permits

PCT Section Hikers Lose Big in Central Cascades Wilderness Access

Beginning in 2020, the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests’ new permit and quota system will only allow a handful of PCT section hikers to enter the Three Sisters, Mount Washington and Mount Jefferson wilderness areas each day. Hikers will be required to enter and exit on specific days—and pay multiple fees to do it—in a new central cascades wilderness access system that’s more restrictive than most popular national parks.