Free permit watch
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
Denali Road LotteryDenali NP · AKActivityReservationfair odds
El Tovar HotelGrand Canyon South Rim · ArizonaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Grand Canyon BackcountryGrand Canyon NP · ArizonaBackcountryReservationfair odds
Grand Canyon raftingColorado River · ArizonaActivityLotterybrutal odds
Havasu FallsHavasu Canyon · ArizonaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Phantom RanchGrand Canyon NP · ArizonaLodgeLotterybrutal odds
The WaveCoyote Buttes North · Arizona / UtahPermitLotterybrutal odds
Half Dome CablesYosemite NP · CaliforniaPermitOpens Mar 1fair odds
Lost Coast TrailKing Range NCA · CaliforniaBackcountryReservationtough odds
Mt. WhitneyInyo NF · CaliforniaPermitOpens Feb 1tough odds- The Ahwahnee, YosemiteYosemite NP · CaliforniaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Conundrum Hot SpringsMaroon Bells-Snowmass · ColoradoBackcountryOpens Feb 15brutal odds
Kalalau TrailNa Pali Coast SWP · HIBackcountryReservationbrutal odds
Glacier NP BackcountryGlacier NP · MontanaBackcountryLotterytough odds
Lake McDonald LodgeGlacier NP · MontanaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Many Glacier HotelGlacier NP · MontanaLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Sperry & Granite Park ChaletsGlacier NP · MontanaLodgeLotterybrutal odds
Crater Lake LodgeCrater Lake NP · ORLodgeReservationbrutal odds
LeConte LodgeGreat Smoky Mountains NP · TNLodgeOpens Oct 1brutal odds
Angels LandingZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds
The Narrows Through-HikeZion NP · UtahBackcountryReservationtough odds
The SubwayZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds- Zion LodgeZion Canyon · UtahLodgeReservationbrutal odds
Mount St. Helens Summit ClimbGifford Pinchot NF · WashingtonPermitReservationtough odds
Paradise InnMount Rainier NP · WashingtonLodgeReservationbrutal odds
The EnchantmentsAlpine Lakes Wilderness · WashingtonBackcountryOpens Feb 15brutal odds- Wonderland TrailMount Rainier NP · WashingtonBackcountryLotterybrutal odds
- Cougar Rock CampgroundWashington · WashingtonBackcountryOpens Jan 15tough odds
Old Faithful InnYellowstone NP · WYLodgeReservationbrutal odds
How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
Hikers we've helped
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🎟️ Free cheat sheet
The National-Park Permit Cheat Sheet
The hardest hiking permits in the US, when each window opens, your real odds, and a backup plan if you strike out. Bookmark it, and get an email before each one opens.
Cougar Rock Campground (Mount Rainier)
Washington- Window opens
- six month rolling window, so a July date opens in January
- Odds
- Tough for July and August weekends, fair midweek
- Backup plan
- Ohanapecosh on the south east corner or White River for the Sunrise side, or a cabin in Ashford outside the Nisqually gate.
The Enchantments (Core Zone)
Washington- Window opens
- mid-February to early March
- Odds
- Brutal (~2–3% for Core Zone)
- Backup plan
- Day-hike Colchuck Lake (no permit), or try daily walk-up permits at the Leavenworth ranger station.
Half Dome Cables (Yosemite)
California- Window opens
- the month of March (preseason lottery)
- Odds
- Moderate (~20–30% preseason)
- Backup plan
- Daily lottery 2 days before your hike, or stop at the sub-dome viewpoint (no permit needed).
Mt. Whitney
California- Window opens
- February 1 to March 1 lottery, results March 15
- Odds
- Hard on weekends, easier midweek
- Backup plan
- Apply for weekday dates, or grab unclaimed walk-up permits at the Lone Pine ranger station.
The Wave (Coyote Buttes North)
Arizona / Utah- Window opens
- a 4-month advance lottery plus a daily lottery
- Odds
- Very low (~4–6%)
- Backup plan
- Enter the daily geolocation lottery, or hike White Pocket instead (no permit, needs 4x4).
Grand Canyon Backcountry (Corridor)
Arizona- Window opens
- the 16th of every month at 8:00 a.m. MT, five months before your trip month
- Odds
- Moderate if flexible on dates
- Backup plan
- Join the walk-in waitlist at the Backcountry Office, or day-hike rim-to-river (no permit).
Angels Landing (Zion)
Utah- Window opens
- seasonal lotteries plus a day-before lottery
- Odds
- Seasonal lottery moderate; day-before harder
- Backup plan
- Enter the day-before lottery, or hike to Scout Lookout (no permit, same views minus the chains).
The Narrows Through-Hike (Zion)
Utah- Window opens
- calendar reservations plus a last-minute drawing
- Odds
- Summer dates go fast
- Backup plan
- Enter the last-minute drawing 2 days before, or do the bottom-up day hike (no permit needed).
The Subway (Left Fork, Zion)
Utah- Window opens
- a quarterly seasonal lottery, applied for the 1st to 25th two months before each three-month season, plus a daily last-minute lottery
- Odds
- Hard in spring and fall, better midweek
- Backup plan
- Enter the daily canyoneering lottery 2 days out, or hike the Angels Landing area instead.
Wonderland Trail (Mt. Rainier)
Washington- Window opens
- an early-access lottery in late winter, then general reservations in spring
- Odds
- Brutal, the lottery awards only about 4 to 6 percent of entries
- Backup plan
- Grab one of the first-come walk-up permits held back, or section-hike a quieter stretch.
