Are Bots Stealing Your National Park Permits?

Here’s What’s Really Happening to Your Backpacking Permits

Have you ever logged onto Recreation.gov the moment your dream permits drop, only to watch them disappear in the blink of an eye? You click, refresh, enter your details, and by the time you hit "submit," they’re all gone.

It’s not just you. And it’s not always bad luck either.

So here’s the BIG question on everyone’s mind: Are bots stealing the National Park Permits that let us explore some of the most beautiful places in the country?

The Enchanting Bryce Canyon Sunrise in Winter

What Is a “Bot” and What Does it Have to Do with Getting Permits?

Have you ever tried to get tickets for a Taylor Swift concert? You set up every device you own. You’re on the ticket master page. The clock strikes midnight. You hit refresh. And before you can finish filling out your information…they’ve sold out. Dreams are crushed in an instant and suddenly you’re trapped in your ‘Ticket-less Era’.

All that work and prep for nothing…But what’s this? The third-party ticket sites and scalpers didn’t have any trouble getting tickets. What do they do differently?

They use “bots”, an automated program that fills in all of the info and clicks “buy” within nanoseconds. These bots are automated programs that can refresh pages, auto-fill forms, and submit requests — faster than any human could ever click. 

Yeah, that’s what it can feel like trying to get permits too. Like the deck is stacked against you. Like there’s no way to win without cheating, (you’re supposed to verify that you’re human to reserve permits.)

But is that what’s happening? 

Are Bots the Reason We Can't Get those Backpacking Permits?

Here’s the thing; not all bots are created equal. The scalping bots we just discussed do exist. But there are also helpful bots. 

The helpful bots are automated programs that…

• Refresh pages

• Track availability and cancelations, 

• and send you notifications and reminders. 

Now, those bots are helpful tools that give you an edge when you go to Recreation.gov and make the reservation yourself. Here’s the big difference.

Services that use these helpful bots can’t book permits for you. You still have to do that yourself.

So, yes, there are definitely some tech-savvy individuals who have tried to use automated tools to gain an unfair advantage. Some people even hire “permit concierge” services to secure hard-to-get spots. But finding evidence to prove that it’s the bots auto filling forms in nano second is difficult or non-existent. 

We’ve read some pretty persuasive threads that really do make it sound like scalping bots are taking some permits. But…there are also examples of real-life people securing permits through old fashion form filling and persistence. 

So, if there are scalping bots involved, there aren’t enough to shut out any normal human from still securing a permit.

I say if because Recreation.gov is designed to prevent this kind of abuse.

How Does Recreation.gov Prevent Bots from Scamming Us?

No reservation site is perfect, and Recreation.gov certainly has its drawbacks. But they do make it difficult to use bots to grab permits. 

1. You need an account to make a reservation. That’s a big hurdle for anyone trying to game the system. 

2. You have to pass the CAPTCHAs – you know those annoying tests that verify that you’re human. Well, turns out bots find them annoying too because they can’t pass them so easily. 

3. They use rate-limiting to restrict the number of requests that an applicant can make to their API within a certain amount of time. Translation: you can’t automate your clicks.

These three safeguards are hard to bypass en masse, and they make it easy for the site to catch suspicious activity. 

While, in theory, bots could be used, it’s less likely than you might think.

Why Is It So Hard to Get Backpacking Permits?

Hal Dome belongs on every hiker's bucket list, so start now. The Half Dome Trail only allows 225 daily permits.

Seriously, if evil scalping bots aren’t to blame, then why can’t I get backpacking permits? 

The simple answer is demand is through the roof. California especially, is home to some of the most in demand trails in the US. And they’re serious about protecting them. 

Millions of people want to explore the same pristine wilderness you do. But if parks simply permitted everyone who wanted to go, there would be severe drawbacks. 

• Trails and dispersed camping areas would see more environmental impact and need better maintenance. 

• The solitude that we enjoy with nature wouldn’t be as complete because…well…more people means more sound.

• Dispersed camping areas would be packed with people seeking solitude. 

• And even if everyone practiced Leave No Trace to the best of their ability…there would be traces of humans everywhere.

Wilderness permits play a vital role in protecting our environment and our experience while we’re on the trail. That means, wilderness permits to the most in-demand places are always going to be limited.

Take Yosemite National Park, for example. In 2024, Yosemite welcomed approximately 4.12 million visitors, making it one of the most popular national parks in the U.S. It's also home to some of the most coveted permits, such as those for the Half Dome cables hike.​

In 2024, over 35,500 applications competed for only 225 daily Half Dome permits during the pre-season lottery. That means the success rate is about 19%. Fewer than 1 in 5 applicants secured a permit. The odds are even slimmer for weekend spots, with a success rate of approximately 14% in the daily lotteries.​

With over 4 million visitors to Yosemite and only 225 permits available daily for Half Dome, the competition is fierce. Only a small fraction of visitors will have the chance to hike the cables. And the same goes for other high-demand locations. There simply aren't enough permits to satisfy all interested adventurers.

Why Do Some People Think Bots Are to Blame? 

Because when you’re up against insanely high demand, it feels like you’re doing everything right and still missing out. It’s like no matter what you do, someone else beats you to it, and you see those permits disappear. And let’s be honest, the lottery system is also at play here. 

You can do everything to the letter for years and still miss out. While someone else may get it on their try. 

Is it completely random and free of bias? Yes! 

...but that doesn’t mean it’s fair.

The reality is that with more people trying to access public lands than ever before, competition is always going to be fierce.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember why these systems exist. Public lands are our treasures. And it’s right that everyone should have the opportunity to access them. But we also want to make sure they maintain their value and charm. By going through an arduous process just to get a chance to see these places, those who get these permits are more likely to value, respect, and protect these treasures for others.

Keeping these permits in demand means that when you do get one, you value it all the more. 

So is getting a permit really just a spin of the permit roulette wheel, and taking your chance at securing a wilderness permit for the trip of a lifetime?

It's actually not.

There are a couple strategies you can use to increase your chances of getting into the backcountry this season. That's why we put together the Pathloom Permit Strategy Guide.

Fill out a little survey to help us out and it's all yours.

Access the Permit Strategy Guide