How to Apply for Backcountry Permits

Permit season is upon us!!! YAYYYY! It’s time to apply for lotteries and permits and all things hiking! Let’s jump right in so you can apply for those bucket list hikes. 

explore remote mountains by applying for backcountry permits

Pro Tip: Get the Interagency Pass

I recommend getting an interagency national parks pass, also known as the America the Beautiful annual pass. You can buy it through the USGS website. The link will take you right to their products page. Scroll all the way to the bottom (unless you’re a park volunteer or have served in the military). This pass will get you into all national parks without having to pay their day fees since it’s all included in the annual pass. It’s worth the investment. 

Important note: the agency pass covers the fees. IT IS NOT YOUR PARK PERMIT. Most parks require both a day/stay fee and a permit

How to Apply for Hiking Permits: An Overview 

Here’s your step-by-step guide for applying for permits through rec.gov. Keep in mind that there are different permit opening registration dates, so I would favorite or bookmark the permitted areas you want to go to and set reminders for when to apply. Knowing when permits open and what type of system is established is key if you want to obtain permits. The types are permits are:

1. First Come First Serve: There are first come first serve permits that are different from lotteries. For example, if you want to hike Mount Margaret backcountry, rec.gov releases permits one month in advance all at once. If you want to hike this forest, you need to be online and apply for permits at 7:00 am PT.  

2. Lotteries: With lotteries, you apply for multiple dates during a specified registration period. Once the lottery closes, you will find out if you were chosen for the dates you applied for. 

3. Walk Up: Then there are walk-up permits, like many areas in the North Cascades, where you literally show up onsite and get a permit. Walk-ups also depend on when you visit a park. Parks may have walk-ups AND reservations. The exploration possibilities in national parks are endless. Make sure you know if the adventure you want to go on needs a reservation. Plan ahead to ensure you get to go on the hike you want to go on.

6 Steps to Apply for Backcountry Permit Lotteries 

Let me walk you through a lottery for the John Muir Trail as an example for other lottery systems. 

Step 1: Make Your rec.gov Account

If you don’t already have an account, sign up by creating an account. Click the sign up/log in button on the top right of the page.

Step 2: Go to Permits

Now that you’re logged in, you can either search for your desired location using the search bar in the center of the page or explore natural areas by clicking the “permit” button, located under the search bar.

Step 3: Find Your Desired Hiking/Backcountry Permit

Next up, it's time to find the hike you want to go on! Many hikes that require permits will include language such as wilderness, backcountry, climbing permit, overnight, or permit area.

For the sake of this blog, I searched for Yosemite National Park Wilderness Permits as an example to show you what the application process looks like. FYI- Yosemite wilderness is what you apply for if you’re doing the John Muir Trail (JMT) from north to south.

As you can see, search results will come up with a variety of options, so read carefully. If you are hiking the JMT and also want to do Half Dome, you need to apply for both Half Dome permits and Yosemite wilderness. 

Once you’ve found your hike, click “Register for Open Lottery”

Step 4: Enter Information

Enter all of your info :-) then scroll down

Step 5: Lottery Preferences

Here’s where we get to the fun and pre-planned part. The lotteries will ask you for the number of dates you wish to apply for. To raise the odds of you getting a permit, I recommend applying for the maximum number of dates you can apply for. In the case of Yosemite backcountry wilderness, you can apply for eight dates.

For each date, you need to put in the entry point you wish to apply for. This is pretty universal for all hikes as there are many options for campsites and trailheads within park territories. 

If you are doing the JMT, the official starting point is Happy Isles. Let me warn you that this is extremely difficult to get because so many people apply for it and last I checked, very few permits are given. Your best bet is to apply for somewhere within the park and then check in with the rangers/permit hut the day before to see if anyone dropped a permit, meaning you can pick up their permit last minute. However, don’t bet on this. It’s always better to have a permit at another starting point than having no permit at all. 

Enter your dates, group size, and entry points for all choices. You can also choose a date range if you have a flexible schedule!

Check in with your group to coordinate dates! After you’ve done that, read the need-to-know info and press yes to the “Yes, I have read and agree to the Need to Know information” button. Next, proceed to the cart.

Step 6: Proceed to Cart

You now have 15 minutes to review and pay. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Make sure that all the information you’ve entered is correct. Double-check all of your dates, and check in with your hiking pals to make sure their entries correlate with yours. Once you’ve looked over everything to make sure it’s correct, you’ll be directed to a screen that looks like this:

Enter your card info, press next, then confirm. You’ll get a confirmation email and it’ll be complete!

Congratulations, you’ve now applied for your permit! The page you originally applied on will give you the dates that you’ll find out if you’ve made it or not. Now, you just need to be patient (the hardest part).

If you won, YAY! If you did not, don’t be discouraged. Most people don’t win lottery applications. In recent years, there have been fewer permits issued and more applicants, making the odds of getting a permit pretty slim. Don’t give up hope! Come up with a plan B. There are tons of hiking and overnight opportunities to do, many of them in the same park you wanted to apply for in the first place! 

If you have any questions about permits or places that require permits, please reach out! I wish you the best of luck in your lotteries!!