Permits and Fees

NATIONAL FORESTS

The National Forest Adventure Pass is a parking permit that can be purchased for an annual fee that allows parking in Southern California’s four national forests: Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino and Cleveland.

Although an Adventure Pass is not required at every single trailhead, a pass is required at most of the major ones, as well as the more developed recreation areas and day-use sites. The annual pass currently costs $30 a year or $5 a day and can be purchased at Forest Service offices, outdoor retailers, and local outlets near or within the boundaries of the national forests.

An Adventure Pass is required for parking at “High Impact Recreational Areas,” which covers most locales along the main forest highways and all the most popular trailheads.

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COUNTY PARKS

Parking/entrance costs for Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego county parks ranges from free (usually at remote trailheads or “backdoor” entrances to parks) to as high as $10 for some Orange County Parks on holidays.

Entry fees are often collected by an “Iron Ranger,” particularly during the weekends when parks rarely have an employee staffing the entry kiosk. It’s a good idea to keep a supply of $1 bills at the ready for visits to county parks.

Day-use entry fees for California state parks begin at $5 per vehicle. An Annual Day Use Pass is available for $125 per year and The Trailmaster heartily recommends that the state parks enthusiast get one for access to California’s 275 state parks.

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