Permit Guides
One best-in-class reference per permit: how the system works, the real odds, and what to do when the lottery says no. Verified against Recreation.gov and the managing agencies, re-checked every season.
Boundary Waters Permit Cost (2026): BWCA Fees, and How to Get One
What a BWCA permit costs in 2026: the $6 reservation fee, the per-person recreation fee, and the minimum deposit, plus how to get in after your date sells out.
How to Get a Campsite at Scorpion Canyon, Santa Cruz Island (2026): Book the Boat, Then Watch for the Site
Scorpion Canyon Campground on Santa Cruz Island: 25 sites at $15 a night, up to six months ahead, and you need an Island Packers boat before the site. How it works.
How to Get a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit (2026): Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, and the 7 a.m. Release That Restocks Every Morning
How Central Cascades wilderness permits work: the April release is only 40% of the quota. The other 60% drops at 7 a.m. daily, 7 days out, for Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Washington.
How to Get a Glacier National Park Backcountry Permit (2026): The One-Day Lottery, the 30% Held for Walk-Ups, and the Refund Rule That Feeds Cancellations
How Glacier wilderness camping permits work: the single-day March lottery, the May 1 general on-sale, the 30% never sold online, and why Glacier's refund policy makes cancellations land all season.
How to Get a Grand Canyon Backcountry Permit (2026): The Monthly Lottery, the Top 750, and the Cancellations That Drop at Random
How Grand Canyon backcountry permits work: the lottery that runs every single month, what being in the top 750 actually buys, the use-area system, and why cancelled space reappears at a random moment inside 24 hours.
How to Get a John Muir Trail Permit (2026): One Trail, Four Agencies, No Single Permit
There is no single JMT permit. How John Muir Trail permits actually work: which agency issues yours, the Donohue Pass exit quota, real fees, and the release windows most people miss.
How to Get a Lost Coast Trail Permit (2026): Plus the Tides That Can Kill You
The complete Lost Coast Trail permit guide: how the King Range Wilderness reservation works, the fees, and, critically, how to read the tides and impassable zones so your trip is safe and legal.
How to Get a Mount Rainier Wilderness Permit (2026): The Early-Access Lottery, the Walk-Up Third, and the Camps That Come Back
How Mount Rainier wilderness permits work: the February early-access lottery and what winning actually buys you, the April 25 general on-sale, the third of camps never sold online, and why a Wonderland itinerary opens one night at a time.
How to Get a Mt. Whitney Permit (2026): The Lottery, the Odds, and the Backdoor
How to actually get a Mt. Whitney permit: how the lottery works, the real odds, and the season-long cancellation backdoor most people miss after they lose.
How to Get a North Cascades Backcountry Permit (2026): The Early-Access Lottery, the 40% Nobody Reserves, and the Camps That Free Up Late
How North Cascades backcountry permits work: the March early-access lottery and its real odds, the 40% held back for walk-ups, and why a trip opens up one camp-night at a time.
How to Get a Point Reyes Backcountry Campsite (2026): Sky, Coast, Glen and Wildcat, and the 14-Day Release Most People Miss
How Point Reyes backcountry camping works: 21 of the 40 sites at Sky, Coast, Glen and Wildcat release only 14 days out, at 7 a.m. Pacific. Fees, limits, and the play.
How to Get a Rocky Mountain Wilderness Permit (2026): No Lottery, One March Morning, and the In-Person Pickup Nobody Plans For
How Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness permits work: there is no lottery at all, the whole summer season goes on sale March 1 at 8 a.m. MST, the $36 is non-refundable, and your permit is not real until you collect it in person with a bear canister in hand.
How to Get an Enchantments Permit (2026): Lottery, Zones, and the Ways In After You Lose
How to get an Enchantments overnight permit: the lottery, the five zones, real odds, the season-long cancellation backdoor, and the day-hike that needs no lottery permit.
Yosemite Wilderness Permit (2026): Lottery + Backup Ways In
How Yosemite wilderness permits actually work: the weekly lottery 24 weeks out, the 40% that drops seven days ahead at 7 a.m., trailhead quotas, and the returns that keep landing all season.