The Deschutes and Willamette National Forests in Oregon will require permits for hiking this year from May 28 to Sept. 24, with an exception for Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers who have a long-distance permit.
Day-use permits will be required for 19 of 79 trails in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters wilderness areas. Overnight-use permits will be required for all trails in the three wilderness areas.
The permits are an attempt to limit the number of hikers in the Central Cascades, which has soared over the years. The US Forest Service said in a 2018 report that visits to the Three Sisters Wilderness increased 181 percent from 2011 to 2016. Human waste, garbage, and stealth campsites have become a problem, the report says.
The US Forest Service was prepared to begin requiring permits for the Central Cascades last year, but delayed issuing permits because of Covid-19.
PCT thru-hikers who have a long-distance permit issued by the PCTA do not need a Central Cascades permit.
Reservations for the wilderness permits will open at 7 a.m. PT on April 6 at www.recreation.gov. The Forest Service encourages hikers to reserve online rather than visit Forest Service offices, which may be closed because of Covid. Hikers who want to apply for a permit in person are advised to call ahead to see whether offices are open.
Reservations can also be made by calling 1-877-444-6777.
Overnight permits will be limited to five per person. Once the ending date of the last permit has passed, an individual can apply again for permits. A few passes will be available from libraries for people who cannot afford the permit fee.
Separate permits will be issued for overnight and day use, with two types of overnight permits: permits released in early April for the entire summer season and permits released seven days before the start of a trip. Only one type of day day permits will be issued, with a portion released in early April and the remaining permits issued seven days before the start of a trip.
Overnight Use
- 40% of the permits for the full season will be available on April 6.
- 60% of the permits will be available within a seven-day rolling window.
Day Use
- 20-50% of a trailhead’s permits for the full season will be available on April 6.
- 50-80% of a trailhead’s permits will be available within a seven-day rolling window.
Day-use permits cost $1 per permit per person. Overnight-use permits cost $6 per trip. Overnight permits can include up to 12 people for a trip of up to 14 days.
Trailheads that need a Northwest Forest Pass or other daily recreation pass will still be required in addition to the new wilderness permits.
The permits cost the same whether reserved online, by phone, or in person.
New regulations are also in place for campfires, which will be banned above 5,700 feet in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters Wildernesses, and above 6,000 feet in the Diamond Peak Wilderness.
More information about the permits—included the permit limits at trailheads and backcountry overnight limits—can be found at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/specialplaces/?cid=fseprd688355
Featured photo by Yan Bouris