Mount St. Helens Summit Climb
Washington- Window opens
- a first-come release, each month opens at 7:00 AM PT on the 1st of the prior month
- Odds
- Tough mid-May to October, easier early season and midweek
- Backup plan
- Take a weekday or shoulder-season date, or climb free with a self-issue permit November to March.
Conundrum Hot Springs (Colorado)
Colorado- Window opens
- permits release on three fixed dates, February 15, June 15 and October 15, each at 8:00 a.m. MT, and sell out within minutes
- Odds
- Very hard for summer weekends, about 20 sites a night
- Backup plan
- Take a weekday or shoulder-season date, or camp elsewhere in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass zones.
Lost Coast Trail (King Range)
California- Window opens
- a rolling release, permits open daily at 7:00 AM PT on a 90-day advance window
- Odds
- High demand for summer and weekend dates, more open midweek
- Backup plan
- Watch the next daily drop 90 days out, or shift dates to line up with a passable low tide.
Glacier NP Backcountry
Montana- Window opens
- early-access lotteries in March, then general reservations open May 1
- Odds
- Competitive for marquee routes, more open on the May 1 release
- Backup plan
- Grab a May 1 general reservation, or a walk-in first-come permit held back at permit offices.
Kalalau Trail (Na Pali Coast)
Hawaii- Status
- Kauai state parks closed until further notice after Hurricane Lowell (2026-09-08).
- Odds
- Brutal in summer, all 60 daily spots can go in under a minute
- Backup plan
- Book a shoulder-season date, or day-hike the first 2 miles to Hanakapiai Beach, which needs only an entry reservation.
Many Glacier Hotel
Montana- Window opens
- roughly 13 months ahead, with cancellations reappearing all season
- Odds
- Brutal, summer rooms go the day the calendar opens
- Backup plan
- Swiftcurrent Motor Inn cabins next door, or St. Mary outside the east entrance.
Phantom Ranch
Arizona- Window opens
- a monthly lottery, entered 15 months before your stay
- Odds
- Brutal, a lottery for the only beds at the bottom of the canyon
- Backup plan
- Bright Angel Campground on a backcountry permit, which is a separate and easier draw.
Sperry & Granite Park Chalets
Montana- Window opens
- a lottery being piloted for 2027, with instructions published in autumn 2026 and reservations from January 2027
- Odds
- Brutal, backcountry chalets with a handful of rooms and no road to them
- Backup plan
- Backcountry camping at Sperry or Granite Park on a Glacier wilderness permit.
The Ahwahnee, Yosemite
California- Window opens
- a rolling 366-day window, so rooms open exactly a year out
- Odds
- Very hard for summer and for firefall week in February
- Backup plan
- Yosemite Valley Lodge, or Rush Creek and Evergreen just outside the park.
Havasu Falls (campground & lodge)
Arizona- Window opens
- a first come, first served annual sale announced by the tribe
- Odds
- Brutal, first come first served and the good dates go in minutes
- Backup plan
- Midweek dates in March or late October survive far longer than any weekend.
Grand Canyon rafting (Colorado River)
Arizona- Window opens
- commercial trips sell out a year or more ahead; the private lottery runs each February
- Odds
- Brutal for a private launch, very hard for a summer commercial seat
- Backup plan
- A one-day smooth-water trip from Glen Canyon Dam, or a Hualapai day run in the western canyon.
Denali Road Lottery
Alaska- Window opens
- suspended for the foreseeable future, with no application window announced
- Odds
- Not currently drawn
- Backup plan
- A transit bus in summer, which now runs to Mile 43 and covers everything the road still reaches.
Paradise Inn
Washington- Window opens
- roughly 13 months ahead, with cancellations all season
- Odds
- Brutal for July and August, easier in late September
- Backup plan
- National Park Inn at Longmire stays open year-round, or Ashford just outside the Nisqually entrance.
Old Faithful Inn
Wyoming- Window opens
- roughly 13 months ahead for the following season
- Odds
- Brutal for the Old House, hard for the rest in summer
- Backup plan
- Old Faithful Snow Lodge next door, or the Lake Yellowstone Hotel on the other side of the park.
Zion Lodge
Utah- Window opens
- roughly 13 months ahead
- Odds
- Brutal from March to October
- Backup plan
- Springdale is a 10-minute shuttle ride from the entrance and has far more rooms.
El Tovar Hotel
Arizona- Window opens
- roughly 13 months ahead
- Odds
- Brutal for a rim-view room, hard for anything in spring and summer
- Backup plan
- Bright Angel Lodge cabins are on the same rim walk for a fraction of the price.
Crater Lake Lodge
Oregon- Window opens
- usually opens for the whole season the previous autumn
- Odds
- Brutal, a small lodge with a very short season
- Backup plan
- The Cabins at Mazama Village, seven miles from the rim, or Union Creek outside the park. Mazama Campground books through recreation.gov.
LeConte Lodge
Tennessee- Window opens
- one release day each October for the following season
- Odds
- Brutal, the hardest bed to get in the eastern US
- Backup plan
- Backcountry shelters on the Appalachian Trail nearby, reserved through the park.
Lake McDonald Lodge
Montana- Window opens
- roughly 13 months ahead
- Odds
- Brutal in July and August
- Backup plan
- Apgar Village cabins at the foot of the lake, or West Glacier just outside the entrance.
Dates shift a little each season, we always send you to the official page for the exact details. Verify before you plan.
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