Hoover Wilderness Permits

Forest Proposes Fee Increase to Hoover Wilderness Permits

The Bridgeport Ranger District is asking for public comment on a proposal to increase the Hoover Wilderness permit fee for overnight trips on specific high-use trailheads.

More Information

Wilderness permits are required year-round for overnight stays in the Hoover Wilderness on the Bridgeport Ranger District. The Hoover Wilderness is the only wildnerness area on the Humboldt-Toiayabe National Forest that has a quota to limit the number of visitors from June 15 - October 15.

The wilderness permit systems exist to:

Preserve the Wilderness Experience: The public go to wilderness areas partly for “outstanding opportunities for solitude,” as outlined in the Wilderness Act of 1964. To ensure this solitude, quotas and permits limit the number of visitors allowed in certain areas. Though frustrating at times, these limits ensure that the wilderness experiences will be as wild as possible.
Protect the Wilderness Area: According to the Wilderness Act these areas must be “affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable.” To this end, permits and quotas limit the number of people impacting an area at one time.
Educate the Wilderness User: Required permits enable land managers to educate visitors before they enter a protected area. Not everyone takes time to plan and do research before their trip like you did (thanks for reading this). Permits guarantee that each visitor gets important basic education before their wilderness trip.

When planning a wilderness trip, please note that activities like backpacking, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, and horse camping are allowed. Motorized or mechanical activities like carts, drones or bicycles are not allowed in wilderness. Wilderness visitors need to practice a high degree of self-reliance and responsibility for their own safety. Plan Ahead for Safety.

Trip Planning

Wilderness permits are required year-round for any overnight stay in the Hoover Wilderness. Permits are not required for day hikes, but wilderness visitors are encouraged to call or stop by local Forest Service offices for current information.

From June 15 through October 15, wilderness permits on certain trails entering the Hoover Wilderness from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest are limited by a trailhead quota. This quota allows a certain number of people to occupy a trail at one time in order to protect the area from over use and preserve the wilderness experience for visitors.

In order to insure that a person or group can start their wilderness trip when they want to during quota season, it is highly recommended to visit Recreation.gov to make a reservation under “Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest – Wilderness Permits." Of each daily quota for a trailhead, 50 percent can be reserved ahead of time six months in advance of the desired entry date. The remaining 50 percent is available within three days of the date of entry.

Wilderness permits describe specific travel plans and are valid for one continuous wilderness trip. Exiting the wilderness and reentering at a different location voids the permit. Permits are issued by the agency where the trip begins. Visitors will need to do some basic planning before requesting or reserving a permit.

The Hoover Wilderness is managed by both the Humboldt-Toiyabe and Inyo National Forests. Please note the trailhead where the trip is to begin, and which forest it is on. Always apply for a wilderness permit from the forest where the trip starts.

Trips sponsored by organization or commercial groups must contact the Bridgeport Ranger District, because a special use permit may be needed.

For further information about quotas, reservations, and other wilderness permit-related questions, please call the Bridgeport Ranger District at 760-932-7070, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, or call the Recreation.gov Call Center at 877-444-6777, 10 a.m. to midnight EST, seven days a week.

Learn more details on the Hoover Wilderness including trailhead information.

Quota

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest portion of the Hoover Wilderness has a trailhead quota system limiting the number of people entering a particular trailhead on a given day. This system is designed to help reduce impacts to natural resources and avoid overcrowding. Of each daily quota assigned for a trailhead, 50 percent can be reserved ahead of time, while the remaining 50 percent is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Bridgeport Ranger District office.

The quota system is based on when and where visitors begin their hike. For this reason (even with multiday permits), a trip cannot start on any day except the entry day specified on the permit. The permit is also only valid for the entry trailhead specified.

The following quotas are in place on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest portion of the Hoover Wilderness starting June 15 through October 15.

