Sometimes people cancel their permits at the last minute or they don’t show up for them. These permits are then awarded to those who stood in line early in the morning. We recommend getting to the office at least two hours before they open to help increase your chances of obtaining permits.
The great part about a NOBO John Muir Trail permit is that there’s no lottery system to wait on. You know right away if you’re getting permits or not. Eastern Sierra Inter-agency Visitor Center is the closest to Lone Pine and Horseshoe Meadow. After you’ve finished this process, then you wait to see what happens! You should get an email within a week or two if you won the lottery for your desired dates.
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You must go to the Valley Visitor Center to pick up a wilderness permit and current combination for the cabin’s lock. Permits are available one day in advance of your trip. The cabin is generally open during the same time as the Badger Pass Ski Area, which is typically mid-December through March . Activities like backpacking, hiking, skiing, and mountaineering and horse camping are allowed. Motorized or mechanical activities like mountain biking or drones are not allowed in wilderness. There are maintained trails through the area to hike on, but no developed campground facilities.
Badger Pass Ranger Station – This station is open during the winter months – approximately late December through March. Permits are issued at the ranger station, or A-Frame 200 feet to the right of the main lodge. The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center – east of the campground and Lembert Dome parking area. There are no bonus points for making the nice people at the Yosemite Conservancy sort through multiple permit applications. Are a rock climber and plan to climb a big wall over the course of several days.
Wilderness Permit Reservations
No, you may not use a Sierra stove above 9,600 feet in elevation. The small twigs used to fuel Sierra stoves are just as valuable a part of the ecosystem as is the larger wood used in traditional campfires. Regrowth at higher elevations is extremely slow and the soil is low in nutrients. Removing this wood from the system further slows growth. Plan your next great backpacking adventure in Yosemite and other flagship parks using my expert e-guides.
Wilderness permits issued outside of Yosemite are not valid for hiking Half Dome. If you’re beginning your backpacking trip outside of Yosemite, you’ll need a Half Dome permit, which you can apply for using the lotteries. You may submit one application per group to each seven day lottery window. If your lottery application is successful, you will be charged an additional $5 per person when you confirm your reservation.
Similarly, if you want to include a Half Dome summit in your itinerary, there are only 7 eligible trailheads. These are the trailheads that are most commonly used when people want to summit Half Dome. For example, if you want to exit the park over Donohue Pass, you must now start at either the Lyell Canyon trailhead, or begin at Happy Isles and go past Little Yosemite Valley. Are the more than 750 miles of wilderness trails in Yosemite calling you? For many, nothing refreshes the soul like striding off into the mountains for a few days of uninterrupted nature with everything you need tucked neatly into a pack on your back. I’ve helped many readers plan unforgettable backpacking and hiking trips.
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Bear resistant food storage containers are recommended for all wilderness travelers. Review wilderness rules for specific areas where containers are required. Pick up your permit or arrange for late arrival before the deadline or your reservation will be canceled. Group must start on entry date and location on permit. Many of the people who reserve permits don’t show up to collect them. Climbing permits will be self registered for the duration of the winter season.
Glacier Point is another great starting option, and for me would be my 2nd pick. You’ll only miss a tiny section of the JMT and you can still have the option to summit Half Dome if you want. Another plus is that the trailhead starts at a higher elevation, so there is less of a climb into Little Yosemite Valley. In the end, either option is great, really, and if you’re like me, you might use NOBO as your backup plan to your SOBO lottery application. Getting a Whitney Portal permit is arguably even more competitive than the SOBO John Muir Trail permit.
Reservations for many trailheads have typically been full the first day they have become available due to extremely high—and increasing—demand. If possible, consider midweek start dates and less popular trailheads. Be sure to prioritize your application with the dates or trailheads that can work for you. If you are unsuccessful the first week, you can apply to the next lottery window.
Store anything with a smell (food, bug spray, deoderant, trash etc.) in the provided bear boxes, or in an allowed food storage container. All visitors must store all “food” properly throughout Yosemite National Park. “Food” must be stored in either an allowed bear-resistant food canister or food locker.
If you receive a wilderness permit, an additional fee of $5 per person applies. The Yosemite Conservancy Wilderness Office processes all permit reservation applications. Its hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.
If I want to do, say, WF of Leaning Tower on a weekend, I’d have to wait until 730 to get my permit and then drive all the way across the valley. Based on experiences getting Sierra permits, it’s at least a 20 minute process. So I wouldn’t be hiking until 815 at the earliest.
The office is closed from the third week of October until mid-November, on federal holidays, and for lunch . These fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. The trailhead quota system limits use based on where you begin your hike, and in some cases, on where you camp the first night of your trip. After the first night, you may camp wherever you can hike to within the wilderness.
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