Passes & Permits

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Passes

Federal Recreation Pass Program

America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program includes the Annual Pass, Senior Pass, Access Pass and Volunteer Pass. Participating agencies include the National Park Service (NPS), Forest Service (USDA FS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Army Corps of Engineers (COE), and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Please follow the links provided below to learn more about the Federal Recreation Pass Program or to purchase your pass online.

• Federal Recreation Pass Program
• Purchase Pass through USGS Store

Permits

Campfire Permits

You must have a valid Campfire Permit to use a stove, lantern, charcoal barbecue, or wood campfire outside of a developed campground or recreation area. The permit is your agreement to follow the campfire restrictions and regulations in effect.

Campfire Permits may be obtained at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisor's Office or the Taylor Creek Visitor Center. Campfire Permits are issued Free of charge.

Firewood Cutting Permits

A valid permit is required for cutting and/or removing any wood products from National Forest Lands. Firewood permits may be obtained from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisor's Office and are typically available in early June (weather and soil conditions permitting) until October 31. You may call the Forest Supervisor's office at (530) 543-2694 in mid-May to check on the date. Permits are valid in any of the open designated firewood cutting areas within the Lake Tahoe Basin through October 31 depending on dry soil conditions. You must be at least 18 years of age and show a valid picture identification. Please follow the link provided below for the complete Fuelwood Regulations for the Lake Tahoe Basin. The fee for the purchase of a Firewood Cutting Permit is $20 per cord, 2 cord minimum.

• 2008 Fuelwood Regulations Firewood Cutting - Lake Tahoe Basin
  (PDF 759 KB)

Holiday Tree Permits

During the holiday season the USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will offer permits for the public to select and cut holiday trees in the Tahoe Basin. Permits are being offered to help reduce hazardous fuel materials that have built up over years of fire suppression. Removal of excessive amounts of small trees from the forest will help create a healthier forest over time.

For more information on Holiday Tree Permits, please follow the link provided below:

• Holiday Tree Permits

Sno-Park Permits

The California Department of Parks and Recreation operates Sno-Park sites that provide sanitation facilities with access to snow play areas, cross-country ski and snowmobile trails. A Sno-Park permit is required for each vehicle parked at a Sno-Park site from November 1 through May 30 of each year. Permits are sold as Day permits or Seasonal permits by Permit Vendors throughout Northern California.

You may purchase your Sno-Park permit at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisor's Office located at 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. You may also purchase a Sno-Park permit from Permit Vendors located throughout Northern California. Please follow the links provided below to visit the California State Parks Sno-Park web page and view documents from the California Sno-Park program which include a printable map with a list of Sno-Park locations and a list of vendors where you may purchase the permit. The fee for a Day Use permit is $5.00 and is valid for one single day. Season permits are $25.00 and are valid for the entire Sno-Park season.

• California State Parks Sno-Park Web page
• Printable Map and List of Sno-Park Locations (PDF 551 KB)
• Sno-Park Vendors List (PDF 51 KB)

Special Use Permits

A Special Use Permit provides use of and access to National Forest lands for a wide variety of activities to both commercial and non-commercial operations.  Permits are also issued for private and non-exclusive use.  Examples include National Forest Land cabin ownership, reserving a public site for a wedding party, or holding a bicycle race on public lands. These permits contain specific terms and conditions that the holder must follow. Please follow the links provided below for more information on Special Use Permits. There is a proportional fee charged for Special Use Permits.

• Recreation Residences
• Special Use Permits
• Weddings

Wilderness Use Permits

One Roadless Area and Four Wilderness Areas are located in or near the Lake Tahoe Basin. Permits are required year-round for both day and overnight use in most of the wilderness areas.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit manages Meiss Country Roadless Area and shares management duties of Desolation Wilderness with the Eldorado National Forest and the Mt. Rose Wilderness with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The Rules and Regulations vary in each area. Please follow the links provided below for specific information on each area and information on how to obtain a permit to visit these national treasures. Desolation Wilderness is a fee area.

• Desolation Wilderness
• Mokelumne Wilderness
• Granite Chief Wilderness
• Mt. Rose Wilderness
• Meiss Country Roadless Area

Please be aware most of these documents are in a PDF format. Larger files can take several minutes to open.   If you have difficulty accessing any of these documents please contact us.  The PDF format requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.  If you need the Acrobat Reader, please select the link provided below.  Selecting this link will take you to Adobe's web site.  From there, you can download your free copy of the Acrobat Reader program.  Once you've downloaded the Acrobat Reader you will need to return to this page.

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