Visitors ages 17 and older who wish to ride a bike or horse on the Hoosier National Forest are required to have a trail use permit.

The permits for day or annual use may now be purchased online at recreation.gov, via a mobile device at the site or in advance. This new service provides additional payment options.

With the electronic payment option, transactions may now take place on-site if cell service is available or in advance if service is unavailable. A receipt can be printed and carried or the visitor can have it available on their mobile device.

There are four steps for electronic permit purchase:

• Scan the QR code or visit recreation.gov/activitypass/hoosier-trails
• Select a pass type (daily or annual) and enter your information, including the dates you’re visiting; be sure to include your license plate
• Check out using your recreation.gov username and password
• Enter payment details and complete the transaction

After the transaction is complete, the visitor will receive an email with their digital permit receipt, which must be printed and carried or be available on their mobile device when visiting.

Permits are still available via traditional methods of payment, such as cash, check or credit card, at forest offices in Bedford and Tell City and at local vendors.

For issues with electronic payments, contact recreation.gov. For site-specific recreation information, visit fs.usda.gov/hoosier or contact your local Forest Service office. Offices are serving the public remotely and are available at 866-302-4173.