Forest Service reminder: Central Cascades Wilderness permits for day use to open this weekend

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes and Willamette National Forests want to remind the public that the reservation system for day use permits for the Central Cascade Wilderness Permit System will open on Sunday.

Beginning Sunday, June 5 at 7 a.m., the reservation period for 10-day advance day use permits will open on Recreation.gov for the permit system. The Central Cascades Wilderness permit season begins on June 15 and ends on October 15 annually.

Beginning June 13 at 7 a.m., the reservation period for two-day advance day use permits will open on Recreation.gov for the permit system.

Day-use permits will continue to be available in 10-day and two-day rolling windows throughout the permit system season. Day use permits are only required on 19 of the 70 trailheads within the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses.

People reserving permits should be aware that though the permits will be open for reservation, the roads to the trailheads and the trails may not be accessible due to late season snow. Make sure to “Know Before You Go. “ To find out about Deschutes National Forest trail conditions use this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/deschutes/home/?cid=stelprdb5347630&width=full or go to the Deschutes National Forest webpage.

In addition, beginning June 8, the reservation period for the remaining 60% of overnight permits will open in a seven-day rolling window for the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System. In April, 40% of the overnight permits were available for advanced reservation. Overnight permits are required for every trailhead.

Where to get permits: All reservations for Central Cascades Wilderness Permits need to be made through Recreation.gov either on-line, via the Recreation.gov app on Google Android & Apple iOS devices, or by calling the call center at 1-877-444-6777 or TDD 877-833-6777. Search for “Central Cascades Wilderness.” There are not any permits available outside of the Recreation.gov reservation system.

Cost of permits: 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 one to 12 people. The processing charge funds the operation of the reservation system, like processing charges for tickets through Ticketmaster or other reservation systems. Processing fees are non-refundable unless the area is closed for visitor safety by the Forest Service.

For more information, go to either the Deschutes or the Willamette National Forest websites. Follow us on social media: Twitter @DesNatlForest or @willamettenf or Facebook facebook.com/deschutesnationalorest or facebook.com/willamettenf for any updates.

If you have specific questions, contact the wilderness permit administrator at the following email: sm.fs.ccwp@usda.gov.

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