Central Cascades Wilderness Permits
Quick Facts
| When are permits required? | June 15 to October 15 |
| When can I get an overnight permit? | April 1, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. PDT |
| When can I get a day-use permit? | June 5, 2025 7:00 a.m. PDT |
The Central Cascades Wilderness areas of Oregon are home to iconic mountain peaks, high alpine meadows and lakes, and old growth forests. Crystal clear streams, wildflower meadows, rugged mountain views, young lava flows, and much more can be found in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas
Easily accessed by population centers in central and western Oregon, while drawing visitors from around the world, the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit system was established to ensure the protection of these landscapes now and into the future, in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964.
Permit Information
The Central Cascades Wilderness Permit area requires additional protection to preserve the natural beauty and wilderness experience for you and future visitors and to better manage recreation-related impacts. Use limits, or quotas, are based on trailhead entry points.
PCT Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I need a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit?
Overnight Use
- Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required for all overnight stays in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas.
- No Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required for overnight stays in the Waldo Lake and Diamond Peak Wilderness areas.
Day Use
- Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required at 19 of 79 trailheads in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas (see maps).
Some roads and trailheads accessing Mt. Jefferson Wilderness are closed due to the Lionshead Fire.
When are permits required?
Permits are required June 15-Oct. 15.
Where do I get the permits?
All reservations need to be made through Recreation.gov either online, via the Recreation.gov app or by calling their call center at 1-877-444-6777 or TDD 877-833-6777. Permits are not available at Forest Service offices.
Overnight Permits Day-Use Permits
When can I get a permit?
Overnight Permits:
- About 40% of each day's overnight permits will be released on the first Tuesday in April at 7:00 am PDT.
- The remaining overnight permits become available seven days before a trip start date. For example, for a trip starting on a Saturday, that permit could be reserved starting on the Saturday prior.
Day-Use Permits:
- Day-use permits will be released in two rolling windows: 10 days and then 2 days before the trip date.
- Example: for the first day of permit season, June 15, the first patch of permits will be released on June 5 at 7:00 am PDT. The remaining permits will be released June 13 at 7:00 am PDT.
What is the fee for the permits?
The only cost for the permits is the reservation fee charged by Recreation.gov.
- Day use permit: $1 per person, for each outing.
- Overnight permit: $6 per group permit, for each outing (1-12 people per group).
What information do I need to reserve a permit?
You will need the following information to reserve a permit:
- Name
- Alternate permit holder (not required if not applicable)
- Entry date
- Entry trailhead
- Group size (maximum of 12)
- For overnight permits:
- Length of trip
- Number of stock (maximum of 12)
We recommend identifying alternative trailheads and entry dates in case the trip you’re hoping for is not available.
For overnight permits, you will also need to create an account with Recreation.gov. An account is not required for day use permits, but it is recommended.
How do I reserve a day use permit?
Check out this resource that walks you through purchasing a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit on Recreation.gov. Even though the example uses March 1 as a date, day use permits are required June 15-Oct. 15.
Guide on How to Obtain Central Cascade Wilderness Permits - Day Use
Central Cascades Wilderness Permit Regulations
- Permits are non-transferable.
- Group Leaders cannot be changed, and at least one group leader or alternate group leader must be with the group.
- You must enter the permit area on the entry date and entry trailhead shown on your permit.
- All group members are required to start on the same day and camp together.
- Maximum length of overnight stay is 14 consecutive days.
- You must carry your permit with you and present it upon request to any Forest Officer or other law enforcement officer throughout the duration of your trip. Permits are non-transferable.
- You may not re-enter on a different date using the same permit.
- Travel between Central Cascades Wilderness areas is only allowed at Pacific Crest Trail trailheads.
- View more information on Wilderness rules and regulations.
Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required for all overnight visits in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington and Three Sisters Wilderness areas; they are also required at 19 trailheads for day use.
Day use visitors to the 60 trailheads where Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are not required and overnight and day use visitors to all other Willamette and Deschutes National Forest wilderness areas will need a free wilderness self-issue permit. A permit is necessary for each group entering the wilderness. Self-issue permits are free and available at wilderness trailheads.
Contact Information
Please contact a Willamette or Deschutes National Forest office with any questions about the Central Cascade Wilderness Permit system.
Frequently Asked Questions
No full season advanced reservations for day use permits will be available. Instead, day-use permits will be released for reservations on a 10-day and 2- day rolling window, with 40% of the permit quota available 10 days prior to the day of the trip, and the remaining 60% released 2-days prior.
Example: For the first day of the season, June 15, the first batch of permits (approximately 40% of the total) will be released on June 5th at 7:00 am PDT; the remaining permits will be released June 13th at 7:00 am PDT.
Day Use Permit Availability Alerts
Recreation.gov recently added a new option to set “Availability Alerts” for day use permits. If the trailhead and day you were hoping to go hiking is already fully reserved, you can set an “Availability Alert” to notify you if permits come available through cancellations.
Yes, the following situations are exempted from getting a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit:
- Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Long Distance permit, issued by the Pacific Crest Trail Association for long distance hikers and riders traveling more than 500 miles along the PCT.
