Passes and Permits

Recreation Passes

There are many types of authorizations, passes, or permits that an individual may be required to have or may find beneficial to have in using national forest lands. National Forests provide for a variety of resources and activities that the public is interested in for personal or commercial reasons.

Recreation passes that visitors will find useful include:

  • Apalachicola National Forest Annual Pass - $40 per vehicle per year; good for one year from month of purchase; second pass may be purchased for $30; additional passes are $40. Passes are good at: day use – Silver Lake, Leon Sinks, Camel Lake; camping – Hickory Landing, Mack Landing, Whitehead Landing. Only good on the Apalachicola National Forest.
  • OHV annual trail pass - For ATV and other off-road vehicle use. $75 per year; good for one year from month of purchase. Pass good on OHV trails on both the Apalachicola and Ocala National Forests. (Osceola National Forest OHV trails are free.) Purchase is per person, not vehicle.
  • OHV 3 day trail pass - For ATV and other off-road vehicle use. $10 per person for 3 days; $5 per person 15 years of age and under. Good on the Apalachicola and Ocala National Forests.

America the Beautiful Interagency Recreation Passes

If you are heading out for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation on a national forest, don't forget your America the Beautiful Interagency Pass. The America the Beautiful Program is a federal interagency recreation pass program, which offers several distinct passes. Frequent visitors find passports to be the best value.

Interagency Senior Pass-$10.00; lifetime pass for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. age 62 or older. The Apalachicola National Forest does not charge a fee for entering the forest however, most National Parks due. If travelling to a National Park this pass admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. For areas that charge a per person fee, the pass admits the pass holder and three additional adults (16 and older).

Interagency Access Pass-free; lifetime pass for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who have a permanent disability, regardless of age. Passes must be obtained in person and provide proof of medically determined permanent disability and residency. The Apalachicola National Forest does not charge a fee for entering the forest however, most National Parks due. If travelling to a National Park this pass admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. For areas that charge a per person fee, the pass admits the pass holder and three additional adults (16 and older).

Hunting/Fishing Licenses and Permits

Although the Apalachicola National Forest works in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), we do not issue licenses or permits for hunting or fishing. Please visit the FWC web site for more information.

Special Use Permits

Various groups and individuals regularly approach the Forest Service with requests to use national forest lands for an array of diverse activities. The Forest Service must always weigh whether the proposed use is compatible with the values that make the national forest an irreplaceable forest-including plants, animals, beauty, clean air and water, recreation opportunities, and forest products. Applicants for special-use permits should note that the permitting process is time-consuming, may require multi-step National Forest Management Act analysis and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation, and ultimately may not be approved. The Forest Service will evaluate special-use applicants to see if they are in the public interest. At a minimum, these proposals should: be consistent with Forest Plan management area objectives, standards and desired future conditions; be consistent with other applicable Federal, State and local statutes and regulations; and not be undertaken on national forest land if they can be reasonably accommodated on private land. For Temporary Special Use Permits (Events), Easements and Land uses, special use permits are required. Most permits require at least 90 days to be processed and must be acquired from the Ranger Station.

Permits in General

Permits are required for collecting many forest produtcs such as firewood and lightered wood. You MUST contact the Forest Service at 850-926-3561 for specific information and permit requirements prior to any collecting. In addition, many activities on national forests require permits such as commercial recreation activities (for example: fishing tournaments, trail rides, commercial filming, etc.).

Construction of personal use roads to access private lands, and any other activities that may impact national forest lands will probably require a permit. The permit system is used to monitor activities on national forest lands and convey to the permittee the requirements for proper use and operation of their activity through a legally binding agreement. The permits are different based on the activity, and some require an environmental analysis, so if in doubt, contact the Forest Service well ahead of your anticipated need.