Wilderness Permit Release Calendar

When every permit area we watch opens its reservations: lottery application months, rolling windows, and quota-season openings, straight from the release rules that power our alerts. Each area is grouped under the month its season goes on sale or its lottery opens; rolling areas release dates continuously as the booking window advances.

January

  • Boundary Waters Canoe Area (Minnesota): All quota-season (May 1 – September 30) entry-point permits for the ENTIRE season go on sale at once on the last Wednesday of January at 9:00 AM Central (7:00 AM Pacific) - no rolling window, no lottery, no later drop. After opening day, cancelled permits are randomly returned to inventory within 24 hours, so watching a sold-out entry point still pays off. Off-season permits are free self-issue at the entry point. Quota seasons: 2026-05-01 to 2026-09-30; 2027-05-01 to 2027-09-30.
  • Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming): About a third of each camping zone is reservable in advance. The advance window for the whole May–October season opens in early January (2026: January 7) at 8:00 AM Mountain Time; cancellations reopen sites all season. Advance booking closes 2 days before entry - after that it's walk-up only. Quota seasons: 2026-05-01 to 2026-10-31; 2027-05-01 to 2027-10-31.

February

  • Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness (Colorado): Overnight zone permits are quota'd year-round and sold in three seasonal releases at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific): Feb 15 (for Apr–Jul entries), Jun 15 (Aug–Nov), and Oct 15 (Dec–Mar). One reservation covers your whole party.
  • The Enchantments (Washington): The whole season (May 15 – Oct 31) is allocated by lottery (apply Feb 15 – Mar 1); unclaimed and returned permits are released first-come-first-served on April 1 at 7:00 AM Pacific. After that, cancellations reappear continuously with no schedule - exactly what availability watching is for. Off-season overnight trips are self-issued at the trailhead. Quota seasons: 2026-05-15 to 2026-10-31; 2027-05-15 to 2027-10-31.

March

  • Indian Peaks Wilderness (Colorado): The entire Jun 1 – Sep 15 overnight quota season goes on sale the first Tuesday of March at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific). One reservation covers your whole party (per-zone quota). Short-notice leftovers also sell via a separate 3-day advance permit. Quota seasons: 2026-06-01 to 2026-09-15; 2027-06-01 to 2027-09-15.
  • Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado): The entire May 1 – Oct 31 wilderness camping season goes on sale at once on March 1 at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific). One reservation covers your whole party (per-site quota). Nov–Apr sites are reserved in person at a wilderness office only. Quota seasons: 2026-05-01 to 2026-10-31; 2027-05-01 to 2027-10-31.

April

  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado): Inner-canyon wilderness permits for May 1 – Oct 31 sell in two releases at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific): Apr 1 (May–Jul entries) and Jul 1 (Aug–Oct). Quota is per person per route. Nov–Apr permits are first-come-first-served in person at the visitor center. Quota seasons: 2026-05-01 to 2026-10-31; 2027-05-01 to 2027-10-31.
  • Central Cascades Wilderness (Oregon): Quota season is June 15 – October 15: about 40% of each trailhead's overnight quota goes on sale for the whole season in one early-April opening at 7:00 AM Pacific (2026: April 7); the remaining ~60% is released rolling 7 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific. Off-season, permits are still required (and still bought on recreation.gov) but have no quota - they never sell out. Quota seasons: 2026-06-15 to 2026-10-15; 2027-06-15 to 2027-10-15.
  • Mount Rainier (Washington): The whole late-May – mid-October season goes on sale at once in late April (2026: April 25) at 7:00 AM Pacific, after the February–March early-access lottery. Cancellations reopen camps all summer. Outside the season permits are walk-up/self-registration only. Quota seasons: 2026-05-22 to 2026-10-12; 2027-05-28 to 2027-10-11.
  • North Cascades (Washington): The whole May 15 – October 10 peak season goes on sale at once in late April (2026: April 29) at 7:00 AM Pacific, after the March early-access lottery. Cancellations reopen camps all summer. Outside the peak season permits are walk-up/self-registration only. Quota seasons: 2026-05-15 to 2026-10-10; 2027-05-15 to 2027-10-10.
  • Olympic (Washington): Reservable year-round in two blocks at 7:00 AM Pacific: the summer season (entries May 15 – October 15) opens April 15, and the winter season (entries October 16 – May 14) opens September 15. No lottery - cancellations reopen sites continuously.
  • Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana): Peak-season trips (May 15 – October 31) go on general sale April 26 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time (after the March early-access lottery). Non-peak trips (November 1 – May 14) go on sale October 6 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time. Cancellations reopen sites year-round; permits are picked up in person at a Backcountry Permit Office.

May

  • Glacier National Park (Montana): Advance reservations cover June 15 – September 30 and go on sale all at once on May 1 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time (after the March lotteries). Cancellations reopen sites all summer. October trips are walk-up only. Quota seasons: 2026-06-15 to 2026-09-30; 2027-06-15 to 2027-09-30.

November

  • Canyonlands National Park (Utah): Backcountry permits are quota'd year-round and sold in four seasonal releases at 8:00 AM Mountain: Nov 10 (for Mar 10 – Jun 9 entries), Feb 10 (Jun 10 – Sep 9), May 10 (Sep 10 – Dec 9), and Aug 10 (Dec 10 – Mar 9). Online booking closes 2 days before entry; unreserved sites then convert to walk-up at visitor centers. One reservation covers your whole party.
  • Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota): The entire upcoming summer season (early May through the following spring) goes on sale at once on November 15 at 9:00 AM Central (7:00 AM Pacific). Ten designated short-notice sites (two per lake area) are held back and instead open rolling 7 days before entry. One reservation covers your whole party.

