Yosemite National Park Wilderness Permits
A wilderness permit is required year-round for any overnight stay in the Yosemite Wilderness. Permits provide for overnight access to undeveloped areas in the park and involve backpacking a significant distance from a trailhead and all development. Wilderness permits can NOT be used for peak hours reservations, day hike permits, campgrounds, or lodging facilities.
Wilderness permit holders do not need an additional peak hours reservation to access Yosemite when "reservations are required". Wilderness permits are valid for entry under reservations up to one day in advance of trip start.
Nearly 95% of Yosemite National Park is congressionally designated Wilderness. When in the wilderness, every visitor has the responsibility to minimize their impact and practice Leave No Trace. Visit our website to learn more about Yosemite Wilderness.
To minimize human impact and provide visitors with opportunities for solitude, wilderness permits are issued to a limited number of people each day according to a trailhead quota. Trailhead quotas are based on entry date and entry point. Since many trails are very popular, advanced reservations are recommended.
This reservation is for an overnight wilderness permit beginning in Yosemite National Park. Permits issued by Yosemite National Park are valid for continuous wilderness travel within Yosemite National Park and adjacent wilderness areas. If you wish to enter Yosemite from an adjacent wilderness area, you must obtain a wilderness permit from the agency that manages your trailhead. Permits obtained from these agencies will be honored by Yosemite National Park, provided they are for continuous wilderness travel.
Permit & Season Information
For entry dates beginning late April to mid-October, permit reservation requests can be made online from 24 weeks to three days in advance. Outside of these dates, a wilderness permit is still required and must be obtained via self-registration. No portion of the quota is held for in-person walk-ups.
Weekly Lotteries (24 Weeks in Advance)
- Sixty percent of trailhead quotas are available for reservation via weekly lotteries beginning in November. See this chart for specific dates.
- Quota not allocated in the lottery can be reserved beginning each Friday at 9 am (PT) until sold out.
- "L" means 60% of the quota is currently only available via lottery.
- "NR" means 60% of the quota has been reserved and the remaining 40% has not yet been released.
Week-Ahead Reservations
- Forty percent of trailhead quotas are released online on general onsale, seven days in advance of an entry date at 7 am; reservations can be made until sold out, up to three days in advance.
Need to Know
A wilderness permit is required year-round for any overnight stay in Yosemite Wilderness.
Wilderness camping and travel is subject to wilderness regulations. All trailhead quotas are based on entry date and entry trailhead. All trip participants are responsible for abiding by the conditions of their wilderness permit. Wilderness permits are only valid for the trip leader, trailheads, dates, number of people specified on the permit, and for continuous wilderness travel.
Exiting the wilderness at any time during a wilderness itinerary invalidates the wilderness permit, requiring a new wilderness permit to continue backpacking. There are exceptions for hikers crossing a road by means of traditional wilderness travel (by foot or with stock) and for thru-hikers staying one night in the Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground as part of an ongoing and continuous long-distance hiking permit. When Tuolumne Meadows Campground is closed, hikers must camp at least four trail miles from Tuolumne Meadows. There is no exception for Yosemite Valley; any travel through Yosemite Valley invalidates the permit. Travel by vehicle or bus at any time during a wilderness itinerary invalidates the permit.
Application Review: You are limited to one application per weekly lottery window and six future reservations at any time. Wilderness permit applications are reviewed by Yosemite Conservancy Wilderness Operations Staff. Monitor your email inbox and permit status closely, as you may be required to adapt your itinerary to be in compliance with wilderness regulations or seasonal closures. Please research and plan your trip before submitting your wilderness permit application. For additional help planning your trip, contact the Wilderness Help Desk or call (209) 372-0740.
Alternate Permit Holders: Alternate permit holders can pick up a wilderness permit in place of the primary permit holder. Alternate permit holders can be added only when a lottery application is first filled out. If reserving a permit outside of the lottery, alternate permit holders can only be added when the reservation is first made. In both processes, the alternate permit holder(s) must be added before payment is submitted. Neither the primary permit holder nor the alternate permit holder(s) can be changed. We recommend an alternate is selected for all applications.
