Yosemite Backpacking Permits: How to Get One for Your Dream Trip (2025)

So, you’ve dreamed of waking up to seeing a glowing granite mountain right outside of your tent door? I understand the lure. But, the challenge of backcountry hiking won’t be your first mountain to climb on your trip to Yosemite. First, you need a backpacking permit.

Yosemite is one of the world’s most famous national parks, and backpacking here is a dream for many. In order for us all to enjoy the park without loving it to death, permits for backpacking in the park are a necessity!

I’m lucky to live close enough to Yosemite that I usually backpack in the park at least once per year. In my 9 years of backpacking, I’ve completed over 10 trips and 300 miles backpacked in the park.

I’ve also survived many versions of getting wilderness permits to backpack. I had to fax in my first few permit applications – wild right?!

Luckily, it’s much easier to access the permitting system now. But when things are more accessible, there’s usually more competition.

Don’t worry—I’ll break down everything you need to know about securing a Yosemite wilderness permit.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to get a permit, when you need to start planning your trip, and how to increase your chances of getting your dream permit.

What is a Wilderness Permit?

A wilderness permit is a piece of paper issued by the National Park Service that allows you to spend the night in the wilderness of the park.

It is the only way you are able to sleep outside of a designated campground in Yosemite.

You will hear people use different words to mean the same thing, even in this post. Wilderness permit = backpacking permit = backcountry camping permit.

Why are wilderness permits necessary?

Wilderness permits are required to go backpacking in Yosemite. You are not allowed to backpack in Yosemite without a permit.

Wilderness permits are important for many reasons:

1. Informs the park service of visitor use to enhance funding opportunities.
2. Allows for the dissemination of important wilderness rules in a regulated way.
3. If an overdue hiker is reported or a search and rescue is called, permit records give more insight into a hiker’s movements, helping the rescue.
4. Maintain the wilderness environment.

When are backpacking permits required in Yosemite?

Permits for backcountry camping are required all year long. There are different methods to obtaining permits in the off-season, which I discuss later.

Permit vs. quota – what’s the difference?

There is some confusion about quotas and permits and how they relate to each other, and I’m going to demystify it for you.

A permit is like an admission ticket. It lets you access the wilderness and gives you permission to camp along a trail.

A quota is a limit on the number of people allowed per day and per trailhead. In Yosemite, permits and quotas are in place year-round due to the popularity of backpacking in the park.

Yosemite has trailhead quotas. Each trailhead in the park has a certain number of people allowed to start their backpacking trip from there per day. And each trailhead has a different number available.

When you see the numbers on the graphs and the reservation screens, those numbers state individual people, not number of permits.

You could have 4 people in your group, thus, you’ll be taking 4 quota spots. I know some parks operate quotas by permit and group vs. by person so that can be confusing. But Yosemite is a person quota.

There are a few trailheads that look like they’re duplicates. But these trailheads actually have campsite restrictions attached to them. They determine where you can camp on your first night.

The park service determines the quota number of each trailhead. They monitor wilderness use and determine how much daily use and camping an area can take.

Because Yosemite doesn’t have (many) designated backcountry camping areas, it’s challenging to determine this number. No system is perfect, but we can all agree that we don’t want to be backpacking with 50 other people in one place. We go backpacking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Permit vs. reservation – which one do you need?

Another source of confusion is the difference between a wilderness permit reservation and a wilderness permit.

They’re almost the same thing – almost!

A reservation is what you get when you win the lottery or pay online at recreation.gov.

Even if you’ve booked a permit online, it’s NOT official until you pick it up at a Yosemite wilderness center. You can’t show up in the middle of the night and just start hiking. You’ve got to talk to a ranger to get your permit.

You must check in at a wilderness center and turn the online reservation into a real permit. The print out of your reservation or a phone screenshot is not enough.

Reservations are not allowed in the off-season. During the off-season, you just show up and self-register for a permit.

Here are the steps to turning your reservation into a true wilderness permit:

1. Enter the park the day before your permit start date or the day-of before 11:00 am. Your wilderness permit reservation allows you to enter the park at any entrance.
2. If you can’t get to a wilderness center to pick up your permit before 11:00 am on the day your permit starts, you must select “late pickup” on your online reservation one week before your trip (this option won’t be available until one week before).
3. Go to any wilderness center during business hours (usually 8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily) to pick up your permit. You don’t need to visit the center closest to the trailhead. There are five wilderness centers open during the high season: Big Oak Flat Information Station, Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station, Wawona Visitor Center, Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center, and the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center.
4. Talk to the ranger at the wilderness center, ask them questions, sign the permit, and then boom – you’ve got your wilderness permit!

