Willamette National Forest Archives - The Source

Central Cascades Wilderness Limited Entry System Delayed

Visitors to popular trailheads in Central Oregon won’t have to get permits this year after all, due to COVID-19

Isaac BiehlMay 7, 2020November 10, 2024

On May 22, the Central Cascades Wilderness limited entry system was supposed to go into effect. But due to setbacks from COVID-19, local officials from the U.S. Forest Service announced that the new permit system will be pushed back until May next year. The new system was set to bring day-use limitations to 19 trails […]

Opinion

Wilderness Permits: A (tentatively) good compromise?

The new permit system goes into effect in May. Now we know what it really looks like.

The Source StaffFebruary 12, 2020February 28, 2024

For the past several years, officials from the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests have been engaged in a process aimed at managing overuse in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wilderness areas. We’ve known since last year that a day-use permit system, with a cap in the number of users per day, was […]

Opinion

Don’t Shoot the Preservationist

Permit fees and limited access follow growth

The Source StaffOctober 16, 2019January 4, 2023

On Oct. 8, the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests shared their plans for implementing the new special recreation permit fees and a limited entry system at a number of trails in the two forests—which include areas around the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington and other locations in the Central Cascades Wilderness. This is the next step […]

Opinion

Wilderness areas protect wildness. If limiting their access achieves that, so be it.

The Source StaffMay 22, 2019June 24, 2024

This month, officials from the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests announced their Final Decision in the Cascade Wilderness Strategies Project, aimed at addressing overuse around some of the most well-used trails in the area. Under the new plan, people will be required to obtain day-use permits at 19 of the busiest trailheads in the Mount […]

Special Issues & Guides

Trailhead Permit System Finalized

Forest Service announces Final Decision on quotas, removing some trails from the initial list

Nicole VulcanMay 15, 2019May 30, 2025

It’s been in the works since 2016—but on May 10, officials from the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests issued a Final Decision on the plan that manages entry at trailheads in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington and Three Sisters wilderness areas in the Central Cascades. The plan is a scaled-back version of what officials revealed […]

News

Instead of Buying Flowers, Go for Nature’s Bouquet

Take mom on a wildflower hike to get away from it all and see the world in bloom

Chris MillerMay 1, 2019June 30, 2024

For some, spring is the best time of the year. The snow—usually—has stopped falling, and if you’re willing to put some miles in on your hiking boots or trail running shoes, you can take mom to see great vistas with some added color in the form of wildflowers. The Columbia River Gorge probably has the […]

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