If you are new to backpacking and are feeling overwhelmed because every backpacking trip idea you have seems to require permits, you are in the right place! While the permit process varies a lot between different wilderness areas, I will break down some common permit processes and terminology, as well as how to book permits on the main site for permits in the US: Recreation.gov. This guide leans towards California and the western US given that that is what I'm more familiar with.

Permits and Quotas: Why Do They Exist?

Permits are a piece of paper that give you and your group permission to stay overnight in the wilderness. Permits are tied to a specific person and usually non-transferable. Some popular hikes require permits even for day-use (Half Dome cables, Mt. Whitney, Angel's Landing).

Even when permits are unlimited and/or self-issued, you may still be required to register for one. This is because permits provide information to park management on trail usage and also document hikers' travel plans in the case that search and rescue is needed.

The terms permits and quotas are often used interchangeably, and that's because permits are usually limited by quotas. Quotas allow parks to manage human impact to fragile environments and preserve the wilderness experience for hikers. But when demand for a limited number of permits is growing rapidly, the outdoors feels inaccessible for those that cannot plan ahead.

It is not a perfect system and it can be confusing, so I will do my best to break it down below.

How Permits Work

This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some of the common ways permits are designated.

By designated campground. Reserve a specific backcountry campground for each night that you spend in the backcountry. Camping outside the campground is not permitted. Examples: most of Mount Rainier National Park, most of Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park.
By entry trailhead and direction. Camp anywhere given that you begin your hike on the trail indicated on your permit and you follow the rules for campsite selection. Examples: most of Yosemite National Park, Inyo National Forest, Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
By camping zone. Camp anywhere within the zone given that you follow the rules for campsite selection. Example: Desolation Wilderness.
By trail. Permits for a specific trail. Examples: Mt. Whitney, Half Dome cables, Zion Narrows.

Rae Lakes Loop, Kings Canyon National Park, California

What Permit Do I Need?

This is usually my first question when I have a trail in mind and I want to start planning for the trip. Most wilderness areas have some sort of document that details a list of permit names or backcountry campgrounds. I usually find it linked on the park’s Recreation.gov page eg. this one for Yosemite or the land management agency’s site (eg. NPS, USFS, BLM). Blogs can also be a way to find this information (I list the permit name at the top of every trip report I write on my site).

When Are Permits Needed?

Typically, permits are required all year round. More popular areas have a quota season when permits are limited. In mountainous areas when most people recreate summer to fall, quota season usually starts in May/June and goes until September/October. In deserts or lower-altitude areas with temperate climates, quota season may be year round.

Outside of quota season, permits are unlimited and often self-issued. This means you can register in-person at the trailhead or a ranger station, or online. Refer to your specific permit area for this information.

Camping at Island Lake in Desolation Wilderness

When and Where Do I Get Permits?

If you are backpacking in the US, Recreation.gov will be your best friend, so make an account there. More and more national parks and wilderness areas have migrated their permit system to Recreation.gov just in the past 6 years that I’ve been backpacking. You will use Recreation.gov to reserve permits, enter permit lotteries, see your lottery results, print permits, etc.

As for when to get permits, I am keeping the information here high-level because each park does permits a bit differently! The best source of information on the permit release method and dates will be the Recreation.gov page for that specific park. If you still have questions, then call a ranger and they will be happy to help.

Pre-Season

Pre-season refers to permits that are released before the backpacking season starts. This is usually winter to spring of the year that you want to backpack. Specific dates can be found on the relevant Recreation.gov page.

Permits may be released on a rolling basis or for the season all at once. For popular permits, permits get booked out in minutes or even seconds (example: Grand Teton National Park). This means it is important to check the permit release dates far in advance and be online right when they get released. For permits that are on a 6-month ahead rolling release, this means you may need to start thinking about your trips as early as November of the previous year!

During the Season

Don't worry, if you are like most people and can't plan that far ahead, most parks reserve a portion of the quota for walkup permits. Walkup permits are released closer to the trip date and are usually first-come, first-served, although there are exceptions (the daily lottery for Half Dome permits). Traditionally, walkup permits could only be obtained in-person a day or two before your hike. Since COVID happened, some areas (eg. Yosemite, Eastern Sierra) have moved to online walkups, which are much less of a logistical hassle!

Permit Lotteries

Because snagging a popular permit has become a clicking war, some parks have mixed luck into the process to make getting a permit more fair. This is usually done via permit lotteries or early-access lotteries.

Permit lotteries are just what they sound like. Instead of being able to reserve a permit, you enter a lottery to be awarded a permit reservation. Some of these lotteries are free to enter, but some are not. Eg: Yosemite National Park, Glacier National Park
Early-access lotteries are a lottery for a timeslot to reserve a permit during pre-season before the permits become available to the public. The earlier your timeslot, the better your chances are of securing the permit you want. Eg: Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Grand Canyon National Park.

Yosemite’s Recreation.gov page. Yosemite releases pre-season permits via a weekly lottery on a 6-month ahead rolling basis.

Permit Reservations vs Permits

This is a minor detail, but while permit reservations give you a right to a permit, they are usually not the permit. When you go on a trip, you must be able to present a copy of your permit, not just the reservation confirmation.

Permits can sometimes be printed at home (Desolation Wilderness) or digital, but other times you must obtain them in-person from a ranger station or wilderness office in order to be considered a valid permit (Yosemite National Park, Mount Rainier National Park). This is important to note when making travel plans, since this may mean you need to arrive the day before your hike to get your permit if you do not want to delay your first day of hiking.

If You Can't Get a Permit...

If you didn't win any lotteries or missed the permit release dates, do not worry. There are still plenty of places that you can backpack even if you did not plan in advance because they have no quotas. Just to name a few in California: Trinity Alps Wilderness, Emigrant Wilderness, and Humboldt-Toiyabe, are great options to start with. The Ventana Wilderness (Big Sur area) does not require wilderness permits.

Four Lakes Loop in the Trinity Alps Wilderness

California Wilderness Permits

For my California readers, here are the Recreation.gov pages that I've compiled for some of our many wilderness areas.

California Quota Permits

Yosemite National Park: 445859

Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park: 445857

Desolation Wilderness: 233261

King Range Wilderness Permits (Lost Coast): 72192

Inyo National Forest (Eastern Sierra): 233262

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest: 445856

Sierra National Forest: 445858

Lassen National Park: 4675334

Joshua Tree National Park: 4675329

California Non-Quota Permits

Note: Even if a wilderness permit is not required, a free campfire permit may be required (even to use a stove), so make sure to look into that!

Stanislaus National Forest - Emigrant Wilderness, Carson-Iceberg Wilderness: In-person fs.usda.gov

Stanislaus National Forest - Mokelumne Wilderness: In-person, or self-issued online fs.usda.gov. Note: the Carson Pass Management Area in Mokelumne Wilderness does have quotas.

Ventana Wilderness (Big Sur) in the Los Padres National Forest: No permits required

Henry W. Coe State Park: In-person. Technically not non-quota, but are walkup only and usually available. parks.ca.gov

Shasta-Trinity National Forest - Trinity Alps: Self-issued in-person fs.usda.gov

Marble Mountain Wilderness: No permits required fs.usda.gov

Jennie Lakes Wilderness: Self-issued at trailhead fs.usda.gov

Snow Mountain Wilderness: No permits required fs.usda.gov