Permit Deadline Calendar

Jan 28Boundary Waters: Reservations open (2026: Jan 28)

The whole season opens first-come on the last Wednesday of January at 9 a.m. Central. Prime entry points can sell out in minutes.

Feb 1Mt. Whitney: Lottery opens

Applications run February 1 – March 1 on Recreation.gov. Timing inside the window doesn't matter.

Feb 1John Muir Trail: Mt. Whitney lottery opens (Portal starts only)

Applications run February 1 - March 1. JMT hikers finishing over Whitney do not need this; they use the Trail Crest exit quota on their originating permit.

Feb 10Mount Rainier: Early-access lottery opens

Applications open February 10, 2026 at 7 a.m. PT and run through March 3. What you win is a place in the booking queue, not a permit.

Feb 15The Enchantments: Advanced lottery opens

Applications run February 15 – March 1 on Recreation.gov. Pick your zone carefully. It's the whole game.

Mar 1Mt. Whitney: Lottery closes

Last day to apply.

Mar 1The Enchantments: Advanced lottery closes

Last day to apply.

Mar 1Glacier: Large-group lottery (9–12), one day

Applications accepted March 1, 2026 only, 12:00 a.m.–11:59 p.m. MT; notification March 3. Only five large-group advance reservations are issued per year.

Mar 1Rocky Mountain: Whole season on-sale, 8 a.m. MST

The entire summer season opens first-come online at 8 a.m. MST on March 1, for start dates May 1 through October 31. There is no lottery here, and no second on-sale. Be logged in beforehand, and note that nothing is held until you click Book Now, after which you have 15 minutes to pay.

Mar 2North Cascades: Early-access lottery opens

Applications run March 2 – March 13, 2026, closing 9 p.m. PT. A win is a booking timeslot, not a trip.

Mar 3Mount Rainier: Early-access lottery closes

Last day to apply, 7 p.m. PT.

Mar 13North Cascades: Early-access lottery closes

Last day to apply, 9 p.m. PT. In 2026: 13,857 applications, 2,000 winners.

Mar 14Mount Rainier: Lottery results

Award status goes out from March 14, 7 a.m. PT. Winners are given a specific date and time when their personal booking window opens.

Mar 15Mt. Whitney: Lottery results

Results post to your Recreation.gov account.

Mar 15Glacier: Standard lottery (1–8), ONE DAY ONLY

Applications accepted March 15, 2026 only, 12:00 a.m.–11:59 p.m. MT. $10 non-refundable. Miss this single day and the lottery door is shut for the year.

Mar 17The Enchantments: Lottery results

Notifications sent March 17, 2026. Log in to your Recreation.gov account to see them.

Mar 17Glacier: Lottery results

Winners notified March 17, then book from March 21 until April 30, 2026. About 3,000 standard advance reservations are available.

Mar 20North Cascades: Lottery results

Winners notified beginning March 20, then book during an assigned timeslot between March 24 and April 21, 2026 (9 p.m. PT close).

Mar 21Mount Rainier: Early-access booking opens

Winners book from March 21 during their assigned window, one reservation each. An early window finds the Wonderland Trail largely intact; a late one is picking through the remainder.

Mar 31The Enchantments: Accept and pay deadline

Winners must accept, give an exit date, and pay ($5/person/night) by March 31, 11:59 p.m. PT. Miss it and the permit is forfeited, and refills the April 1 release.

Apr 1The Enchantments: Unclaimed release, ~7 a.m. PT

All unclaimed lottery awards return to the advance reservation system around 7 a.m. Pacific on April 1, first-come to anyone. A scheduled door, unlike a cancellation. Be logged in.

Apr 7Central Cascades: Full-season release

About 40% of every day's quota at every trailhead goes on sale at 7 a.m. PDT on the first Tuesday in April (April 7 in 2026), for the whole June 15 – October 15 season.

Apr 21Mt. Whitney: Claim deadline

Winners must claim and pay by April 21. Unclaimed wins evaporate.

Apr 22Mt. Whitney: Unclaimed release

Everything unclaimed goes on sale first-come at 7 a.m. Pacific, and keeps selling while it lasts.

Apr 22John Muir Trail: Whitney unfilled dates go on sale

Any dates the Whitney lottery left unfilled open for reservations.

Apr 25Mount Rainier: General on-sale, 7 a.m. PT

Everything unreserved opens to everyone, and lottery participants may start making additional reservations. Reservations must be made at least 2 days before the start date.

Apr 29North Cascades: General on-sale, 7 a.m. PT

Everything unclaimed opens to everyone. Reservations must be made at least 2 days before the trip start date.

May 1Mt. Whitney: Quota season opens

Daily caps take effect May 1 – November 1: 100 day hikers, 60 overnight. A permit is required year-round; this is when the quota and the lottery apply.