How much do permits cost?

Wilderness permits are not free. It costs $10 to apply, and then an extra $5/person on the awarded permit.

If you apply for a weekly permit lottery, you have to pay $10 when you apply. If you lose the lottery, you do not get that $10 refunded.

When you arrive at the park, you will need to pay the $35 entrance fee per car. Or you can use an America the Beautiful Pass. It’s $80 and lets you into any National Park Service site for free.

Do I need a permit?

You only need a permit if you are overnight backcountry camping. If you are going to “car camp” in designated campgrounds and go on day hikes, you don’t need a permit.

The only day hike that needs a permit in Yosemite is Half Dome.

How To Get a Yosemite Wilderness Permit

There are multiple ways to get a permit to backpack in Yosemite. The majority of people will book their permits online at recreation.gov.

This is the link to recreation.gov’s Yosemite Wilderness Permit page.

I know this information may seem a little overwhelming, but don’t stress! I’m going to explain each method below.

Enter the weekly lottery

60% of the quota amount per trailhead becomes available 24 weeks before the desired start date. This is the lottery period.

For example, if you want to start your backpacking trip on any day from July 20 – 26, 2025, you must apply for a permit in the lottery during the week of February 2 – 8, 2025. The lottery opens at 12:01 am PT on Sunday and closes at 11:59 PT on Saturday.

It does not matter when you apply during the lottery window, just that you do apply. Applying at 12:01 am does not increase your chances of getting a permit.

You should visit this webpage to determine when the lottery will be open for the dates you want to go backpacking.

You will be notified if you win or lose your selection by the Monday after the lottery closes. Using the dates above, you’ll be notified by 5:00 pm PT on Monday, February 10, 2025.

If you are awarded a permit, you must accept your reservation by that Thursday at 11:59 pm PT. In this example, that would be Thursday, February 13, 2025.

If you do not accept your permit, it will be released back to the system the next day and anyone can reserve it, even if they didn’t apply for the lottery. You will not get your $10 back if you don’t accept your permit in time.

Here’s a 2-week calendar to help if you’re a visual learner:

To apply to the wilderness permit lottery, follow these steps:

1. Click the “Register for Open Lottery” button on the Yosemite wilderness permit page on recreation.gov.
2. Enter your personal information.
3. If you are going with other people, make sure you add them as alternate permit holders right now. You can’t add them or change them later. You’ll need their first and last name and email. This step is crucial. If you are no longer able to go on the trip, the rest of your group can go as long as an alternate permit holder can attend and pick up the permit.
4. Add an emergency contact.
5. Choose the number of trailheads & dates you’d like to enter for. You can select up to 8. I would enter 8 options unless you are very rigid with your plans.
6. The 8 options are ranked. This means you should put your most desired trailhead and start date as the number 1 option, your second most desired as number 2, etc.
7. You are able to put down different trailheads, number of people, and dates for each entry. This will let you be strategic with your choices. You should do something different for each option.
8. Read and attest to the “Need to Know” information.
9. Click “Proceed to Cart”.
10. Pay your application fee.

Online “walk-up” reservations

There are two kinds of online walk-up permits. The first are the unclaimed permits from the lottery process. The second are the 7-day advance walk-up permits.

The week-ahead online system has replaced the in-person, day-before walk-up process. This allows for better trip planning for everyone!

The online walk-up process is usually how I get my permits for Yosemite, and I’ve been successful many times!

Unclaimed lottery permits

These are the permits that become available every Friday at 9:00 am PT. Basically, not all trailheads will be in high demand during the lottery process. Any unclaimed lottery permits become immediately available. And they stay available until someone reserves it online.

To check for permit availability, you’ll click the “Explore Available Permits” button on the recreation.gov Yosemite permit page. Scroll through to the date you want to backpack, and if there are numbers, it means there are permits available.

You can reserve and pay for these permits immediately! No need to wait a week.

The graphic below shows what the availability screen will look like.

• The “L” means lottery – you need to apply for the current lottery period for those dates.
• The blue numbers indicate the quota available. These are available to book right away.
• The grey numbers also indicate the quota available, but are grey because your group size is larger than the number available.
• The “NR” means the 60% lottery permits are all reserved and accounted for. You must wait until the week ahead permits release for a chance to get one (or a rare cancellation).