- Camping is restricted to the PCT Corridor and prohibited in certain high use areas.
- Hunters with elk, deer, or mountain goat hunting tags from ODFW:
- Elk, deer and mountain goat tags can be used in lieu of Wilderness permits (overnight and/or day) during the hunting season established by ODFW;
- Entry is allowed one day prior to the start of the hunting season and one day after;
- Three additional support persons can accompany the licensed hunter, group size max of four per hunting tag;
- Hunters must have their hunting implement with them, along with proof of their hunting tag. The hunting tag is only valid in lieu of a CCWP permit within the hunting unit boundaries.
- Volunteers, while volunteering in coordination with the Forest Service
People only can have three overnight permits at a time reserved. People should only reserve permits they know they will use. Once the ending date of a permit has passed, an individual can make another overnight reservation. The reason for a limit on the number of permits anyone can have at one time is because many people have expressed concern about people hoarding permits and permits going unused.
If someone decides not to use their Central Cascades Wilderness Permit, we highly encourage them to cancel their permit to allow others the opportunity to reserve it and go on a trip. The processing charges for permits through Recreation.gov cannot be refunded unless the Forest Service has closed an area due to a wildfire or other public safety reason.
No, once you have entered the wilderness using the entry trailhead and on the starting date listed on your permit, you are free to travel anywhere within the wilderness. You may exit the wilderness from any trailhead.
No, this permit system is designed to allow freedom of travel once you’ve entered the wilderness. When making your reservation, you select your entry date and your entry trailhead. You are free to travel and camp beyond that area once in the wilderness and you are free to exit from a different trailhead.
Yes, once you enter the wilderness, you are free to travel anywhere within the wilderness. If entering from a trailhead that doesn’t require the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit for day use, make sure you fill out the free, self-issue permit, available at the trailhead and carry it with you.
Visitors that don’t use a trailhead to enter one of the wilderness areas still need to have a permit associated with the trailhead closest to their point of entry into wilderness. For day-use this could be a permit from either a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit trailhead or a self-issued permit trailhead. For overnight use it must be a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit. Avoiding entry from a trailhead does not eliminate the requirement of a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit if one is required.
No. An overnight permit is only valid to enter the wilderness on the entry day and entry trailhead that is on the permit.
Yes, if a trailhead has a day-use fee, the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit DOES NOT cover that requirement. Visitors will still need to pay the day use fee or display a Northwest Forest Pass or other recreation pass in their vehicle.
Where Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are not required, free, self-issue permits are required, as they have been for decades:
- Waldo Lake and Diamond Peak trailheads (overnight and day use).
- 60 of 79 trailheads for day use in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses without trail quotas.
Volunteers working under an approved Forest Service volunteer agreement who contribute 40 hours of labor in support of wildernesses on the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests will get a volunteer pass, which will exempt them from needing to get a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit. All volunteer hours must be accounted for through the two forests’ official volunteer programs. Program participation may be capped.
We expect people to follow the rules of getting a permit to help maintain these special areas for everyone’s enjoyment and use for the long-term. Just like you are expected to stop at a red light to protect everyone’s safety without a police officer watching you, we expect you to get a permit whether anyone catches you or not without a permit. Your decision to not get a permit may lead to continuing impacts to these wildernesses and additional requirements to protect them for the future, which will affect all of us. Wilderness rangers can write violation notices to anyone in these wilderness areas without the appropriate permit. Fines for violations start at $200 plus processing costs, but can go higher and require a court appearance, depending on the individual’s behavior and history of past incidences.
Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Frequently Asked Questions
Long-distance PCT hikers and riders who have a Long-Distance Permit (500 miles or more) issued by the Pacific Crest Trail Association do not need Central Cascades Wilderness Permits. All other users of the PCT must obtain a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit.
Yes. PCT long-distance travelers must camp within a ½ mile corridor on either side of the PCT. Day use outside of this corridor is allowed. Additionally, PCT travelers using a long-distance permit are prohibited from camping in these areas:
- Obsidian (Three Sisters Wilderness)
- North and South Matthieu Lakes (Three Sisters Wilderness)
- Coyote and Shale Lakes (Mt. Jefferson Wilderness)
- Jefferson Park (Mt. Jefferson Wilderness)
Please see the maps at the end of this document. **Attached maps do NOT include fire closure orders. Please visit the Willamette and Deschutes National Forest webpages for the latest on fire closures.
If you do not have a long-distance permit, you are required to get a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit (CCWP) through Recreation.gov. Travel between wilderness areas is allowed with a CCWP permit only at PCT trailheads.
Yes. Fires are prohibited above 5,700 feet in the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Areas and above 6,000 feet in Diamond Peak Wilderness.
There can also be seasonal fire prohibitions, so check with the Willamette or Deschutes National Forest offices for any updates.
Yes
Yes. There are fire closures in the vicinity of the Pacific Crest Trail, including some trailheads providing access to the PCT. However, the PCT is open for its entire length on the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests.