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Passes & Permits
The Forest Service manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish and wildlife. Our job is to help you share and enjoy the forest, while conserving the environment for generations to come. To help us meet this goal, certain activities, such as firewood collection, require that you have a permit, while others, such as camping, benefit from passes.
Hiawatha National Forest offers recreation passes and/or fuelwood/firewood permits to visitors by appointment.
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Recreation Passes
Learn about recreation passes including day, annual and lifetime recreation passes, the cost and how to purchase one. Low-cost and free passes for fourth graders, people living with disabilities, senior citizens, and military.
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Forest Products
Information about fuelwood/firewood permits, along with details about plant collection, gathering forest items, minerals, holiday greens for decorations and holiday tree permits.
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Event/Commercial
Obtain a non-commercial or commercial permit for weddings, recreation events (e.g. races, rallies, contests, adventure games, concerts etc.) commercial photography, filming, sound recording, outfitting and guides, and road use permits across NFS land to access private property.
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Other Permits
Information on snowplowing, water transmission, road and utility right-of-ways, research, and other permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When you are gathering edible material (morels, etc.) for your own consumption.
- When you are camping in a dispersed area.
- When you are at a site that doesn't require a Recreation Enhancement Act Fee.
- When you are building a campfire on National Forest System lands you can collect a reasonable quantity of wood for the campfire without a permit.
Learn more about special-use permits and how to apply
- For some recreation activities:
- At most day use sites such as trailheads, picnic areas and river access sites
- Reserving a campsite
- For collecting fuelwood.
- Special Use Permits are required for commercial and non-commercial use of NFS lands, including:
- Easements for electrical and utility lines,
- roads to access private property bound by National Forest lands,
- oil and gas pipelines, wells or holding tanks, etc.
- Minerals
Learn more about recreation fees and the Recreation Enhancement Fee Act.