Sno-Parks, State Parks & Beyond: Snag a Wilderness Parking Pass
Tired of paying trailhead parking fees? There's a pass for that. Get one of these wilderness passes for yourself or your outdoorsy friend.
Image: Brian Breneman
A little sticker for the windshield, a hanger for the rearview mirror, a card that lives in the glove compartment and gets placed on the dashboard a few times a year—these might not be the most exciting gifts to unwrap. But think of all the worry, planning headaches, last-minute scrambles for exact change, and arguments over the ethics of paying to access public land (not to mention citations and punitive fees) the recipient will be spared when you give them the perfect annual outdoors parking pass.
While some hardy travelers would get plenty of use out of possessing all of the regional passes, a frugal gift-giver might want to zero in on particular interests. Do they love taking out-of-towners to Astoria, hitting Goonies sites and the wreck of the Peter Iredale at Fort Stevens? Get ’em an Astoria Column pass for the year and an Oregon State Parks pass they can use at Fort Stevens and Ecola in Cannon Beach, too. Are they hooked on the ’mook? Tillamook County increased its boat launch and day-use fees in recent years, and added to the list of places that require payment, so an annual pass would be even more appreciated. Are they all about hot springs and hiking? Go for the Northwest Forest Pass for trailheads galore in Mount Hood and other National Forests. Is their favorite secret swimming spot near a heavily patrolled parking lot on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge? Brighten their day with a Discover Pass. Is sledding, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing more their jam? Sno-park, it is, then.
For yourself or your outdoorsy friend, here’s how to snag some of the major passes a Portlander might need. Order online or by phone/mail (a lot can’t be printed, so plan ahead for shipping).
Give your buddy a sno-park annual pass, and trips up to the mountain will be even easier.
Sno-Park
$25/year (vs. $9/three days, $4/one day). Vendors may charge an additional service fee.
Needed at high-elevation maintained lots, including Timberline Lodge and other ski areas, November 1 through April 30. These can move from one car to another, so you aren’t locking anyone into always being the driver.
Get it: Online or at DMV offices, resorts, outdoors stores, and other retail outlets. (Oregon annual sno-park passes are good in California and Idaho, and vice-versa, but following the end of a 35-year agreement in 2013 Washington has its own system with different prices.)
A Northwest Forest Pass is needed to park in some spots in the Umpqua National Forest.
Northwest Forest Pass
$30/year, vs. $5/Day
For US Forest Service–operated sites with day-use fees in Oregon and Washington, including numerous Mount Hood and Gifford Pinchot trailheads.
Get it: Online, at ranger stations, sporting goods and outdoors stores, Bi-Mart, or on-site.
Wildlife Area Permit
$30/year or free with an annual Oregon hunting license (vs. $10/day)
Needed at 15 sites operated by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, including much of northern Sauvie Island.
Get it: Online, at select ODFW offices, Cracker Barrel Store and Reeder Beach RV Country Store on Sauvie Island, outdoors stores, Bi-Mart, some Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart locations.
Get a one- or two-year pass to cover outings to South Falls at Silver Falls State Park.
Oregon State Parks Pass
$30/year, $50/two years (vs. $10/day when buying on-site for Oregon residents, $12 for nonresidents)
For the two dozen or so state parks that charge day-use fees, including Silver Falls and several in the Columbia River Gorge.
Get it: Buy year or two-year passes online, by calling 800-551-6949, or at various retail outlets.
Olympic National Park in Washington state.
America the Beautiful National Parks Pass
$80/year
All the benefits of a Northwest Forest Pass, plus other federally managed recreation sites in all 50 states, including National Parks. Ages 62 and up can get a lifetime pass for the same price, plus a processing fee if ordering by mail, and there are also deals for current members of the US military and those with a permanent disability.
Get it: Online or in person at many BLM or National Forest offices and visitor centers.
Washington Discover Pass
$50/year (vs. $11.50/day)
Needed at many state-managed recreation sites in Washington, including parks, beaches, water access points, ferry lots, and trailheads.
Get it: Online, at some park pay stations, anywhere hunting licenses are sold, some Washington Safeways, or by calling 866-320-9933. Vendors can charge a processing fee of $1.50 for a day pass, $5 for an annual pass; these fees also apply to an online advance purchase.
Oregon Pacific Coast Passport
$35/year (vs. $10/five days)
Multiagency pass honored at federal fee sites along US 101, including those managed by the Forest Service, National Parks Service, and Bureau of Land Management. (It was once accepted at state parks, too, but that ends in 2026.)
Get it: At Forest Service offices on the coast, or by calling 800-551-6949.
Oxbow Regional Park is managed by Metro, the Portland area’s oddball regional government.
Image: Gabriel Granillo
Metro Parks Pass
$40/year, seniors $30/year, persons with disabilities $10/year (vs. $5/day when buying on-site)
Good at all five regional parks managed by Metro: Oxbow and Blue Lake regional parks, Broughton Beach, Chinook Landing Marine Park, and M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp.
Get it: Online for annual passes, and at park pay stations for single-day use.
Clackamas County Parks
$60/year, $100/two years (vs. $5–9/day)
Needed at a variety of parks, some that are home to favorite fishing spots, tubing drop-off sites, or old-growth hikes.
Get it: Online, by phone at 503-742-4414, in person during office hours at the Development Services Building in Oregon City, or, during the summer, from a ranger at select parks. Single-day passes can be purchased on-site or through the Flowbird mobile app or pay-by-text.
Astoria Column Pass
$5, good for a year
Needed to park at Astoria’s 125-foot hilltop tower. Don't forget to buy a balsa-wood airplane at the gift shop that you can throw from the top.
Get it: On-site.
Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock in Pacific City, Oregon.
Tillamook County Annual Parking Access Pass
$55/year first pass, $25 second pass (vs. $10/day)
Required at several popular destinations, including Cape Kiwanda and the Pacific City Turnaround lot.
Get it: From set locations in Tillamook and Rockaway Beach, or by calling 503-322-3522 ext. 1. There are discounts for disabled veterans, seniors age 65 and over, and Oregon Trail card holders.