May 1Boundary Waters: Quota season opens

Reserved quota permits required for overnight trips (and motorized day trips), May 1 – September 30.

May 1Glacier: General on-sale, 8 a.m. MT

Everything unclaimed opens to everyone on May 1 and stays bookable through September 30, 2026.

May 1Rocky Mountain: Reservable season opens

Advance reservations cover trips from May 1 through October 31. A permit is required year-round regardless.

May 15The Enchantments: Season opens

Overnight permits required in the Enchantment Permit Area, May 15 – October 31. Day hiking needs no lottery permit.

May 15Lost Coast Trail: Quota doubles for summer

60 people per day May 15 – September 15; 30 people per day September 16 – May 14. The quota counts entries to the whole King Range Wilderness, not just the Lost Coast Trail, so shoulder-season dates draw from half the inventory.

Jun 15Central Cascades: Permit season begins

Overnight permits required for all trips in the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Washington wilderness areas from today through October 15.

Oct 12Mount Rainier: Last reservable day

The window closes with the first federal holiday in October, which for 2026 is October 12. Wilderness Information Centers close the next day.

Oct 15Central Cascades: Permit season ends

Last day permits are required. Later starts need no Central Cascades permit.

Nov 1Rocky Mountain: Winter season: walk-up only

From November, permits are issued in person, first-come, at $10 each. No advance reservations are accepted during the winter season.

Nov 2Mt. Whitney: Quota season ends: permits unlimited

From November 2 to April 30 there is no quota: the number of permits issued is unlimited and you reserve up to two weeks out. A permit is still required. It's a winter ascent by then, which is why almost nobody mentions this door.

NovYosemite Wilderness: Weekly lotteries begin (mid-November)

From mid-November through early May, a lottery runs every week. Apply Sunday through Saturday for start dates 24 weeks out. Results post the following Monday.

NovJohn Muir Trail: Yosemite weekly lotteries begin (southbound starts)

Rolling weekly lotteries open 24 weeks ahead of entry: apply Sunday through Saturday, results Monday evening, accept by Thursday. 60% of each trailhead's quota; book a Donohue Pass Eligible entry for a thru-hike.

Mt. Whitney · Annual lottery + season-long returns

Freed-up spots, all quota season. Permits are non-refundable, so spots return mainly via group-size reductions and no-shows, back onto Recreation.gov at unpredictable times, May through November. No walk-ups exist.

The Enchantments · Annual lottery + leftovers, cancellations, daily lottery

Cancellations, all season. Permits are refundable more than 22 days out, so canceled dates return to Recreation.gov all season. Last-minute drops are common in the days before a trip.

Day-before lottery, daily. A share of permits go out through a daily geofenced lottery. Apply the day before your start, 7 a.m. Pacific, from inside the geofence near Leavenworth (rec.gov #445863).

Boundary Waters · First-come reservations (not a lottery)

Cancellation churn, all season. In 2025 nearly 40% of January on-sale reservations went unused. Full recreation-fee refund up to 2 days before entry, and canceled permits return to inventory within 24 hours. 'Sold out' reopens constantly. Note: a tiered-forfeit cancellation policy is proposed for the 2027 season.

Walk-in permits. Pick up in person at a permit-issuing station on your entry date or the day before, when available.

Lost Coast Trail · 90-day rolling reservations (not a lottery)

Rolling window, daily. Each day at 7 a.m. Pacific, the date exactly 90 days out becomes reservable. Good-tide summer dates go right at the open, and check the BLM impassable-dates list BEFORE you book.

Cancellations. The per-person fee is refundable up to 7 days before entry, so booked dates come back onto Recreation.gov when plans change.

Walk-up lottery, Mon–Sat. Up to 3 starts per day by lottery at the King Range Visitor Center, 8 a.m., remainder first-come. A backstop for the flexible, not a plan.

Yosemite Wilderness · Weekly lottery (60%) + week-ahead release (40%)

Accept and pay by Thursday. Win the weekly lottery and you must accept and pay by Thursday. Miss it and the reservation is cancelled without a refund, and that space returns to the pool.

22-week first-come release, 9 a.m. PT. Twelve days after each lottery application period opens, every trailhead with space left goes first-come at 9 a.m. Pacific, and stays bookable until seven days out.

The 40% drop, 7 days out at 7 a.m. PT. Forty percent of every trailhead's quota releases exactly seven days before the entry date at 7 a.m. Pacific. The most reliable recurring door in the system.

Booking closes 3 days out. No online reservations inside three days of your trip. Walk-ups are rare late April – mid-October; from late October to mid-April most trailheads don't fill.

