Deschutes, Willamette wilderness permit reservation system to begin

Virtual presentation on permit system set for Tuesday evening

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes and the Willamette national forests reminded the public on Monday that reservations for the new Central Cascade Wilderness Permit System begin next week.

On Tuesday, April 6, at 7 a.m. PDT, Central Cascades Wilderness Permits will be reservable at Recreation.gov.  The permit system begins the Friday before Memorial Day (May 28, 2021) and ends on the last Friday in September (Sept.  24, 2021).  

Wilderness permits are required for all overnight use in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wilderness areas. Day-use permits are required on 19 of the 79 trails into those same three wildernesses.

People are encouraged to go to Recreation.gov prior to next Tuesday and create an account. To find the permits, put Central Cascades Wilderness into the search bar, and all permit options for day-use or overnight use will show.

There is 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.

Overnight Use Permit Availability:

• 40% of overnight permits will be available on April 6, 2021.
• 60% available of overnight permits will be available on a 7-day rolling window beginning May 28, 2021. The 7-day rolling window means that every day, new permits will be available.

Day Use Permit Availability:

• 20-50% of a trailhead’s full season will be available on April 6, 2021.
• 50-80% of a trailhead’s permits will be available on a 7-day rolling window on May 28, 2021. The 7-day rolling window means that every day new permits will be available.

All reservations must be made through Recreation.gov either online, or by calling (877) 444-6777 or TDD Line at 877-833-6777 from 10 a.m. – 12 a.m. (Eastern Time Zone). People may go to a Willamette or Deschutes national forests office to reserve a permit. However, currently Forest Service offices are closed due to COVID-19, and people should call an office ahead of going.

On Tuesday, the Deschutes Public Library will host a virtual presentation on the new permit system from 6 to 7 p.m. at https://www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar/event/61550.  Once the permit season opens, each branch of the Deschutes Public Library system will offer a limited number of permits to check out, for people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to get a permit.

For more information about the permit system and planning a wilderness trip, visit https://bit.ly/2Pl8jtT.