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Seven young women wearing backpacking packs pose for a photo at the edge of a lake backed by a conifer-covered peak.

Convert Wilderness Permits to an Online Reservation System

Lassen Volcanic National Park » Convert Wilderness Permits to an Online Reservation System » Document List

Lassen Volcanic National Park offers 150 miles of trail across 106,372 acres of high meadows, valleys, and volcanic peaks. Free permits are currently required to camp in wilderness (i.e. backpack). Visitors must self-register for a paper permit at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center or Loomis Museum or at remote stations in Butte Lake, Juniper Lake, or Warner Valley areas.

Lassen Volcanic is proposing to replace its paper wilderness permit system with an online registration system in Recreation.gov.

This project would implement a non-refundable Recreation.gov administration fee of $6 per permit, plus an additional per-trip wilderness permit fee of $5 for each person 16 years and older. The wilderness permit fee will directly benefit Lassen Volcanic National Park and would be used for wilderness management and improvement work such as trail repair, wilderness patrols, and resource monitoring work.

The proposed online permit system would go into effect January 1, 2023 and would not include quotas. The online system would collect the same information as the existing paper system. Stock permits will not be included in the system at this time.

The online system will allow park managers a way to reach visitors prior to their arrival in the event of an unexpected disturbance such as increased bear activity or a nearby wildfire. Lassen Volcanic lacks the funding and staff to issue wilderness permits in-person and convey other critical information at the multiple wilderness access trailheads in a timely matter.

Online registration stations will be installed in the Manzanita Lake and Southwest entrance station areas if an online permit system is instituted. Remote self-registration stations will be removed from Butte Lake, Warner Valley, and Juniper Lake areas.

An online permit system would provide a convenient way for visitors to plan their trip and obtain a wilderness permit up to three months in advance or the same day as their trip. The system will be used on a year-round basis. The Recreation.gov call center will also be able to create reservations on behalf of users.

Additional details for the proposed online wilderness permit system:

• A wilderness permit holder may not hold overlapping permits (separate reservations with overlapping dates on reservations).
• Visitors will have the ability to list up to 1 Alternate Permit Holder (directly listed on the reservation & not modifiable by customer once permit is created)
• Once created, the permit holder MAY modify their itinerary locations, group size, entry & exit points, travel method, vehicle information, or emergency contact prior to permit issuance/printing
• The permit holder MAY NOT have the ability to modify their permit start date; if the permit holder would like to change their start date, they will be required to cancel their existing reservation and book a new reservation
• The permit holder will have the ability to print their permit through their Recreation.gov account starting 7 days prior to the permit entry date
• Once printed, the permit is considered issued and modifications or cancellations will no longer be allowed
• The print window also determines the reservation reminder email trigger; 7 days prior to the permit entry date, the permit holder will receive a reminder email with information about their upcoming permit
• The permit holder MAY cancel their permit at any point prior to permit issuance/printing - no refunds are provided on cancellation of a permit reservation

The implementation of an online wilderness permit system would bring Lassen Volcanic in-line with numerous parks that already offer permits through Recreation.gov.

Contact Information

Nancy Nordensten (530) 595-6180