Memorial Day Travel Plans? You Might Need a Permit

Visitors to Oregon’s Waterfall Corridor along the Columbia Gorge will need to buy Timed Use Permits starting this week and through the summer.  

Thanks to increased congestion, crashes and crowds at some of the state’s most picturesque locales, permits will be required for personal vehicles to access federal lands between Bridal Veil Exit 28 (though Bridal Veil Falls itself is outside the federal access area) on Interstate 84 and Ainsworth State Park Exit 35.  

In addition to the Waterfall Corridor, the U.S. Forest Service has reinstated the permits for Multnomah Falls. The two permits are not the same thing and are not interchangeable. Attractions within the federal access area are Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls, Oneonta Trail, Horsetail Falls, and Ainsworth State Park. A camping receipt for Ainsworth will pass as a Timed Use Permit. 

The Timed Use Permits are available at recreation.gov for $2 during the two weeks prior to your visit. After creating an account on the website (if you don’t already have one), choose a time slot from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the date you plan to visit. You must arrive on time, but you can stay as long as you want. Of course, even with the permits, parking is not guaranteed. 

There will be a check-in point at each end of the permit location. You can show the receipt for your online permit on a mobile device or provide a printed copy.  

If you do not want to hassle with the permits, you can take public transit from Portland, Cascade Locks and Hood River, take a tour on a shuttle or trolley – Travel Oregon provides a list of tour options – or you can ride a bike. 

You can also avoid popular areas during the summer – especially by waiting until after Labor Day. Local spots like Alsea Falls and Marys Peak do not require Timed Use Permits – though the usual day use and recreation passes may be applicable. 

The permits are meant to spread out visits across the day, instead of the more popular late morning to early afternoon times, and attempt to reduce overcrowding on any given day. 

Multnomah Falls is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most popular tourist destinations, with more than 1.2 million visitors each year.  

By Peggy Perdue