Recreation Passes & Permits

What Pass Do I Need?

Willamette Day Use Fee Sites in a Nutshell 2008 Recreation Pass Information (pdf ~ 47 kb) Find out more about recreation passes from the Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region website What passes are required? Which pass do I need? How much do they cost? Where can I get a pass?

Day Pass

These fees are charged at many day-use sites, such as boat ramps, picnic areas, and trailheads. The daily fee covers all national forest day-use fee sites until midnight of the date purchased.

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Northwest Forest Pass

Purchase Passes

Online from Nature of the Northwest In person at our Forest Service Offices

An annual pass honored at many National Forest sites in Washington and Oregon where day-use site fees are charged.

• Northwest Forest Pass Sites on the Willamette NF
• Northwest Forest Pass Vendors

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Washington & Oregon Recreation Pass:

Same benefits as the Interagency Annual Pass plus honored at: 26 Oregon State Parks, 20 participating Washington State Parks, and 6 Army Corps of Engineers sites, where day-use, parking or facility use fees are charged.

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Interagency Passes

Purchase Passes Online from Nature of the Northwest In person at our Forest Service Offices

Starting January 1, 2007, a new suite of passes are available:

• Interagency Annual Pass
• Interagency Senior Pass
• Interagency Access Pass

These passes replace the Golden Eagle, Golden Age and Golden Access Passports.
Note: Golden Age and Golden Access passes are still valid and will be honored for the life of the cardholder.

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Details are also available from the national Forest Service Recreation Passes site including:

• Frequently Asked Questions
  Answers questions about the new passes and how to transition from the Golden Passes.
  
• National Pass Comparison Chart

Wilderness Permits

The Wilderness Permits page has information about the two types of wilderness permits below:

1. The wilderness self-issue permit is free and available at wilderness trailheads. They help us during search and rescue operations and to track use trends.
   
   
2. A wilderness limited entry permit is required for overnight and day visits to the Obsidian area (Three Sisters Wilderness) and the Pamelia area (Mt. Jefferson Wilderness).

For more information on the eight wilderness areas on the Willamette National Forest, visit our wilderness section.

Oregon Pacific Coast Passport

If you're headed for the Oregon Coast, you might want the Oregon Pacific Coast Passport. This multi-agency day-use passport covers entry, vehicle parking and day use fees at all State and Federal fee sites along the entire Oregon Coast. Find out more from the Siuslaw National Forest site

Note about other recreation fees and permits:

• Campground Fees:
  The day use passes listed above do not cover campground fees. Please see the Tripplanning section for information on fees for campgrounds.
  
  
• Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation:
  Operating an Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) on public land requires an Oregon OHV permit. This is in addition to any forest passes or fees that may be required. Please see our OHV Permit section for details on permits needed for operating an OHV on the Willamette National Forest.
  
  
• Sno-park Permit
  The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) requires a Sno-park Permit to park at many snow covered recreation sites from November 15 through April 30.