Do I need an Adventure Pass at Mount Laguna and other San Diego national forest spots?
At developed Cleveland National Forest sites, yes: Mount Laguna picnic areas, the snow play area and trailheads like Pine Creek need a $5 daily or $30 annual Adventure Pass, or an interagency pass. Nov 11 is fee-free.
- Daily pass
- $5
- Annual pass
- $30
- Next fee-free day
- Nov 11, 2026
- Descanso Ranger District
- (619) 445-6235
Valid the day you scratch off
12 months from month of purchase
Veterans Day
Mount Laguna area
The short version
- The Adventure Pass costs $5 a day or $30 a year; a second-vehicle annual pass is $5.
- Forest Service pages mark Desert View, Pioneer Mail, the Laguna Mountain snow play area and Pine Creek Trailhead as pass-required.
- Interagency passes like America the Beautiful ($80 for U.S. residents in 2026) are honored at those sites.
- Veterans Day, Nov 11, 2026, is the last Forest Service fee-free day of the year.
- Cleveland National Forest proposed a $4-per-person fee for Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Falls, no earlier than March 2027.
The National Forest Adventure Pass covers day-use fees on the four Southern California national forests: Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino. In San Diego County, that means the Cleveland National Forest, including Mount Laguna. You need it where the Forest Service charges a fee, mostly developed sites with amenities like toilets, picnic tables or trailhead parking. Forest Service pages say visitors are "required to display the Adventure Pass in their vehicles."
| Site | Where | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Desert View Picnic Site | Sunrise Hwy, 10.2 miles from I-8 exit 47 | Adventure Pass required |
| Pioneer Mail Picnic Site | Sunrise Hwy, mile markers 29–29.5; PCT access | Adventure Pass required |
| Laguna Mountain Play Area (snow play) | Descanso Ranger District, Laguna Mountains | Adventure Pass required |
| Laguna Mountain Visitor Information Center | Sunrise Hwy, mile marker 23.5 | Adventure Pass required; passes sold here |
| Pine Creek Trailhead | Off Old Highway 80 near Pine Valley | Adventure Pass required |
Desert View Picnic Site
- Where
- Sunrise Hwy, 10.2 miles from I-8 exit 47
- Fee
- Adventure Pass required
Pioneer Mail Picnic Site
- Where
- Sunrise Hwy, mile markers 29–29.5; PCT access
- Fee
- Adventure Pass required
Laguna Mountain Play Area (snow play)
- Where
- Descanso Ranger District, Laguna Mountains
- Fee
- Adventure Pass required
Laguna Mountain Visitor Information Center
- Where
- Sunrise Hwy, mile marker 23.5
- Fee
- Adventure Pass required; passes sold here
Pine Creek Trailhead
- Where
- Off Old Highway 80 near Pine Valley
- Fee
- Adventure Pass required
Sites we confirmed on Cleveland National Forest recreation pages (updated Aug 2025–Mar 2026). Other sites may need a pass too; check the site's page or posted signs.
Picnic
Buy a pass
Trailhead
Coordinates from each site's Forest Service page.
See these on the full San Diego mapWhich passes work
| Price | Good for | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Adventure Pass | $5 | 1 day from the date you scratch off |
| Annual Adventure Pass | $30 | 12 months from the month of purchase, all 4 SoCal forests |
| Second-vehicle annual | $5 | A second vehicle, valid 12 months |
| America the Beautiful annual | $80 U.S. residents; $250 nonresidents (from Jan 1, 2026) | Federal sites nationwide, including national parks |
Price
- Daily Adventure Pass
- $5
- Annual Adventure Pass
- $30
- Second-vehicle annual
- $5
- America the Beautiful annual
- $80 U.S. residents; $250 nonresidents (from Jan 1, 2026)
Good for
- Daily Adventure Pass
- 1 day from the date you scratch off
- Annual Adventure Pass
- 12 months from the month of purchase, all 4 SoCal forests
- Second-vehicle annual
- A second vehicle, valid 12 months
- America the Beautiful annual
- Federal sites nationwide, including national parks
The Pioneer Mail page says "Adventure and interagency passes are honored," and the Forest Service says interagency passes cover standard amenity fees like picnic areas and developed trailheads. Coverage can vary at concessionaire-run sites, such as many campgrounds.
Where to buy one
The Laguna Mountain Visitor Information Center sells passes during its limited hours (Fridays 1–4 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m.–3 p.m.). Forest Service pages also point to local vendors and online sales through Recreation.gov, and the regional Adventure Pass page links to MyScenicDrives.com. Since the center isn't open every day, buy before you drive up.
Not national forest, not this pass
Cuyamaca Rancho, Palomar Mountain and Anza-Borrego are California state parks, not national forest. The Adventure Pass covers only the four national forests, so check each park's own fees.
New fees on the way?
A Federal Register notice published Sept 8, 2026 proposes a $4 per person per day permit for Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Falls, plus Recreation.gov's $6 reservation fee. The fees could start no earlier than six months after the notice, so not before March 2027, and still need review by a recreation advisory committee. 10News reported other proposals too, including a campsite fee at Ataxam Ma'mta'ash Campground going from $12 to $30. Cedar Creek already needs a permit: see the Cedar Creek Falls permit.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on October 29, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryAdventure Pass
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region · checked 2026-10-29 (page updated 2025-06-03)
$5 daily, $30 annual, $5 second vehicle; four forests covered; where to buy.
- PrimaryDesert View Picnic Site
Cleveland National Forest · updated 2025-08-21
Pass required; directions; Descanso phone.
- PrimaryPioneer Mail Picnic Site
Cleveland National Forest · updated 2025-08-22
Pass required; interagency passes honored; location.
- PrimaryLaguna Mountain Play Area
Cleveland National Forest · updated 2026-03-16
Display requirement; $5/$30; contacts.
Cleveland National Forest · updated 2025-08-21
Hours; sells passes; pass required.
- PrimaryPine Creek Trailhead
Cleveland National Forest · updated 2025-08-21
Pass required; location.
USDA Forest Service · checked 2026-10-29
Passes cover standard amenity fees; 2026 fee-free days incl. Nov 11.
National Park Service · 2025-11-25
$80 resident / $250 nonresident annual pass from Jan 1, 2026.
Federal Register / USDA Forest Service · 2026-09-08
$4/person/day at Cedar Creek and Three Sisters Falls; six-month minimum; $6 Recreation.gov fee.
10News / City News Service · 2026-07-27
Campground fee proposals; comments closed Sept 30.