Yes, You Need a Permit to Backpack in Yosemite
Yosemite is an incredible place to backpack – and with over 750 miles of trail, you won’t see many of its beautiful features without spending a night or two in the wilderness. Doing so, however, is not as easy as throwing on a pack and walking into the woods. Yosemite is a highly impacted area protected by the Wilderness Act of 1964, and that means you need a wilderness permit.
The permit process can be daunting. You need to know a lot before you even apply, you cannot apply for one one in person, and the information you need is not housed in one place. So to help streamline the process, here I list the links you need in order during each step (but if you want to go down the rabbit hole on your own, you can begin HERE.)
STEP ONE – Planning Your Yosemite Backpacking Trip
When you begin the permit application, you will need to know several pieces of data including start and end Dates, starting and ending trailhead(s), your first night’s camp location, and – if you aren’t going solo – the group size and the contact information for the trip leader who will pick up and carry the actual permit for the group.
You need to know all of this to get started and you should know it long before your trip is to start!
The majority (60%) of wilderness permits are awarded by lottery 24 weeks (= 169 days) in advance of a given start date. The rest (40%) become available 7 days in advance. Any leftover permits are available the day of (“walkup” permits).
- To see the permit date availability schedule, click HERE.
Now you need to decide where to hike! Once you have an idea of the general area where you wish to backpack, you also need to decide your entry and exit trailheads.
- To see current conditions in various backcountry areas, click HERE.
- For a map of trailheads and where wilderness camping is allowed, click HERE.
- For trailhead information (quotas, parking availability, etc.), click HERE.
- To check trailhead availability, click HERE.
Once you have your trip planned, it’s time to apply for that coveted permit!
STEP TWO – How to Get a Yosemite Wilderness Permit
Applying for a Yosemite Wilderness Permit (Reservation)
From May through October, the wilderness permit process begins with a permit reservation (which aren’t needed for permits from November through April).
- To apply for a Yosemite wilderness permit, click HERE.
You pay to even try to get a permit ($5 plus $5 per person including you for every date you try for). You can apply for up to 8 starts dates / entry points per lottery submission (which you can only do once a week). If you win the lottery, you will be alerted by email and given a payment link that expires in 48 hours. Once you’ve paid for the actual permit, you’ll get an email receipt – but not your permit.
You won’t get the actual permit until you pick it up at the park.
So, print or photograph your reservation email, grab your ID, bring a credit card or an entrance pass (the permit doesn’t get you out of paying the entrance fee – but it will serve as an entrance reservation if those are in place), and drive to Yosemite!
Picking Up Your Yosemite Wilderness Permit
On your hike start date (or, in summer, the afternoon before if you are spending your first night at a backpacker camp), you’ll need to go to a Wilderness Permit Station in the park between 8am and 5pm and pick up your hard copy permit. (Note: This is not just a quick pickup – you’ll be talking with a park ranger for a while going over Leave No Trace principles, bear safety, etc.)
- To see where the closest Wilderness Permit Station is to your trailhead, click HERE.
NOTE: You may not be allowed into the backcountry without an approved bear-proof food storage system. You can bring your own or rent one at the park.
- For a list of approved bear-proof food storage systems, click HERE.
STEP THREE – Get Hiking!
Backcountry Pilgrim 