Permit Directory
Every competitive permit,
tracked in real time.
We scan recreation.gov every minute for cancellations. Set an alert and get an SMS the moment a spot opens up.
These 111 permits have dedicated info pages — but PermitAlert monitors thousands of additional permits across all of recreation.gov. If you don't see your permit listed here, set an alert from the homepage and search for it directly.
California— 22 permits
🏔 WildernessHalf Dome Cables
CALate May – mid-October
🏔 WildernessMount Whitney Main Trail
CAMay – November
🏔 WildernessJohn Muir & Ansel Adams Wilderness (Inyo NF)
CAPermits required year-round; quota season May 1 – November 1
🏔 WildernessJohn Muir Trail
CAJuly – October (optimal snow-free window for thru-hiking)
🏔 WildernessAnsel Adams Wilderness (Sierra NF — Western Approach)
CAJune – October
🏔 WildernessSequoia & Kings Canyon Wilderness
CAMay – October
🏔 WildernessDesolation Wilderness
CAPermits required year-round for overnight use. Quota season: Friday before Memorial Day weekend through September 30. Outside quota season, permits can be booked and printed on day of entry (no quota limit; group size rules still apply).
🏔 WildernessLost Coast Trail (King Range)
CAYear-round (spring/fall optimal)
🏔 WildernessSan Gorgonio Wilderness
CAYear-round; permits required for all visits (day and overnight) regardless of season; snow likely November – April above 9,000 ft
🏔 WildernessEmigrant Wilderness
CAPermits required approximately April 15 – November 15 (some sources indicate April 1 – November 30); peak season June–October
🏕 CampgroundPoint Reyes National Seashore Backpacking
CAYear-round; winter storms October – March can be severe
🏔 WildernessMount San Jacinto Wilderness
CAYear-round; snow likely December – March above 8,000 ft
🚣 RiverForks of the Kern River
CAMay 15 – September 15 (permit required); no permit required outside this window
🏕 CampgroundUpper Pines Campground (Yosemite Valley)
CAYear-round (first two loops only in winter — ~50 sites available December – mid-February)
🏕 CampgroundLower Pines Campground (Yosemite Valley)
CAApril – October (seasonal closure in winter)
🏕 CampgroundLodgepole Campground (Sequoia NP)
CAWednesday before Memorial Day – early December (phased closures begin late September; weather-dependent)
🏕 CampgroundCottonwood Campground (Joshua Tree NP)
CAYear-round; summer heat extreme (regularly exceeds 105°F; June–September)
🏕 CampgroundConvict Lake Campground
CALate April – October
🏔 WildernessCrystal Crag / Lake George Wilderness Permit
CAJune – October
🏔 WildernessGlass Creek Meadow Wilderness Permit (Deadman Summit)
CALate May – October (snow-dependent)
🏔 WildernessHoover Wilderness (Twin Lakes / Barney Lake)
CAJune – October
🏔 WildernessMarble Mountain Wilderness
CAJune – October