How To: Central Cascades Wilderness Permits

Aug 19, 2025

One of the most common questions I get asked is how to get a permit when I post trips to popular spots like Green Lakes or Morraine Lake.

Since 2021 – wilderness areas within the Central Cascades require a permit for both day rides and overnight trips. Read on for how permitting works for these popular (for good reason) trails, and how you can still enjoy them on a whim.

The Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System includes Three Sisters Wilderness, Mount Jefferson Wilderness and Mount Washington Wilderness. Due to the popularity of these beautiful trails, and the damage that was being done; a permitting system was put into place. While many oppose it – the trails are less crowded, safer and cleaner now. These fragile wilderness areas must be protected and overuse would quickly destroy them.

But don’t worry you can still enjoy them if you understand how the permitting system works and are flexible in your plans.

First off you will need to know if the trail you want to ride is a self issue permit or one of the 19 trailheads that require a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit. Using the maps below you can view with trailheads offer free self issue permits vs needing to secure a permit online in advance.

If the trailhead you want to ride requires a permit in advance then you will need to navigate the online permitting system. Remember – the trailhead of entry is what denotes the permit, NOT the destination.

Permits are only needed between June 15th and October 15th.
40% of available permits go on sale 10 days prior to the entry date.
The remaining 60% of permits are on sale 2 days before entry date.

Once you know what day you’d like to ride, follow these instructions to secure a day use permit for the trailhead of your choice.

Go to Recreation.gov.
Search for “Central Cascades Wilderness Permits.”
Select the Day Use option and choose your trailhead, date, and number of people (including yourself).
Pay the small $1/person processing fee.
Download or print your permit—you’ll need to carry it on your ride.

You will need to have the page queued up and ready to hit the button at exactly 7am. These permits will be gone within 5 minutes for the most popular trailheads such as Todd Lake.

Okay so you did everything but still didn’t get a permit? Well there’s still a few ways you can ride the area.

Enter from a self-issue permit trailhead. Review the area map and find a nearby trailhead that will take you to the same destination. For example: Green Lakes may be reached from Park Meadow with the free self issue permit.

Use an alternate trailhead. While Todd Lake permits go fast – you can haul just a few minutes down the road and enter at Wikiup Plains instead.

Camp at Quinn Meadow Horse Camp. Campers at this horse camp can access the wilderness via the Katsuk Pond trail without a wilderness permit. Only riders with reservations at this camp can use this workaround so book your site in advance. Quinn is a popular horse camp and fills fast. But not as fast as those permits do.

Volunteer for trail maintenance. Volunteers with United States Forest Service 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.

Use other nearby horse camps. Whispering Pines and Three Creeks Meadow are both within riding distance to a self issue trailhead.

Check your local library. If you are a resident of central oregon, several libraries have a Central Cascades Wilderness pass that may be checked out and used for any trailhead.

Exploring the Central Cascades on horseback is a magical experience — from high alpine meadows to ancient forests and pristine lakes. But with this beauty comes responsibility. By using the permit system, you’re not just following the law — you’re playing a part in preserving Oregon’s wild places for the next generation of riders. So, plan ahead, ride respectfully, and don’t forget to enjoy the views.

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