Week Ahead advance permits

40% of the available quotas are released 7 days before the trip start date at 7:00 am PT. E.g. You want to start your hike on a Saturday, so you need to go online the Saturday immediately before.

Getting one of these permits is just like getting the unclaimed lottery permits. You will click “Explore Available Permits” and you will immediately select available permits and pay.

If you want a popular trailhead, you will need to be on your computer before 7:00 am, signed into your account, and ready to refresh the website right at 7 to have the best chance at getting a permit. Fast WiFi and hands will help you!

All permits – the 60% lottery and the 40% walk-up – will only be available until 3 days before the trip start date. E.g. for a Friday start date, permits are available online until Tuesday at 11:59 pm PT.

You will see a “0” on the permit page if all permits have been taken for a specific trailhead. You will also see a 0 after the three day period.

You’ll also see this “0” for trailheads along Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road before their opening seasons.

Day-of walk-up permits

Yosemite still allows for in-person walk-up wilderness permits! These permits exist due to very last-minute cancellations or any unclaimed permits after the online sale stop.

On my last backpacking trip in Yosemite, I watched a guy get a day-of walk-up permit for a really awesome trip: Young Lakes!

I also got a day-of walk-up permit for Cathedral Lakes one time back during the old permit system – that was unexpected and I was so stoked there was a permit available! So, miracles do happen.

If you want to try to get one of these permits, you’ll need to:

1. Be incredibly flexible and take whatever is left.
2. Be ready to start your trip on that day (you can’t wait until the next day).
3. Enter the park with a daily entrance reservation or enter before the daily reservation hours.
4. Go to a wilderness center during open hours.
5. Have a detailed topographic map of the whole park.

I only recommend experienced backpackers try to get permits this way. Because you are not really able to plan your trip in advance, you should be comfortable enough with your backpacking skills to read a topographic map well, find water anywhere, and find appropriate campsites.

Off-season wilderness permits

The off-season is loosely defined as November – April in Yosemite.

Each park zone has a different off-season:

• Tioga Road & Tuolumne Meadow Trailheads: October 15, 2024 – June 18, 2025
• Glacier Point & Wawona Trailheads: October 15, 2024 – May 22, 2025
• Yosemite Valley & Hetch Hetchy Trailheads: October 20, 2024 – April 24, 2025

This webpage from Yosemite is updated each year and shows when a park zone is on or off season.

Off-season permits are self-issued at a wilderness center. You can arrive and fill out a permit at any time of the day.

Realize that off-season in Yosemite generally equals tons of snow and freezing temperatures. You should be skilled in backpacking and ready for full winter camping conditions during the off-season.

Simple step-by-step checklist to get a wilderness permit in Yosemite

1. Figure out the dates you want to go backpacking.
2. Use the NPS chart to determine when you need to apply for the permit.
3. Apply for the permit 24 weeks in advance.
4. If you miss the 24-week window, check to see if there were any unclaimed permit reservations.
5. Use the 7-day permit release method for last-minute trips or if you miss the 24-week lottery.
6. Arrive at the park the day before your reservation start date.
7. Visit any wilderness center during opening hours to talk to a ranger and get your official wilderness permit.

6 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Getting a Permit

1. Smaller group size

The fewer people in your group, the more likely you can fit yourselves into the quota limitations.

2. Pick a trailhead with more quota space

Certain trailheads allow more people per day! Sometimes even twice as many as others! Use this chart to check the quotas per trailhead.

3. Start your trip Monday – Thursday

Everyone wants to start a backpacking trip on the weekend, or extend their weekend a little bit by beginning on Friday. Starting your hike on a Monday – Thursday will mean fighting against less people.

4. Go during the shoulder seasons

Less people go backpacking in the spring and fall because weather can be volatile. But if you are prepared, you’ll face less competition and experience the park in a really special way!

Aim for trips that start before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.

5. Choose a less popular trailhead

People forget this secret: many trails in Yosemite are inter-connected. Choosing a less-popular trailhead might only restrict you on your first night of camping, and after that, you can pretty much hike and camp wherever you want!

6. Use a permit notification service

If you have your heart set on a certain itinerary, check out Outdoor Status. For a small fee, you’ll be notified immediately when permits are available for your desired trailhead, instead of checking the permit site constantly.

Alternate Methods for Securing Yosemite Backpacking Permits

Entry via neighboring wilderness areas

Yosemite National Park is surrounded by National Forests! Stanislaus to the northwest, Sierra to the southwest, Humboldt-Toiyabe to the northeast, and Inyo to the southeast.

