Yellowstone National Park Permit Guide 2026

Lottery permit

Wyoming · Montana · No dogs in the backcountry

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger

Last updated

A Yellowstone backcountry permit covers overnight trips to the park's designated camp areas, spanning corridors like the Heart Lake basin, Slough Creek, the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the waterfall-rich Bechler region. It is one of the great wilderness backpacking experiences in the country, and permits are bookable online year-round. Peak-season trips are competitive, so popular sites for summer dates go fast.

Yellowstone National Park issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. 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. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.

When permits are released

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.

Fees

  • Reservation: $10 per reservation (non-refundable)
  • Per person, per night: $5 per person per night

How to get a Yellowstone National Park permit

  1. Plan your route and the camp areas you want to link together (for example the Heart Lake basin or the Bechler Canyon), and set your trip dates.
  2. For early access to peak-season trips (May 15 – October 31), apply in the March early-access lottery; awarded applicants book in April access windows (the lottery is separate and not tracked here).
  3. General on-sales are first-come, first-served on recreation.gov: peak-season trips (May 15 – October 31) go on sale April 26 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time, and non-peak trips (November 1 – May 14) on October 6 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time.
  4. Book the moment your dates open, then pick up the permit in person at a Backcountry Permit Office.
  5. For sold-out dates, keep watching: cancellations reopen sites year-round, and Permit Ranger can alert you when a spot reopens.

Notable trails

Yellowstone's camp areas anchor its classic backpacking corridors. Here are notable trails that reach the permit's most popular sites.

Top passes in this area

The most in-demand Yellowstone National Park entry points, each with its own detail page.

Frequently asked questions

When do Yellowstone National Park permits open?

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. 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.

More permits in Wyoming & Montana

Permits awarded by lottery

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 Yellowstone National Park passes · Book on recreation.gov