Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) Permit Guide 2026

Last-minute friendly

Utah · Leashed dogs OK

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger

Last updated

A Cedar Mesa backpacking permit covers overnight trips into the canyons of the Bears Ears region on BLM land - Grand Gulch, Road, Mule, Slickhorn, and the Fish & Owl canyons among them - a landscape famous for its Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and rock art. Permits are quota'd year-round by trailhead, and the popular spring and fall dates in Grand Gulch and Fish & Owl fill fast when they open.

Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. 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. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.

When permits are released

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.

Fees

  • Reservation: $6 per reservation (non-refundable)
  • Per person: $15 per person per trip (overnight backpacking)

How to get a Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) permit

  1. Choose your entry trailhead - such as Kane Gulch, Bullet Canyon, or Collins Canyon - and your entry date.
  2. Each entry date's trailhead quota opens exactly 3 months ahead on a rolling window, advancing every morning at 7:00 AM Pacific, which is the single online release moment.
  3. Book your permit on recreation.gov as soon as your date comes into the window, especially for the busy spring and fall seasons.
  4. If you can't reserve online, spring and fall walk-up permits are also sold at the Kane Gulch Ranger Station.
  5. For sold-out dates, keep watching: cancellations return to the pool, and Permit Ranger can alert you when a spot reopens.

Notable trails

Each Cedar Mesa trailhead opens onto a distinct canyon route. Here are notable hikes mapped to the permit's entry trailheads.

Top passes in this area

The most in-demand Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) entry points, each with its own detail page.

Frequently asked questions

When do Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) permits open?

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. Exact on-sale details are on the recreation.gov permit page.

What if my dates are sold out?

Cancellations open up all season. Watch the passes you want on Permit Ranger and you get an instant alert when a date you need becomes bookable.

Does Permit Ranger book the permit for me?

No. Permit Ranger alerts you the moment a watched date opens, with a direct booking link, but the booking is always yours to make on recreation.gov.

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Plan ahead

Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.

Browse Cedar Mesa (Bears Ears) passes · Book on recreation.gov