Recreation Passes & Permits

Forest REA Pass - Interagency Recreation Pass

Huron-Manistee National Forest Passes

What the Passes are Good For:

What it Covers: Trailheads, boat/canoe launches, picnic areas and other "day use" recreation sites
What it Doesn't Cover: Sites operated by concessionaire, camping fees

Information:

All passes go on sale in December of each year.
Passes must be displayed as directed on the pass.

Where to Buy:

On-line
Walk-in: from Forest Service offices and vendors. For a list of vendors in your area please contact the nearest Forest Service Office. For a list of Forest Service Offices where you can purchase passes go here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/hmnf/about-forest.
Mail-in. Please mail your check or money order to an office, indicating which pass you wish to purchase. Allow 7-10 days to receive your pass. For a list of Forest Service Offices you can mail your request to go here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/hmnf/about-forest.
On-site. Fee tubes are located at a bulletin board at each site that charges a fee. Envelopes for the tubes are located on the bulletin board.

Note: This does NOT include watercraft permits for the Pine and Pere Marquette Rivers. See the Pine and Pere Marquette River Permit Policy (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hmnf/passes-permits/?cid=STELPRDB5247517) for information on obtaining a watercraft permit.

Prices and Dates:

Annual

Cost - $30.00
Dates - January 1 to December 31

Week

Cost - $15.00
Dates - One seven (7) day period.
Note - This fee can also be deposited in a fee envelope available at all sites tha charge a Recreation Fee. Fee tubes are located near bulletin boards. Read all instructions on the fee envelope carefully.

Day

Cost - $5.00
Dates - One Day
Note - This fee can also be deposited in a fee envelope available at all sites that charge a Recreation Fee. Fee tubes are located near bulletin boards. Read all instructions on the fee envelope carefully.

Household

Cost - $45.00
Dates - January 1 to December 31
Notes - This pass is two Annual passes sold together and is only available from Forest Service Offices.

NOTE: Forest Service Offices are only permitted to take Cash or Check. We cannot accept credit cards. Make checks payable to: USDA Forest Service

Interagency Recreation Passes

For detailed information on the Interagency Recreation Passes select the pass you wish to obtain information about and you will be taken directly to the National Website. The information shown here is an overview specific to this Forest.

General Information:

Annual Passes may be obtain on-line through a vendor: http://www.kinsail.com/results.asp?p=huron&pt=parks&GroupName=Interagency
Annual Passes may be obtained through USGS (888-275-8747, option 1, or http://store.usgs.gov/pass.
Senior and Access Passes may be obtained via mail order from USGS.
- Mail-order applicants for the Senior Pass must submit a completed application, proof of residency and age, the $20.00 fee ($10.00 for th epass and an additional document processing fee of $10) to obtain the pass through the mail.
- Mail-order applicants for th eAccess Pass must submit a completed application, proof of residency and documentation of permanent disability. There is a $10.00 processing fee to obtain the pass through the mail.
- Passes purchased via mail will have the pass owner's name pre-printed on it.

To find a location near you where you can purchase a pass visit here: http://store.usgs.gov/pass/PassIssuanceList.pdf. This list includes all Forest Service, Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Offices that sell Interagency passes, along with contact information, states are listed alphabetically.

Annual and Volunteer:

National Site web page for Annual: http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/annual.shtml

National Site web page for Volunteer: http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/volunteer.shtml

Covers full fee at Day Use facilities - day use, boat launches, trailheads.
This pass does NOT cover fees at Concessionaire operated sites.

Costs:

Annual: $80.00
Volunteer: $Free

Senior and Access

National Site web page for Senior: http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/senior.shtml

National Site web page for Access: http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/access.shtml

Covers 1/2 off camping fees at all Forest Service and Concessinaire operated sites.
Covers full Day Use and Entrance fee at all Forest Service operated sites.

Costs:

Senior: $10.00
Access: $Free

NOTE: Forest Service Offices are only permitted to take Cash or Check. We cannot accept credit cards. Make checks payable to: USDA Forest Service

Fee Sites

What are Recreation and Concessionaire Fees

What is the difference between a Recreation Enhancement Act Fee, Interagency Pass and a concessionaire fee?

Recreation Enhancement Act Fee - More and more people recreate on national forests and grasslands every year. Meeting the increasing needs of these visitors, delivering quality recreation, heritage and wilderness opportunities, and protecting natural resoruces has become challenging.

To help address this issue, President Bush signed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA). The Act permits federal land management agencies to charge modest fees at campgrounds, high impact recreation areas and at day-use sites that have certain facilities.

The act defines three fee categories: Standard Amenity Fees (picnic areas, developed trailheads, destination visitor centers, high impact recreation ares - often covered by a day or annual pass). Expanded Amenity Fees (campgrounds, highly developed boat launches, swimming areas, special tours, reservation services), or Special Recreation Permits ( special events or trail systems - permits are issued when extra measures are required for natural and cultural resource protection or the health and safety of visitors).

Recreation passes and Interagency passes cover fees at Forest Service Recreation sites, depending on the type of site and the type of pass you have/need. For information on which passes cover which uses visit the Passes and Permits section of the website. This information will include what types of sites the passes can be used at, what the pass costs, and requirements for obtaining a pass if there are any.

Concessionaires are private companies that are contracted by the Forest Service to manage recreation facilities, such as campgrounds. Typically Concessionaires operate under a "Special Use Permit". The permits grant the private company the right to operate on and collect revenues from a certain recreation site. In addition, the private company is required to pay all normal operating expenses for that site. The permits are granted on a competitive basis through a bid process. Permits are issued under the authority of the Granger-Thye Act.

Where does the money for the Recreation Enhancement Act Fees go?

95% of the money collected through Recreation Enhancement Act Fees comes back to the forest. This money is then used in multiple ways to improve recreation sites across the forest, from annual maintenance work to improving sites.

What sites charge a Recreation Enhancement Act Fee? (select spotlight)