December

  • Zion National Park (Utah): Wilderness permits are quota'd year-round and sold in four quarterly releases at 10:00 AM Mountain on the 5th of the month before each quarter: Dec 5 (for Jan 1 – Mar 31 entries), Mar 5 (Apr 1 – Jun 30), Jun 5 (Jul 1 – Sep 30), and Sep 5 (Oct 1 – Dec 31). About half of all sites are reservable online; the rest are first-come, first-served in person at a Wilderness Permit Desk. One reservation covers your whole party.

Rolling and year-round releases

  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Wisconsin): Island/kayak campsites open on a rolling 30-day window, advancing each morning at 10:00 AM Eastern (7:00 AM Pacific). Group sites are the exception - reservable up to 12 months ahead. One reservation covers your whole party.
  • Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness (Arizona): First-come-first-served: each entry date opens 13 weeks (91 days) ahead on a rolling window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment. 50 people/day total (East 20, West 30); permits are required year-round, even for day hikes.
  • Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) (Utah): First-come-first-served: each entry date's trailhead quota (20/day) opens 3 months ahead on a rolling window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment. Spring and fall walk-up permits are also sold at the Kane Gulch Ranger Station.
  • Desolation Wilderness (California): First-come-first-served: each entry date's zone quota opens 6 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Quota season is roughly the Friday before Memorial Day through September 30 (recreation.gov's grid can start a couple of days earlier - 2026 runs May 20 – Sep 30). Off-season, permits are still required (and still bought on recreation.gov) but have no quota - they never sell out. Quota seasons: 2026-05-20 to 2026-09-30; 2027-05-28 to 2027-09-30.
  • Everglades National Park (Florida): First-come-first-served: each entry date's campsite quota opens 3 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night books a specific chickee, beach, or ground site, most reached by kayak/canoe.
  • Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona): Public reservations open on the 1st of each month at 8:00 AM MST (Arizona time) for all start dates in the month 3 months ahead (e.g. Aug 1 opens all of November). An early-access lottery runs upstream of each public opening (apply by 5 PM MST on the 1st, one month earlier) - the lottery itself isn't tracked here. One reservation covers your whole group.
  • Great Sand Dunes (Colorado): Backpacking permits open on a rolling 3-month window, advancing each morning at 8:00 AM Mountain (7:00 AM Pacific). One reservation covers your whole party (per-site quota), year-round.
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee, North Carolina): First-come-first-served with the shortest window of any park here: each entry date's campsite/shelter quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night books a specific numbered campsite or AT shelter.
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas, New Mexico): First-come-first-served: each entry date's campsite quota opens 3 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night of the trip books a specific backcountry campground.
  • Hawai'i Volcanoes Backcountry (Hawaii): 75% of each backcountry site's capacity opens on a rolling 3-month window (published as 90 days), advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Hawai'i time (10:00 AM Pacific during PDT). The remaining 25% is held for in-person walk-up permits 7 days before entry and is never bookable online. Quota applies year-round.
  • Hoover Wilderness (California): Quota season is June 15 – October 15: 50% of each trailhead's quota opens on a rolling 6-month window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific. The remaining 50% drops 3 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific. Off-season, permits are still required (and still bought on recreation.gov) but have no quota - they never sell out. Quota seasons: 2026-06-15 to 2026-10-15; 2027-06-15 to 2027-10-15.
  • Inyo National Forest (California): Rolling 6-month window: 60% of quota opens 6 months ahead, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific. The remaining 40% drops 14 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific.
  • Joshua Tree National Park (California): First-come-first-served: each entry date opens 6 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Quota runs year-round - Boy Scout Trail campsites hold 1 party each; backcountry zones hold about 5 parties per night.
  • Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) (Arizona, Utah): First-come-first-served: each entry date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment. 20 people/day cumulative across all trailheads; day-of and next-day dates are not sold online.
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Michigan): Backcountry permits open on a rolling 6-month window, advancing each morning at 10:00 AM Eastern (7:00 AM Pacific). One reservation covers your whole party (per-site booking), year-round.
  • Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (California): First-come-first-served: each entry date's reservable quota opens 6 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery). Reservations close 1 week before entry; the rest is walk-up only. Outside the quota season (late May – late September) permits are free and self-issued at the trailhead - no reservation needed. Quota seasons: 2026-05-22 to 2026-09-26; 2027-05-22 to 2027-09-26.
  • Sierra National Forest (California): Rolling 6-month window: 60% of quota opens 6 months ahead, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific. The remaining 40% (traditional walk-up quota, sold online) drops 14 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific.
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Michigan): Backcountry campsites open on a rolling 7-day window, advancing each morning at 10:00 AM Eastern (7:00 AM Pacific). One reservation covers your whole party.
  • Sylvania Wilderness (Michigan): Thirteen designated short-notice sites open rolling 14 days before entry at 10:00 AM Eastern (7:00 AM Pacific) - the only verified release rule here, so the 'bookable through' date reflects that 14-day window. Most other sites are typically already bookable much further out (through the season) on an unverified schedule. One reservation covers your whole party.
  • Yosemite National Park (California): 60% of quota is awarded by weekly lottery 24 weeks ahead; unclaimed lottery permits release Fridays at 9:00 AM Pacific. The remaining 40% opens 7 days before entry at 7:00 AM Pacific. (Half Dome lottery is separate.)

Availability-only areas

  • Indian Peaks: Last-Minute (Colorado): No modeled release schedule - availability polling and alerts still work for this area.

Availability-only areas have no drop countdowns, but cancellation alerts work exactly the same.

Release rules change; each area's guide has the full schedule, fees, and strategy. Sold out on release day is not the end: cancellations and quota drops reopen dates all season, and Permit Ranger alerts you the moment your dates open.

See also: Permit Guides · Browse Passes · Pricing