There are multiple trails within these forests that begin outside of Yosemite, but travel into the park!

Having a valid wilderness permit from any of these forests allows you to enter Yosemite and continue your trip in the park.

You can learn more about getting permits at the following links:

• Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
• Inyo National Forest
• Sierra National Forest
• Stanislaus National Forest

High Sierra Camp lottery

The High Sierra Camps in the Yosemite backcountry are a special kind of “glamping”-like experience. Instead of carrying all of your backpacking gear, you get to stay in canvas tents and have your meals prepared for you. It’s luxury in the wilderness!

The location of each camp is such that you only need to carry a day pack between each one, and you hike approximately 50 miles if you complete the full loop.

The camps have had a rocky few seasons ever since they sustained major damage in the winter of 2016-2017. Followed with staffing issues, a worldwide pandemic, and more heavy winters, they haven’t been fully open since the summer of 2016.

I don’t have an answer if they’ll ever be fully restored, but 3 out of 5 camps will be open in 2025, so fingers crossed!

There is a special lottery and extra cost to get the chance to stay in these alpine camps. The lottery happens every November for the following summer. You can learn more here.

Special Wilderness Permit Allowances

There are lots of rules that come with holding a wilderness permit in Yosemite. Like storing your food in a bear canister. You should definitely read them and understand them before your trip.

But you also get a few special privileges when you have a permit!

Half Dome access

There are certain trailheads that let you add on a summit of Half Dome to your itinerary! These trailheads are in high demand, but it’s still more difficult to get a day hiking permit for Half Dome.

When you pick up your permit from the wilderness center, just tell the ranger that you want to climb Half Dome. They’ll review your itinerary and go over important Half Dome safety information, and you’ll pay an additional $10/person at the wilderness center.

These are the trailheads that allow you to add Half Dome to your itinerary:

• Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley (LYV)
• Happy Isles to Past LYV
• Glacier Point to LYV
• Mono Meadow
• Sunrise Lakes
• Cathedral Lakes
• Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang

Donohue Pass

Donohue Pass is the border of Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness in Inyo National Forest. It’s important with backpacking permits because the John Muir Trail (JMT) passes through here.

The John Muir Trail is such a popular long-distance backpacking trip that Yosemite has to regulate the exit over Donohue Pass.

If you are not planning a JMT thru-hike or section-hike, you should not reserve a permit that says “Donohue Pass eligible”.

There are two trailheads that allow exit over Donohue Pass:

1. Happy Isles to Past Little Yosemite Valley (Donohue Pass Eligible)
2. Lyell Canyon (Donohue Pass Eligible)

These two trailheads have a duplicate trailhead that says “No Donohue Pass”. This is the one you should select if you don’t need to leave Yosemite.

Backpackers campgrounds

There are four backpackers campgrounds in Yosemite, and you are only allowed to camp in them if you have a wilderness permit.

These backpackers campgrounds are small areas in the frontcountry near parking lots and established campgrounds.

The point of these campgrounds are to make things easier for backpackers the day before and after their trip. A lot of people have to drive pretty far to get to Yosemite, and it’s usually more convenient to arrive the day before a backpacking trip so you can get an early start the next morning. Or you have a long last day of your trip and don’t want to drive home that night.

Your wilderness permit lets you stay at any of these camps for 1 night before and 1 night after your backpacking trip.

Park entry without a daily reservation

Yosemite requires day-use reservations to enter the park in the summer months.

If you have a wilderness permit reservation, you do not need an extra park entry reservation. Your permit is your entry reservation. And it lets you enter the park one day before your permit start date.

If you are traveling in a group in separate vehicles, just make sure the other cars have a copy of the permit reservation and the permit holder’s drivers license.

FAQ: Yosemite Backpacking Permits – Your Questions Answered

Wilderness Permit Success!

Securing a Yosemite backpacking permit might feel like a challenge, but with the right approach, you can make it happen! Whether you’re applying through the lottery, trying for a last-minute permit, or using an alternate entry point, you will be able to enjoy the jaw-dropping Yosemite backcountry.

Once you’ve got your permit, the real adventure begins! Now, it’s time to start planning the details of your trip—where to camp, what gear to bring, and how to prepare for Yosemite’s unique backcountry conditions.

Drop a comment below if you have any questions about permits—I’m happy to help. Happy hiking!

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