Hint: Planning Ahead is Key when Applying for Backpacking Permits for Yosemite National Park
Thousands of people retreat to Yosemite National Park for outdoor adventures of all kinds every year. The pristine wilderness trails, the remarkable views, the tranquil lakes, they’re all prime reasons why we flock to Yosemite.
But that’s also why your Yosemite backpacking permit could be the most competitive application you ever send in. Everyone wants to see Yosemite. So when planning a backpacking trip to Yosemite, the more in-advance that you plan, the better.
When Should I Start Planning on Backpacking in Yosemite National Park?
You need to start planning your backpacking trip to Yosemite about 4-5 months in advance. The weather you’re in right now should be different from the weather you’re planning to backpack in — that’s how far in advance it should be. With the seasonal lottery system, you can plan trips up to 6 months in advance. (More on that to come.)
In the off-season (October-December), you can get permits weeks, or even days, in advance, depending on the trail. But if the quota — that’s the amount of permits allowed per day — is reached before you put your name in, you’d have to apply for another day, which could be a bummer.
But since there are weekly quotas during the off season, you can try again until you get it. (And we hope you get it!)
Now, some popular trails require separate permits, we’ll dive into those now.
So What Backpacking Permits Do I Need for Yosemite?
The backpacking permit for Yosemite that you’ll be applying for is the Wilderness Permit. Anytime you venture into the backcountry to spend the night, you’re required to have a Yosemite Wilderness Permit.
But there are also camping permits, campfire permits, and a couple specific trail permits that you may need as well depending on your route. We’ll cover those below.
How Do I Get a Yosemite Backpacking Permit?
During Yosemite’s busiest season, late April through October, there is a lottery system with a daily quota in place. 60 percent of permits are released 24 weeks in advance of the trip date, between Saturday and Friday of the open application window.
At the end of each week, the lottery period closes, and the remaining permits that have not been accepted become available on a first-come, first-serve basis. These can be used to plan trips three days in advance.
Once the 60 percent of permits are released, the remaining 40 percent become available seven days in advance of the desired reservation date.
Okay, it sounds really complicated when it’s written out like that, so let’s give an example so you see how this plays out.
You apply for a Yosemite Wilderness Permit on December 15, 2024 for your backpacking trip starting on June 1, 2025. (That’s the earliest you can apply for it.)
You wait a week until the applications close on December 21.
The lottery ensues
You get the results notification on December 23
You must now accept the permit by December 26 or else they will release your reservation on Dec 27 to go through another lottery 3 days before June 1.
So really, within two weeks of applying for your wilderness permit, you should know if you got it or not.
But what do you do if you don’t get the permit?...
What if I Don’t Win the Permit Lottery?
Your dream trip isn’t dead yet!
If you lose out on the first lottery, then you can still wait for the leftover 40% of the permits. These become available on a first-come-first-served basis, and they sell out faster than Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour…okay maybe not that fast.
But it’s still quick, so go to Recreation.gov to reserve a permit 7 days in advance of your trip, and be ready at 7:00 am PST when they open up reservations.
If you still lose out, guess what? You can try for the 3-day lottery permits that those formerly lucky hikers decided not to accept. You’ll see the results the same day, so you can still get to the trailhead in time.
Do you want to avoid the emotional rollercoaster of preparing for a trip, and then losing out on the last-minute permits and lotteries?
Yeah, me too. So here’s your third option; try for a different permit entirely.
There are many other parts of Yosemite that are just as beautiful. Don’t get too set on your itinerary before you have the permit in hand. Try to go for the less popular permits to increase your chances of getting it.
Crisis and last-minute planning avoided.
What If My Wilderness Permit Application Gets Rejected?
Sometimes, your application gets straight up rejected. Whether it was user error on your end or filling error on their end. It still sucks. Especially if you don’t have any other time to backpack and you can’t just reapply for a later date in the lottery?
Don’t lose hope!
California has so much to offer. While Yosemite has a renowned reputation for its sights, many other national parks with lesser-known trails have more availability and make excellent backup options. (Have you looked at Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Park by chance?)
