The Forest Adventure Pass

Wherever you live in Southern California, you're just a short drive away from a spectacular wildland adventure, with recreation opportunities in the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres, and San Bernardino National Forests.

On the Cleveland National Forest, you can enjoy hiking, biking, camping, climbing, off-highway vehicle travel, picnicking, and even fishing. All within a short drive of San Diego, and Orange or Riverside counties.

For a list of sites on the Cleveland that now require an Adventure Pass, please visit the Cleveland Recreation Fee Site, or for more information on the Los Padres, Angeles, or San Bernardino fee sites, please visit the Adventure Pass website.

The Adventure Pass is offered in annual, secondary and daily passes. 

• The annual pass is $30 and good for 12 consecutive months. It covers one car with up to 4 individuals.
• The secondary pass is used in conjunction with the Adventure Pass and to cover a second vehicle. This pass is $5 and also good for the duration of the Adventure Pass.
• The daily pass is a self scratcher good for 24 hours and costs $5.
• Daily digital passes are now available for any Adventure Pass fee site on the Cleveland National Forest. These can be purchased online at https://www.recreation.gov/.

• You can purchase an Adventure Pass through a vendor or online.

Other Permits & Passes

Forest Campgrounds require additional permits for use and some trails, such as Cedar Creek Falls. For information on whether or not a recreation area requires a permit or pass, please see our Standard Amenity Fee Site.

 

Forest Permits

Wilderness/Long Distance/Backpacking

A Wilderness & Visitor Permit is required for overnight camping or hiking in areas outside of established campgrounds on the Cleveland. 

For information regarding day hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, please see our designated  Pacific Crest Trail page.

• Descanso   

  To protect public health and safety, all visitors to the forest are encouraged to:

• Avoid visiting the forest if you are sick and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow CDC guidance on personal hygiene and social distancing before and during your visit to the forest.
• If an area is crowded, move to a less occupied location. Also consider avoiding the forest during high-use periods.

Outdoor recreation can be beneficial to mental and physical health but must be practiced safely. Be aware that dispersed camping rules and regulations apply, please refer to the Descanso Dispersed Camping Guide. Please contact the Descanso District Office for area-specific information and restrictions at (619) 445-6235 or SM.FS.DescansoRD@usda.gov.

Dispersed Camping Permits /Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd928759.pdf Email completed forms to SM.FS.DescansoRD@usda.gov Please allow 4 days for processing. Permits needed for the weekend should be submitted by COB on Tuesday.

• Wood or charcoal fires are never allowed outside of developed campgrounds or picnic sites
• Please pack out all trash and waste

• Palomar 

To protect public health and safety, all visitors to the forest are encouraged to:

• Avoid visiting the forest if you are sick and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow CDC guidance on personal hygiene and social distancing before and during your visit to the forest.
• If an area is crowded, move to a less occupied location. Also consider avoiding the forest during high-use periods.

Outdoor recreation can be beneficial to mental and physical health but must be practiced safely. Please contact the Palomar District Office for area-specific information and restrictions at 760-788-0250​ or SM.FS.PalomarRD@usda.gov. 

Dispersed Camping Permits /Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd928759.pdf Email completed forms to SM.FS.PalomarRD@usda.gov Please allow 2 days for processing. Permits needed for the weekend should be submitted by COB on Thursday.

• Wood or charcoal fires are never allowed outside of developed campgrounds or picnic sites
• Please pack out all trash and waste

• Trabuco - Camping is currently allowed within the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness. Only a limited number of wilderness camping permits are issued per day. Please allow 2 days for processing. Complete and submit the Trabuco Wilderness Application. If you are experiencing issues sending this form, please save it and email it to SM.FS.trabucord@usda.gov

Campfire Permits

Wood or charcoal fires are never allowed outside of developed campgrounds or picnic sites on the Cleveland. However, portable stoves or lanterns that use gas, kerosene, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel are permitted unless elevated fire conditions prohibit their use. Please see our Fire Restrictions page for current information.

National Recreation Passes

National passes cover recreation fees found at federal recreation areas such as national forest and grasslands. They also can be used at national parks, wildlife refuges and other federal lands. They cover the use of facilities and services at many day-use sites on US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Managment lands. 

There are several pass options to consider. To make the best choice on which pass to purchase, you should think about your recreation plans for the next year:

• Your best value may be a single-day pass.
• Or if you're a frequent visitor to one or more sites, a multi-day pass or annual pass that covers a forest or region may be the best buy.
• An Interagency Annual Pass may be your best value if you plan to visit many different federal lands across the nation that includ lands managed by other federal agencies.
• You may qualify for one of the Interagency Lifetime Passes (Interagency Senior Pass or Interagency Access Pass).
• The "Every Kid Outdoors" pass gives fourth graders free access to 2,000-plus federal recreation sites. Detailed information about that pass is available on the Every Kid Outdoors site.

The USGS Store provides Frequently Asked Questions about Recreational Passes. For more information about permits and passes, see our national Recreation Fees and Passes website.