First batch of Central Oregon wilderness permits drops April 2

Backcountry enthusiasts get their first chance to reserve overnight stays in Central Oregon’s most popular wilderness areas starting Tuesday.

Permits are now required from June to October for overnight hikers in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas. Day use permits are also required on 19 of 79 trails in those areas.

Parts of Deschutes and Willamette National Forests began using a permit system in 2021 to control crowding. The U.S. Forest Service overhauled the system in 2022 due to no-shows taking up spots.

The Forest Service will open up 40% of overnight permits for Central Oregon wilderness areas at 7 a.m. Tuesday. The rest of the overnight permits will be released on a rolling basis every seven days starting in June, the agency announced in a recent press release. Day use permits cannot be reserved until the season starts June 15, and will be released after that in two-day and 10-day rolling windows. Overnight reservations cost $6, and availability is based on the start date and trailhead, according to the agency.

Permits are only available online via Recreation.gov, and “are not available at local Forest Service offices or outside of the reservation system,” the agency advised in its statement.