Free Personal-use Firewood Permits Available

Rapid City, SD, Feb. 6, 2026 — Free personal-use firewood permits are available in designated areas on the Mystic and Hell Canyon Ranger Districts.

To obtain your free personal-use permit, visit either the Mystic Ranger District office at 8221 Mt. Rushmore Road in Rapid City or the Hell Canyon Ranger District office at 1019 N. 5th Street in Custer. Each permit will be limited to 4 cords, is to be used for personal non-commercial use only, and will expire on May 10. 

Free permits are only valid in designated areas marked on maps. Please obey map guidelines.

You must have your permit with you to legally obtain firewood. Firewood is available on a first-come, first-served basis until the supply is gone.

Annual firewood permits are also available for purchase. The permits purchased are valid from January 1 through December 31. Purchased permits are valid across the Forest.

All equipment needs to be in good working order, and the use of proper personal protective equipment, such as leather gloves, eye protection, and chaps is strongly encouraged. Each chainsaw needs to be equipped with a spark arrester, and exhaust systems need to be in good repair.

To learn more about the Forest’s firewood permit program, visit:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills 

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

 USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.