The National-Park Permit Cheat Sheet
The hardest US hiking permits in one place, when each lottery window opens, your real odds, and a backup plan if you strike out.
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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.
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).
Kalalau Trail (Na Pali Coast)
Hawaii- Window opens
- a rolling window that opens 90 days before your first camping night
- 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.
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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