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Free wilderness permits are required year-round for any overnight stay in the Yosemite Wilderness. Permits are not required for day hikes.
Trailhead Quota System
Yosemite National Park has a trailhead quota system limiting the number of people entering a particular trailhead on a given day. This system is designed to reduce impacts and to avoid overcrowding, in keeping with the Wilderness Act's mandate of providing "outstanding opportunities for solitude." Of each daily quota for a trailhead, 60 percent can be reserved ahead of time while the remaining 40 percent is available on a first-come, first-served basis one day prior to, or the same day as, the beginning of your hike.
The quota system is 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 hike to another section of the Wilderness without restriction. For this reason, even if you have a permit lasting for several days, you may not begin your trip on any day except the first day your permit is valid.
View a list of quotas for each trailhead.
Wilderness Permit Reservations
You can make a permit reservation up to 24 weeks (168 days), but no later than two days, in advance of your start date. There is a non-refundable $5-per-person processing fee for every confirmed reservation. All wilderness permits must be picked up in person by a member of the hiking group during open hours the day of or one day prior to your hike. Reserved permits are held until 10 am on the day of your trip. If you are arriving later than 10 am on the day of your trip, please call 209/372-0308 to hold your permit for a late arrival. Otherwise, your permit reservation will be cancelled. Permits held for late arrival must still be picked up at a permit station during business hours.
Please plan your trip before you make a reservation; park rangers will not plan your trip for you.
Before making a reservation, check availability: if the date or trailhead isn't listed, space is available for at least one person (but not necessarily for your entire group) as of the last time this report was posted. Trailheads and dates listed indicate which days are full.
To make a reservation please have the name the permit will be under, mailing address, daytime telephone number, number of people, number of stock (horses, mules, llamas), start and end dates, beginning and ending trailheads, principal destination (to help clarify trailhead), method of payment ($5/person): credit card, check, or money order.
Three Ways to Make a Reservation
The reservation office is open January through September.
- Web: Please allow one business day for a response and two weeks for a written confirmation: https://www.yosemitesecure.org/wildpermit/
- Phone: Please have your trip planned and the above information ready before calling: 209/372-0740. The phone is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
- Mail: Please allow two weeks to receive a response. Please include the above information and payment. Mail: PO Box 545, Yosemite, CA, 95389. Make out checks and money orders to "Yosemite Association." All major credit cards are accepted. Do not send cash.
First-Come, First-Served Permits
Permits are also available at any permit issuing station starting one day prior to the beginning of your hike. All wilderness permits must be picked up in person by a member of the hiking group. Priority for permits for a particular trailhead is given to the closest permit issuing station, though it is possible to obtain a permit for any trailhead at any permit issuing station. This mainly affects the most popular trailheads that fill up quickly each morning, such as Little Yosemite Valley trailheads, Lyell Canyon, Cathedral Lakes, among others. (View a list of trailheads showing which which permit station has priority over each.)
Though popular trailheads may fill up, there is always space available on other trailheads in the park.
Backpackers' Campgrounds
Wilderness permit holders may spend one night prior to, and one night after, a backpacking trip in a backpackers' campground. This service is especially helpful for those wishing to get a first-come, first-served permit the day before beginning the hike.
Winter Permits
Wilderness permits are required in winter (November through April), but are available on a self-registration basis. No reservations are necessary. You may self-register for permits in the winter at any normal permit issuing station. For trips beginning at Badger Pass, you must get your permit at the Badger Pass Ranger Station ("A-frame"). Self-registration areas are not staffed, except at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center and Badger Pass Ranger Station.
Permits for and from areas outside Yosemite
If you are starting a hike from a trailhead located outside of Yosemite National Park, obtain your permit from the trailhead's managing agency, even if camping in Yosemite. Only one permit is required. Even if you plan to spend every night of a Wilderness trip inside Yosemite but your entry trailhead is outside Yosemite, you do not get the permit from Yosemite. If you are starting at a trailhead in Yosemite and wish to camp outside of Yosemite during your Wilderness trip, you will only need to get a single wilderness permit from Yosemite.
If your starting trailhead is outside Yosemite National Park, get your permit from the land agency that manages that trailhead. Common examples:
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