Before obtaining your permit.
Ensure you've covered the basics.
Understanding regulations.
Knowing the park and trails and having a planned route,
including where you will enter and exit the backcountry.
Now you can obtain your backcountry permit.
You can book your permit up to three months in advance.
Both an entrance pass and a camping permit are required and can be purchased
on recreation.gov, either online or by calling
1.877.444.6777.
Join us in this video as we guide you through the online
permit process from the Recreation.gov homepage.
You can search for Shenandoah National Park.
You'll want to find the Shenandoah
National Park backcountry Permit page.
On this page you'll find our regulations and policies on backcountry camping.
Useful links to help further plan your trip, as well as a map
showing entry or exit locations, trails and camping zones.
After reviewing all available information,
it is time to reserve your permit by following these steps,
click on Check availability under the available permits heading.
Fill in the start date of your trip and number of people
in your group.
Choose which district
you will be starting your hike or choose Appalachian Trail.
If you are hiking through the park via the Appalachian Trail, starting
and ending at the park's North and South, boundaries,
the North District encompasses the section of the park between
Front Royal and Highway 211 or Thornton Gap Entrance Station.
The Central District encompasses the section of the park between Highway
211 and Route 33, or Swift run gap.
Finally, the South District includes the section of the park between Highway
33 and Interstate 64, or Rockfish Gap Entrance station near Waynesboro.
After choosing a district,
the camping zones in this district will appear below.
You can click on each zone name to get more information,
including what trails and entry or exit locations are in each zone,
as well as helpful information such as camping closures
and additional regulations specific to each area.
To build your itinerary, start by choosing the zone
you will camp in on your first night.
Then you can continue to choose the zone
that you will plan to camp in each additional night of your trip.
Once you have a selected zone for each night of your trip,
you can then click on the book now button.
You will now fill in all additional details of your trip,
including entry or exit locations, vehicle information,
and emergency contact information.
Please read the need to know section at the bottom of the page.
After reading this info, you will check the box indicating
that you have read and agree to this information.
If you would like to also purchase your entrance pass, you can click
continue shopping.
Once you are ready, click on the proceed to checkout button.
Review your trip summary and permit on the next page.
Two emails will be sent to the address connected to your rec.gov account.
A receipt email and a confirmation email.
Open the confirmation email and click
print at home to receive your permit.
You can print this permit or digitally save it to your phone.
Be sure to have your permit on your person
during your trip so you can produce it if asked to do so.
Now that you're ready for your backcountry adventure,
remember that thoughtful planning is not just for your well-being,
but also plays a role in preserving Shenandoah’s natural beauty.
Stay safe on those trails and happy exploring.