Trailhead	Code	Total Quota	Reserved Quota	Walk-in Quota	Stock Animal
Buckeye Creek	HH068	20	10	10	25
Greek Creek	HH081	40	20	20	25
Horse Creek	HH016	8	4	4	25
Leavitt Meadows	HH046	100	50	50	25
Little Slide Canyon	HH077	8	4	4	25
Robinsone Creek	HH077	50	25	25	25
Virginia Lakes	HH081	20	10	10	25

Advanced Reservation Wilderness Permits

Advanced Reservation Wilderness Permits MUST be purchased online at Recreation.gov under “Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest – Wilderness Permits” and can be...

Reserved six months in advance of the desired entry date. Available to print within seven days of the entry date.
There is a $6 non-refundable service fee and a $3 per person recreation fee, payable by credit card.

Please remember that trip leaders are responsible for printing the permit and maintaining a signed hard copy in their possession for the duration of the trip

Reservations cannot be sold or transferred. The National Interagency Passes are not accepted for wilderness permits. There are also no senior or military discounts. Also, reservations for up to three different trips into the Hoover Wilderness during quota season can be reserved at any one time on Recreation.gov.

* Wilderness permit recreation fee revenue supports the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Bridgeport Ranger District Recreation Program. Ninety-five percent of the recreation fees collected stay on the District. Those funds go into maintaining trail facilities, trail improvements, and visitor services. The $6 non-refundable service fee supports the web-based reservation system and permit database. This fee is incurred whether reserving online or obtaining a walk-in permit in person at the Bridgeport Ranger District. The $3 per person recreation fee is only for online reservations.

Cancellation Policy

Online reservations MUST be cancelled 14 days before entry day to receive a full refund of the recreation fee (reservation fee is non-refundable).

Change Policy

Changes to group size (if quota space is available), itinerary, exit date, or exit location can be made online through Recreation.gov account or when the permit is issued. A new reservation is required if there are changes to entry trail, entry date, or permit type. Also, Group leader or alternate leader names cannot be changed or added once reservation is made.

**What Can and Cannot be Changed**
Can Change:	Cannot Change:
Group Size (if quota space is available)	Entry Trail
Itinerary	Entry Date
Exit date	Permit Type
Exit location	Leader or Alternate Leader

Late Reservation Wilderness Permits

Late Reservation Wilderness Permits MUST be purchased online at Recreation.gov under “Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest – Wilderness Permits” and can be...

Purchased within three days of the entry date. Available to print immediately.
There is a $6 non-refundable service fee to input reservation into Recreation.gov.

Please remember that trip leaders are responsible for printing the permit and maintaining a signed hard copy in their possession for the duration of the trip.

Group Size

Group size limits and trail quotas work together to help not only to protect the wilderness area’s natural resources, but solitude as well. During the non-quota period, only the following group sizes is allowed in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest portion of the Hoover Wilderness.

Maximum Group Size: 15 people and 25 head of stock animals are allowed on day use or overnight trips.
Sawtooth Ridge Zone Maximum Group Size: 8 people and no stock animals are allowed on day use or overnight trips. *The Sawtooth Ridge Zone is located in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest portion of the Hoover Wilderness.

If the trip continues into the Yosemite National Park or Inyo and Stanislaus National Forests, it is important to know group size limits for those areas…

Continuation of Wilderness Trip

If the trip continues into Yosemite National Park, Inyo National Forest, or Stanislaus National Forests, a separate wilderness permit is not needed (with exceptions). Take some time to review wilderness permit regulations for each area, including group size limits, food storage, pets, camping, and campfire requirements. All rules must be followed while there.

Keep in Mind

A signed permits must be in the group leader’s possession.
Group size cannot exceed the one stated on the permit.
There is no age limit, however children count for total group size.
Stay limits cannot exceed the area being visited.
Permit expires after exit date.
A permit is only valid for continuous wilderness travel. Exiting the wilderness and reentering at a different location voids the permit
Everyone in the group must start on the entry date and location on the permit.
If part of a group enters on a different date or trail to meet up with another group in the backcountry, they must have their own permit and fit into the quota for their entry date and trail.
Groups on separate permits cannot combine, hike, or camp together if the total number of people would exceed the maximum group size limit.