Anyone cutting wood on the national forest needs a Mt. Hood firewood permit, even for wood you burn at home. As of November 2026, per the Forest Service, personal-use permits are free. Pick one up at a district office or apply by mail, then cut only in mapped areas, tag every load, and follow the fire precaution level for the day.
Take valid government ID to the Dufur, Parkdale, Sandy or Zigzag district office while the season is open.
Send in the Forest's application form; first-time applicants include a copy of their ID. Your permit, tags and maps come back by mail, usually within two weeks.
Read the cutting map and the current info sheet for your zone. Together they show open areas, active timber sales and fire precaution levels.
Your permit is not valid until you sign it, and signing means you agree to its terms and conditions.
Fasten your tags to the back of the load so a driver behind you can see them clearly.
Check the fire precaution level before you start the saw. The Forest is split into four protection units, and each one can sit at a different level. Personal firewood cutting follows the same levels as logging crews.
Find the current level on the Forest's precaution level page, on your info sheet, or on our fire conditions page.
Do
Don't
A full cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, roughly 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. Every cord on your permit comes with two load tags, so each tag covers half a cord.
The Forest says about three cords can heat a small house through an average winter, though that varies with the home and the stove. Its cord wood diagram shows how much wood fits in a typical pickup bed.
Hauling less than half a cord: attach one tag.
Hauling more than half a cord but under a full cord: attach two tags.
Hauling a full cord: attach two tags.
Burning wood at camp is different. If you are camping or hunting on the Forest, you can gather a small amount of dead wood lying on the ground and burn it there without a permit. Stay at least 300 feet from water, don't run a chainsaw in or near a developed campground, don't cut standing or live trees, and leave any extra wood behind when you go. Taking wood home always takes a signed permit and tagged loads. Campfire bans can apply in dry weather, so check fire conditions and our campground pages first.
As of November 2026, per the Forest Service, personal-use firewood permits on Mt. Hood National Forest cost nothing, but every woodcutter still needs one. Wood cut on a free permit is for your own household only. Selling firewood, or cutting more than the yearly household limit, takes a paid commercial permit, which the Forest issues through its special request form when wood is available.
As of November 2026, the Forest Service limit on a personal-use permit is 6 cords per household per year on Mt. Hood National Forest. A cord is a stacked pile about 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. If your household reaches the limit and wants more, ask a district office about a commercial permit.
Mt. Hood's firewood season usually opens in spring once snow allows and runs into late fall. The Forest's firewood page lists this year's closing date, and fire restrictions can halt cutting during the season. The closed season lines up with winter road closures and winter range for wildlife. Free permits expire when each season ends, so you need a new one every year.
Yes. A friend does not need a separate permit to help you cut and load, as long as you, the permit holder, are there with your permit while the wood is cut and hauled. You cannot hand your permit to someone else to cut for you, because Mt. Hood forest product permits cannot be transferred.
Mt. Hood National Forest will not replace a lost firewood permit or lost load tags, and a permit without its tags is no longer valid. If your household has not reached the yearly limit, you can get a new permit with new tags. Keep both together somewhere safe while you are out cutting.
Yes, through the Mt. Hood Firewood Assistance Program. It lets an approved helper cut and haul wood for someone 62 or older, or someone with a physical disability, who relies on wood heat. Both people need their own free personal-use firewood permit first, and the helper must carry both permits and the signed approval form while cutting or hauling.
Rules change. These pages are the source of truth.