Wilderness Permit Pickup: Wilderness permits must be picked up in person at a Yosemite Wilderness Permit Station. Permits are not issued by phone or email, and it is not possible to print your permit at home. All wilderness permit stations are open seasonally, seven days a week from 8 am to 5 pm. You may pick up your permit at any time during these hours the day before or the day of your entry date.
If you plan to pick up your permit after 11 am on your entry date, it is necessary to hold your permit for late arrival. Permits held for late arrival must still be picked up during open hours on your entry date. There is no after-hours pickup. You may hold your permit for late arrival once you are within seven days of your entry date. To do so, go to "Reservations", select "Modify" and mark it for late arrival. If it is more than seven days before your entry date, the option to hold for late arrival is not available.
If a permit is not held for late arrival, it will be cancelled at 11 am. You must begin your wilderness hike on your entry date, or the permit is not valid for wilderness travel. It is not possible to change your entry date. If you cannot pick up your permit on your entry date, you must make a new reservation for the date you plan to enter the wilderness, subject to availability.
Seasonal Road Closures: Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road are typically open from late May or June until sometime in November. Glacier Point Road may reopen in late May. Tioga Road may reopen in mid to late June. For both roads, opening dates are dependent on snowpack, plowing progress and the reopening of seasonal facilities.
Overnight parking is prohibited on Tioga and Glacier Point Road (including all parking lots, pull outs, and side roads) beginning October 15. After this date, inclement weather may close these roads for the season with little to no notice. If your exit date is on or after October 15 at a trailhead along either road, you must arrange your own transportation. No public transportation is available at that time.
If your trailhead is inaccessible due to a seasonal road closure, your wilderness permit will not be issued. There are no refunds for seasonal road closures. You may modify your entry point, subject to availability. For reference, please review the Historical Seasonal Opening and Closing Dates.
Half Dome Permits: Wilderness permits cannot be used for day hiking Half Dome. If you want to hike Half Dome in a day, apply to the Half Dome Permits Lottery . If you are planning to hike to the top of Half Dome as part of your wilderness itinerary, you must reserve a Half Dome eligible entry trailhead. These are Happy Isles->Little Yosemite Valley, Happy Isles->Past LYV (Donohue Pass Eligible), Glacier Point->Little Yosemite Valley, Sunrise (No Donohue Pass), Cathedral Lakes, Rafferty Creek->Vogelsang & Mono Meadow. If you enter the wilderness from one of these trailheads, your entire group is eligible to hike the Half Dome Cables. Additional fees are required and can only be paid at permit pickup.
John Muir Trail (Donohue Pass): A quota is in place for John Muir Trail (JMT) hikers exiting Yosemite National Park over Donohue Pass. To exit Yosemite National Park over Donohue Pass, your entry trailhead must be Happy Isles->Past LYV (Donohue Pass Eligible) or Lyell Canyon (Donohue Pass Eligible). These are the only two entry trailheads to exit Yosemite via Donohue Pass. If you plan to hike the JMT as a continuous hike, you only need one wilderness permit from Yosemite for the entire trip (you do not need a "Whitney stamp" or permits from other national forests or national parks).
Fee Policy
Permit fees are non-refundable. There are no refunds once a purchase has been made. This includes no refunds for acts of nature including fires, floods or closures due to other emergencies.
Lottery Fees:
There is a $10 fee to enter a lottery. Each group is permitted only one application in the lottery. A group is anyone that may be planning to hike together. Duplicate applications and applications from multiple group members will be removed without refund. If your lottery application is successful, you will be charged an additional $5 per person when you confirm your reservation. No part of this fee is refundable.
Reservation Fees:
There is a one-time fee of $10 per permit and $5 per person for all reservations acquired after the lottery. No part of this fee is refundable.
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your permit at any time and the quota will be released and made available to others. There are no refunds if you decide to cancel.
Changes to your itinerary may be made up to three days in advance under “Reservations” or on your entry date at permit pickup, subject to availability. Increasing group size will incur additional fees. It is not possible to change the entry date or the trip leader of a reservation. If you wish to change your entry date or trip leader, you must make a new reservation.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
PO Box 545 Yosemite National Park CA 95389
Phone Number
(209) 372-0740
