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Passes & Permits

Most State and Federally operated public lands (parks, trails, forests, wildlife preserves, etc.) will require that you purchase and display the correct permit or pass during your visit. To determine which permits or passes you need, consider if the land says it is State or Federal/National.

Federal lands such as National Forests, National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Historic Sites, Bureau of Land Management lands, and places managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Permit Needed: An America the Beautiful Interagency Pass gets named passholders into all of these sites. A Northwest Forest Recreation Pass allows trailhead parking on national forests for $5/car for one day or $30 for an Annual Pass. The pass is available at National Forest offices, visitor centers, ranger districts, via private vendors or online.

State lands such as Washington State Parks, Department of Natural Resources lands and Department of Fish and Wildlife trailheads. Permit Needed: The Discover Pass allows access into all of these sites. For one-day use only, purchase your discover Pass Day Pass for $11.50/car. For a complete year’s worth of use, purchase the Discover Pass for $35 online or in person from any of nearly 600 recreational license vendors where state fishing and hunting licenses are sold.