Tickets for Fourth of July Weekend at Sand Lake Recreation Area Available May 5
Tickets or campground reservations are required July 3-5, 2026
Contact Information: Joanie Schmidgall (541) 259-9804 joan.schmidgall@usda.gov
Hebo, Ore., April 8, 2026 — Visitors to the Sand Lake Recreation Area on the Siuslaw National Forest will need either a vehicle ticket or campground reservation to enter over Fourth of July weekend, July 3-5, 2026. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning May 5, 2026. Campground reservations are available now. All tickets and reservations can be purchased on Recreation.gov.
“We’ve experienced significant overcrowding leading to safety hazards at Sand Lake Recreation Area during the Fourth of July weekend,” said Bryan Wilson, Hebo District Ranger. “This ticket system will help protect visitors, reduce congestion, and create a quality recreation experience during our busiest weekend of the year.”
Visitors have two options for accessing Sand Lake during the Fourth of July weekend:
1. Vehicle ticket – A ticket will be required per street legal passenger vehicle, per day to enter the Sand Lake Recreation Area July 3, 4 and 5. Tickets cost $5 with the exception of Fisherman’s Day Use Area where tickets are required, but can be reserved with no cost. Tickets are needed for day use parking, dispersed camping, sand access, and sand camping in the following areas:
- Derrick Road Dispersed Camping Area
- Fisherman’s Day Use (available for passenger vehicles only - no RVs or off-highway vehicles)
- Sand Access (dispersed camping and day use on the sand dunes)
- West Winds Day Use (paved parking lot for off-highway vehicle loading and unloading)
2. Camping reservations at a developed campground – A camping reservation can also be used to enter Sand Lake Recreation Area July 3, 4 and 5. Campsites allow two street-legal vehicles and vehicle limits will be strictly enforced. Campground reservations holders do not need an additional vehicle ticket to access the Sand Lake area. There are three developed campsites in the Sand Lake Recreation Area which are listed below. Availability may be limited.
All reservations can be made online at Recreation.gov, by using the Recreation.gov mobile application, or by calling 1-877-444-6777. No entry to Sand Lake Recreation Area will be permitted without camping reservations or a vehicle ticket and no tickets will be sold on site. Additional information can be found on the Sand Lake Fourth of July webpage.