North Cascades · Early-access lottery + general on-sale (60% advance / 40% walk-up)

Cancellations, all season. The per-person recreation fee is refundable if you cancel at least 3 days out, so camp-nights return to Recreation.gov steadily. One returned night can unblock a whole itinerary.

Walk-up 40%, all season. Roughly 40% of campsite inventory is never sold online. First-come at the park's wilderness information centers.

Glacier · One-day lottery + general on-sale (70% advance / 30% walk-up)

Cancellations, all season. Cancel more than 7 days out and camping fees are fully refunded, which is exactly why campsites come back to Recreation.gov all summer. Itineraries can also be changed up to 2 days prior.

Walk-up 30%, all season. About 30% of wilderness campsites parkwide are never sold online. First-come, in person at a wilderness permit office.

Mount Rainier · Early-access lottery (a queue position, not a permit) + general on-sale, 2/3 advance / 1/3 walk-up

Cancellations, all season. Cancel four or more full days out and the recreation fee is refunded, so camp-nights return to Recreation.gov steadily. One returned night can unblock an entire Wonderland itinerary.

Walk-up third, all season. About one third of camps are never sold online. First-come at wilderness information centers, requestable up to one day before your start. No-show camps go into this pool, not back onto Recreation.gov.

Grand Canyon · Monthly rolling lottery (top 750 get booking timeslots), then open to all

Lottery applications, the 16th to the 1st, every month. A two-week window opens on the 16th and closes at 5 p.m. MST on the 1st, four months before your start month. Apply by January 1 for May starts, February 1 for June, and so on down the calendar.

Lottery runs late on the 2nd, every month. All applicants are randomly reordered. The top 750, in groups of 15, receive a booking timeslot: five a day (8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. MST) spread over ten days. Your position matters more than the win.

Everyone else, around the 20th. Applicants outside the top 750 can see and reserve whatever space is left from about the 20th of the lottery month.

Open to all, 8 a.m. MST on the 1st. Whatever remains opens to the general public on the 1st of the month following the lottery month. For May start dates, that is February 1.

Cancellations, released at random. The nightly charge is refundable until 30 days out, so space does come back. Recreation.gov then releases it at a random moment within 24 hours, deliberately giving no fixed time to watch for, and it stays bookable up to five days before a trip.

Backcountry Information Center waitlist, daily. Request a number at the South Rim office (8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. MST). It is good for the following morning, called from 8 a.m., and you can trade up day after day.

Rocky Mountain · No lottery at all. One first-come on-sale, then cancellations

Cancellations, all season. The $36 is non-refundable, so the churn here is plan changes rather than refund-seeking. It is a thinner stream than a refundable system produces, and with no second on-sale it is the only online route after March 1.

In-person pickup, every single trip. Permits and vehicle dashtags are collected in person only, up to 30 days early, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Bring your bear canister into the office or the permit will not be issued. Not collected by noon on day one counts as a no-show.

John Muir Trail · One permit from your entry agency; four systems issue them

Inyo rolling releases, daily 7am Pacific. 60% of each day's east-side quota opens six months out; the remaining 40% releases two weeks before entry. An NR cell means the 40% has not dropped yet.

Yosemite week-ahead release, 7am. 40% of each trailhead's quota releases seven days before the entry date; unclaimed lottery quota goes on sale Fridays at 9am Pacific.

Cancellation churn, all season, every agency. Cancelled quota is released back for rebooking (Yosemite states this outright). No refunds, so it moves at no predictable hour.

Central Cascades · April full-season release (~40%) + daily 7-day rolling release (~60%)

7 a.m. rolling release, daily. The remaining ~60% of each entry date's quota drops at 7 a.m. PDT exactly 7 days before that date, every morning of the season. Cancellations return on top of that at no set time; the $6 group fee is non-refundable.

Point Reyes backcountry camps · Two rolling release windows: 3 months and 14 days

3-month release, daily. At 7 a.m. Pacific, the night exactly 3 months out opens at 19 of the 40 individual sites. At the edge of the window you can book one or two nights.

14-day release, daily. At 7 a.m. Pacific, the night exactly 14 days out opens at the other 21 sites: six each at Sky, Coast and Glen, three at Wildcat.

Cancellations. Cancel any time before arrival for a refund minus a $10 fee, so booked sites come back onto Recreation.gov at no set time.

Scorpion Canyon (Santa Cruz Island) · Up to six months ahead, boat first, plus cancellations

Six-month booking window. Sites can be reserved up to six months in advance on Recreation.gov, and there are no walk-ups.

Boat first. Recreation.gov asks you to arrange boat transportation with Island Packers before you reserve a campsite.

Cancellations. Cancelled sites return at no set time, often several nights at once, and Recreation.gov takes reservations up to your arrival day.