Passes & Permits - Wilderness Permit Reservation Form
Please
follow this link for a Wilderness
Permit Reservation Form
For the Ansel Adams, John Muir,
Dinkey Lakes and Kaiser trail head
quotas are in effect from May 1st through
November 1st. Reservations may be made
by mail or in person one year in advance
of the wilderness entry date.
Mail-in reservations should be made at
least three weeks in advance of the
trip, and will be processed
as they are received.
Fees for reservations are:
$5.00 per person (if there are 4 people
in your party the total fee would be
$20.00) and must be paid by check or
money order, payable to: USDA
Forest Service. A $10.00 change
fee will be charged for any changes made
to a confirmed reservation. Cash will
only be accepted for in-person applications.
Please follow this
link for a permit reservation form
(PDF format).
WILDERNESS CAMPFIRES
It is not necessary to obtain a separate
campfire permit since your wilderness
permit includes a one time campfire permit
for your
visit.
Today, backpackers into wilderness areas
are urged to use Leave No Trace ethics
which encourages cooking on camp stoves
and avoiding building campfires. Backpacking
stoves are economical and lightweight
and provide fast, clean cooking. In some
heavily used areas, fires are not permitted.
In fragile environments, such as alpine
meadows, fires leave scars for many years
and deplete wood supplies. Campfires
are discouraged anywhere above 9,000
feet.
WOOD BURNING
Burning small sticks gathered from the
ground is the best source of wood. Use
only down, dead wood. Never cut green
trees or branches; they won't burn. Standing
dead trees will burn, but are valuable
for cavity-nesting birds and aesthetics
so don't cut them. Small wood will burn
completely, providing good coals for
cooking. The remaining white ash is easier
to dispose of than partially burned logs.
PORTABLE FIRE PANS
An innovative method for building a
Leave No Trace fire is the portable fire
pan (simply a metal tray with rigid sides
at least
three inches high). Fire pans were first
used by river guides to minimize the
impact of their fires, but they are becoming
increasingly
popular with backpackers and horse packers.
Metal oil drain pans and the pans from
backyard barbecue grills make effective
and inexpensive
fire pans, though a few outdoor companies
are beginning to market lightweight versions.
Remember:
- Use a lightweight stove rather than
building a fire.
- Check local ranger stations for
fire regulations
- Use existing fire circles in heavy-use
areas.
- Build fires away from trees, shrubs,
rocks and meadows.
- Burn only small sticks.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
- Make sure that fire is DEAD OUT!
- Scatter the ashes and naturalize
the area.
Due to the scarcity of wood and small
woody material the following restrictions
apply to campfires in the wilderness:
Ansel Adams Wilderness
- No fires above 10,000 feet.
John Muir & Dinkey Lakes Wilderness
- No fires above 10,000 feet north
of Mt. Shinn, and no fires above 10,400
feet south of Mt. Shinn.
- ONLY portable stoves that use gas,
jelled, petroleum or liquid fuel may
be used in the areas closed to fires.
Building, maintaining, attending or
using or any fire, campfire or natural
fuel stove (i.e. 'Zip' stove) is prohibited
within the elevation closures. This
prohibition includes use of fire pans
and/or wood or charcoal brought in
from outside the closure area.
Please contact our wilderness
permit issuing offices for further
details. Violations of regulations
under the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Title 36, may result in a citation
and fine. Official orders authorizing
regulation enforcement are available
in the Forest
and District Offices.
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