Wilderness Permit Guides by State

When reservations open, how the lotteries and quota drops work, and what to do when your dates are sold out - for every permit area we watch on recreation.gov.

Arizona

• Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness permit guide - How to get an Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness permit: each date opens 13 weeks (91 days) ahead on a rolling window at 7 AM Pacific.
• Grand Canyon National Park permit guide - Lottery permit - How to get a Grand Canyon backcountry permit: public reservations open the 1st of each month at 8 AM Arizona time for the month three months ahead.
• Havasupai permit guide - How to get a Havasupai (Havasu Falls) permit: creating your account, presale timing, campground vs lodge, pricing, the no-transfer rules, and cancellation alerts.
• Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) permit guide - How to get a Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) overnight permit: each date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window at 7 AM Pacific.

California

• Desolation Wilderness permit guide - How to get a Desolation Wilderness overnight permit: each zone opens 6 months ahead at 7 AM Pacific, first-come-first-served, no lottery.
• Half Dome Cables permit guide - Lottery permit - How to get a Half Dome cables permit: the March preseason lottery, the daily lottery two days before your hike, fees, season dates, and odds.
• Hoover Wilderness permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Hoover Wilderness permit: quota season June 15 – October 15, with 50% opening 6 months ahead and 50% dropping 3 days before entry.
• Inyo National Forest permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get an Inyo National Forest wilderness permit: 60% opens 6 months ahead at 7 AM Pacific, with a 40% drop 14 days before entry.
• Joshua Tree National Park permit guide - How to get a Joshua Tree backcountry camping permit: each date opens 6 months ahead at 7 AM Pacific, first-come-first-served, quota year-round.
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Sequoia & Kings Canyon (SEKI) wilderness permit: quota opens 6 months ahead at 7 AM Pacific, first-come-first-served, no lottery.
• Sierra National Forest permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Sierra National Forest wilderness permit: 60% opens 6 months ahead at 7 AM Pacific, with a 40% drop 14 days before entry.
• Yosemite National Park permit guide - Lottery permit · Last-minute friendly - How to get a Yosemite wilderness permit: 60% by weekly lottery 24 weeks ahead, leftovers on Fridays, and a 40% drop 7 days before entry.

Colorado

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison permit guide - How to get a Black Canyon of the Gunnison wilderness permit: the May–Oct season sells in two releases at 8 AM Mountain (Apr 1 and Jul 1).
• Great Sand Dunes permit guide - How to get a Great Sand Dunes backpacking permit: opens on a rolling 3-month window each morning at 8 AM Mountain (7 AM Pacific).
• Indian Peaks Wilderness permit guide - How to get an Indian Peaks Wilderness permit: the whole Jun 1–Sep 15 quota season opens the first Tuesday of March at 8 AM Mountain.
• Indian Peaks: Last-Minute permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a last-minute Indian Peaks Wilderness permit: leftover zone quota bookable only within 3 days of your entry date.
• Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness permit guide - How to get a Maroon Bells–Snowmass permit: quota'd year-round, sold in three seasonal releases at 8 AM Mountain (Feb 15, Jun 15, Oct 15).
• Rocky Mountain National Park permit guide - How to get a Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness permit: the entire May–October season opens at once on March 1 at 8 AM Mountain.

Florida

• Everglades National Park permit guide - How to get an Everglades National Park wilderness permit: each site's quota opens on a rolling 3-month window at 7 AM Pacific.

Hawaii

• Hawai'i Volcanoes Backcountry permit guide - How to get a Hawai'i Volcanoes backcountry permit: 75% of each site opens on a rolling 3-month window at 7 AM Hawai'i time, with walk-ups 7 days out.

Michigan

• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore permit guide - How to get a Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore backcountry permit: sites open on a rolling 6-month window each morning at 7 AM Pacific, year-round.
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Sleeping Bear Dunes backcountry permit: campsites open on a rolling 7-day window each morning at 7 AM Pacific.
• Sylvania Wilderness permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Sylvania Wilderness camping permit: thirteen short-notice sites open rolling 14 days ahead at 7 AM Pacific; other sites open further out.