How Do I Get a Walk Up Backpacking Permit in Yosemite?
Walk-up wilderness permits exist but are rare during Yosemite’s busiest months. April thru October, do not expect to get a walk-up permit.
From late October to mid-April – the chilliest times of the year when accessibility is questionable – the availability increases, and walk up permits are available the day before or day of your hike. You can get them at wilderness centers throughout Yosemite during business hours, which are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you plan to hike on a popular trailhead that requires a permit, these permits are available at permit issuing stations at the start of each trailhead – again, only during the off season.
How Long Will It Take to Get My Permit?
During the lottery system of the busy season, no matter which day you apply during the weekly application windows, you’ll receive your results on the following Monday.
If you’re trying for the first-come-first-serve permit 7 days in advance or a 3-day lottery permit, then you’ll apply in the morning and get your results that afternoon or evening.
Trails the Require Additional Permits
For overnight camping you need a backpacking (aka wilderness) permit in Yosemite. Day hikes do not require permits unless you plan to hike in Half Dome or through the Donahue Pass of the John Muir Wilderness, which each have a separate permit from Yosemite that you must obtain.
Half Dome
Hiking to the top of Half Dome depends on the cables along the route up the massive rock being installed for safety and crowding purposes. Weather permitting, the cables stay up between Memorial Day (end of May) to the second Monday of October.
Half Dome has a quota of 300 hikers per day, 225 of which are day hikers and the remaining 75 are for backpackers. And guess what? Half Dome permits don’t cost anything.
The permits for Half Dome are awarded by lottery, which takes place between March 1 and March 31. And you can expect the results in mid-April, (Fingers crossed)!
Throughout the season, permits are available two days in advance of your planned date if you already have a wilderness permit. You’ll get notified the night of the day on which you applied.
Donahue Pass to John Muir Wilderness
The John Muir Wilderness area has an exit quota! Say what?
An Exit Quota means they only let a certain number of people leave Yosemite and enter the John Muir Wilderness complex per day.
Backpackers who use Donahue Pass to leave Yosemite require a permit, as their exit quota limits departures to 45 per day, these permits do not cost any money.
What Is the Difference between a Yosemite Wilderness Permit and a Yosemite Backpacking Permit? Do I Need Both?
A Yosemite Wilderness Permit covers several different outdoor activities in Yosemite from backpacking to wall climbing. You need one anytime you're spending the night in the backcountry.
The term is used interchangeably with Yosemite backpacking permits because backpacking is one of the main activities that requires this permit, but technically it covers more than just backpacking.
So, no, you don’t need both. They’re the same permit.
The exceptions are Half Dome and the southbound John Muir Trail through Donahue Pass that we already discussed. Even though these hikes can be done in a day, you still need a wilderness permit.
Are There Any Other Permits I Need for Yosemite?
Reserving a campground requires a separate application with a different lottery system (through the busy months), and a first-come-first-serve system the rest of the year. And whether you plan to have a campfire or not you may need a campfire permit depending on the season.
Driving through Yosemite also needs a separate reservation during busy times of the year specified on the website of the National Park Service.
Conclusion
If you found this helpful for making your Yosemite backpacking permits a reality instead of a pipe dream, then you’ll love our Permit Strategy Guide.
Truth is; it’s not just Yosemite that can be difficult to find the right permits for. A lot of the California parks and public lands have different procedures that you have to research before you can even apply. And it gets frustrating when you keep missing out on the permits you’re looking for because you didn't know how or where to apply.
That’s why we created the Pathloom Permit Strategy Guide.
You see, we’ve had to go on the same permit scavenger hunts, and we’ve found it just as frustrating. Hence why we’re in the process of building an app that can do it all for you.
But until that gets here, we want to share the strategies we’ve learned to avoid disappointment and to get you into the backcountry with the right permits.
Become a Trailblazer. Answer some questions that will get used to create your all-in-one trip planning app for backpackers, and the Pathloom Permit Strategy Guide is all yours.