members of the public will be impacted by production, for instance by vehicle parking or base set up, send out notices of filming to all those that will be affected by your activity. Include information about your project in the notice (start and end dates and times, the title of the project, details of your contact person, etc.) and deliver it to the neighborhood as letters two to three days before you arrive.
Community Management in Mount Washington
If your production in the Mount Washington area will impact any of the surrounding municipalities or communities, ensure you create a positive experience for the host. One way to do this is by making someone on your team available to respond to questions or inquiries that they may have about the project. This will also make it possible to address any concerns they may have about your project in their community. Additionally, you can meet with the hosts during public meetings and forums in the neighborhood and further show your commitment to the local community by abiding by the filming laws in effect.
Conclusion
Mount Washington may not be one of the popular filming areas in Washington State, but it is one of the top places for forest-based or remote-area filming. Thanks to the rocky terrain, abundance of trails, creeks, waterfalls, and other natural areas, the mountain offers excellent backdrops for productions that require such scenery. To film here, reach out to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to kickstart your permit approval process. Rest assured that you will not forget the amazing panoramic views from the filming locations here in a hurry.