Minnesota

• Boundary Waters Canoe Area permit guide - How to get a Boundary Waters (BWCA) overnight permit: the entire May–September season opens at once on the last Wednesday of January at 7 AM Pacific.
• Voyageurs National Park permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Voyageurs National Park camping permit: the whole summer season opens November 15 at 7 AM Pacific, with ten short-notice sites 7 days out.

Montana

• Glacier National Park permit guide - Lottery permit · Last-minute friendly - How to get a Glacier National Park wilderness permit: summer sites go on sale May 1 at 8 AM Mountain after the March lotteries.
• Yellowstone National Park permit guide - Lottery permit - How to get a Yellowstone backcountry permit: peak-season sites go on sale April 26 at 8 AM Mountain, non-peak October 6.

North Carolina

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Great Smoky Mountains backcountry permit: each site's quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7 AM Pacific - the shortest window of any park.

New Mexico

• Guadalupe Mountains National Park permit guide - How to get a Guadalupe Mountains National Park wilderness permit: each site's quota opens on a rolling 3-month window at 7 AM Pacific.

Oregon

• Central Cascades Wilderness permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Central Cascades Wilderness permit: ~40% opens in early April at 7 AM Pacific; ~60% drops rolling 7 days before entry.

Tennessee

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Great Smoky Mountains backcountry permit: each site's quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7 AM Pacific - the shortest window of any park.

Texas

• Guadalupe Mountains National Park permit guide - How to get a Guadalupe Mountains National Park wilderness permit: each site's quota opens on a rolling 3-month window at 7 AM Pacific.

Utah

• Angels Landing permit guide - Lottery permit - How to get an Angels Landing permit: the seasonal advance lottery, the day-before lottery, application windows, fees, and what the permit covers.
• Canyonlands National Park permit guide - How to get a Canyonlands backcountry permit: sites release in four seasonal drops at 8 AM Mountain, each opening a three-month block.
• Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) backpacking permit: each trailhead's quota opens 3 months ahead on a rolling window at 7 AM Pacific.
• Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) permit guide - How to get a Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) overnight permit: each date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window at 7 AM Pacific.
• Zion Narrows & Canyoneering permit guide - Lottery permit - How to get Zion canyoneering and top-down Narrows day-use permits: the daily lottery, the Subway and Mystery Canyon seasonal lotteries, windows, and fees.
• Zion National Park permit guide - How to get a Zion wilderness permit: sites release in four quarterly drops at 10 AM Mountain on the 5th of the month before each quarter.
• Zion Overnight Narrows permit guide - How to get a Zion Overnight Narrows permit: 12 campsites release quarterly at 10 AM Mountain on the 5th of the month before each quarter.

Washington

• Mount Rainier permit guide - Lottery permit · Last-minute friendly - How to get a Mount Rainier wilderness camping permit: the whole season goes on sale in late April at 7 AM Pacific after a spring lottery.
• North Cascades permit guide - Lottery permit · Last-minute friendly - How to get a North Cascades wilderness permit: the whole May–October peak season goes on sale in late April at 7 AM Pacific after a spring lottery.
• Olympic permit guide - How to get an Olympic wilderness permit: reservable year-round in two blocks at 7 AM Pacific, summer opening April 15 and winter September 15.
• The Enchantments permit guide - Lottery permit · Last-minute friendly - How to get an Enchantments overnight permit: apply in the Feb 15 – Mar 1 lottery; leftovers release first-come April 1 at 7 AM Pacific.

Wisconsin

• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore permit guide - How to get an Apostle Islands National Lakeshore camping permit: individual sites open on a rolling 30-day window each morning at 7 AM Pacific.

Wyoming

• Grand Teton National Park permit guide - Last-minute friendly - How to get a Grand Teton backcountry permit: the advance season opens in early January at 8 AM Mountain, closing 2 days before entry.
• Yellowstone National Park permit guide - Lottery permit - How to get a Yellowstone backcountry permit: peak-season sites go on sale April 26 at 8 AM Mountain, non-peak October 6.

Planning around release day? See the wilderness permit release calendar for every area's release cadence in one place.