The Deschutes and Willamette National Forests have announced changes to the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System.
The changes are designed to improve the permit system following last summer’s implementation. The changes will increase permit opportunities for the public and simplify the permit reservation system.
Changes to the Permit System
The permit season will change to June 15 to October 15 every year rather than the Friday before Memorial Day to the last Friday in September. This change aligns the permit season with the actual season of use. Last year people had permits in early June that were unusable due to snow and road conditions while the wildernesses were accessible in early October.
Day-use permits will not be available for full season advanced reservations. All day-use permits will be released in a ten-day and two-day rolling window during the permit season. Last summer, there was a significant number of no-shows primarily caused by people making advanced permit reservations and not using their reservation.
The overnight permit system has changed the most. The overnight permit quota is now based on the date of entry; meaning there is a daily entry quota for each trailhead allowing new groups to start their trip each day. This simplifies the reservation system because people will not have to block out all the days of their planned trip. The 14-day maximum stay limit will remain in place.
Reservations for the overnight permits will begin on the first Tuesday in April (April 5, 2022) and 40 percent of overnight permits will be available for advanced reservation. Once the permit season begins, the remaining 60 percent of overnight permits will be available in a 7-day rolling window. Permit quotas will slightly increase for most trailheads.
Hunters will continue to use their valid tag, issued through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, without having to secure a separate wilderness permit. A valid hunting tag allows the hunter and three additional support people into the wilderness permit area from one day before to one day after the season for the species-specific tag.
Background on the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System
Wilderness permits are required for all overnight use within the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington and Three Sisters wilderness areas. Day-use permits are required on 19 of 79 trailheads within those same three wilderness areas.
All reservations for Central Cascades Wilderness Permits must be made through recreation.gov either on-line, via the recreation.gov app on mobile devices or by calling their call center at 877-444-6777 or TDD 877-833-6777. Search for “Central Cascades Wilderness.”
There continues to be a $1 processing charge for day-use permits per individual and a $6 processing charge for overnight-use permits per group. An overnight group can be from 1 to 12 people.
For More Information
The Forest Service will continue to update websites and information to reflect these changes. Visit: fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/passes-permits/recreation and check for updated information.
Follow us on: Twitter @DesNatlForest or @willamettenf or Facebook (facebook.com/deschutesnationalforest or facebook.com/willamettenf) for any updates.
For specific questions, contact the wilderness permit administrator at sm.fs.ccwp@usda.gov.
