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Permits for April through Memorial Day already open for Reservations
Yosemite National Park – Backpacking Basics – While most of the world is focused on Christmas this month, backpacking enthusiasts, especially focused on Yosemite Wilderness are making reservations for early season permits into Yosemite Backcountry. Yosemite Backcountry permits are available 24 weeks in advance by reservation and quota system through recreation.gov and early season permits are much easier to obtain than mid summer permits when the park is open on all sides.
Sixty percent of wilderness permit reservations are available on recreation.gov by lottery 24 weeks in advance.* After the lottery runs each week, any remaining reservations are available on recreation.gov on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations not taken by lottery are available on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov from about 22 weeks in advance until seven days before intended start date.
The processing fee is $10 per application. If you receive a wilderness permit, an additional fee of $5 per person applies. These fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
You can only apply once per weekly lottery. While there isn’t an annual limit on the number of confirmed reservations you can have, you can only have six active (i.e., future) reservations at any given time.
Wilderness permits are required all year, but reservations are only available for trips May through October.
How to Make a Reservation
Pre-Season Reservations
Reservations are available from 24 weeks to seven days in advance on Recreation.gov. You must sign up for an account before making a reservation. Reservations are first available by lottery. After the lottery, all remaining reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis until seven days in advance. Unused reservations are added to the 40% of permits available one week in advance (see below).
In order to have your best chance of success, apply for a wilderness permit is through the weekly lottery that runs 24 weeks in advance. The lottery application period is every Sunday through Saturday from November 14, 2021, through May 7, 2022.
During each weekly application period, you can apply for any start dates from the Saturday through the Friday of the open period (24 weeks in advance). All applicants will receive results on the following Monday and those who were successful must accept and pay by Thursday. Failure to accept and pay by Thursday will result in the reservation being canceled without a refund.
Twelve days after the lottery application period begins for any given week (i.e., the Friday 22 weeks in advance), reservations for all trailheads that still have space will become available (until seven days in advance) at 9 am PT. Any later cancellations will become available immediately.
What happened to the John Muir Trail (JMT) lottery?
There is no longer a separate process for JMT through hikers. This new system replaces both reservation systems and is the only system for reserving wilderness permits for trailheads in Yosemite.
How will Half Dome permits for backpackers work under this new system?
If you want to hike to the top of Half Dome as part of your overnight wilderness trip, you can add Half Dome permits for all or some members of your group if your trip begins from the following trailheads:
- Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley
- Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley
- Happy Isles past LYV (Donohue pass eligible)
- Sunrise Lakes
- Cathedral Lakes
- Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang
- Mono Meadow
You do not need to reserve this in advance; you can simply add it upon request when you pick up your wilderness permit if your permit is for one of these entry trailheads. The cost is an additional $10 per person (paid when you pick up your permits). These Half Dome permits are only available for overnight backpackers and are not valid for day hikers.
How do I maximize my chances of getting a reservation?
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.
If you are planning to hike the John Muir Trail, consider including both trailheads that allow for a Donohue Pass exit and all seven date options on your lottery application.
Tioga Pass Opening Date:
One thing to consider in early season permit requests is the fact that Tioga Pass may not be open. Clearing of the Tioga Road normally begins on or about April 15 each year and usually takes between one and two months. Predicting when these roads will open is not possible, even in late spring, because April and May weather significantly affects plowing progress. We typically try not to book backpacking permits in the Tuolumne region before the end of June.
Where should you Backpack in Yosemite
Choosing a location or trailhead to start your backpacking journey is truly where all the planning comes in at. Do you want to start from the valley or do you prefer to start in the high country? Are you planning a weekend trip or maybe a week long route? Loop hike or in / out hiking path. all these are considerations when backpacking in Yosemite. The Yosemite Shuttle into the high Country usually starts Late June or Early July so backpacking into the high country early will require a hike back as well.
Seasonal Gear
April and May backpacking trips often will feature snow still on many of the Yosemite wilderness hikes. with cooler temperatures and the possibility of crossing snow fields, proper winter gear needs to be added to your pack. Items such as Spikes for your shoes, extra warm layers for sleeping and hiking. extra socks to keep your feet dry etc. Also consider the Sleeping Bag rating before heading out in the early season.
Early Season Routes to Consider in Yosemite
3 Day Chilnualna Falls Trail Exploration – 22 miles
A good early season hike in the southern end of Yosemite for when other trails are still covered in snow. The Chilnualna Falls hike climbs out of Wawona with views of the falls. After a steep hike to the top we will set up camp and enjoy the majestic forest. The second day we’ll take smaller packs and set off day hiking to Crescent and Johnson Lakes, returning to our camp at the top of Chilnualna Falls for a second night. Returning to the trailhead, the last day is downhill alongside the waterfall that’s filled our bottles for the last few days. Source YExplore
4 Day Yosemite Valley North Rim (From the Top) – 26.5 miles
This hike highlights the park’s majestic forests and the dramatic cliffs of the Valley, and is great for families. (Suggested start date Mid May) Source YExplore
3 Day North Rim of Yosemite Valley
This hike has it all, from the customary life-list vistas of Yosemite to thundering waterfalls. The 3,000 feet or so in elevation you’ll gain right out of the gate will have you second guessing your training program, but give your quads some leeway, because the trail relaxes a bit once on top. Highlight include the peak of North Dome, Yosemite’s lone natural arch, and Yosemite Falls in all its raging, spilling glory. Streams, serene campsites, and forested Sierra Nevada forest abound along the North Rim.
Dewey Point via Tunnel View – 9.25 miles
Dewey Point lies on the western side of the Pohono Trail, across the valley from El Capitan and above Cathedral Rocks. When I was there in September, it was deserted but for a few birds drifting on the thermals above the cliffs. The sunset was stunning. Source The Outbound
Little Yosemite Valley
This short but Strenuous trip includes a trip near Vernal Falls and Nevada Fall before meandering your way up into the Little Yosemite Valley. popular route once the cables go up on Half Dome. Makes a nice early season route as the river runs high and loud. No access to Half Dome yet but if you have the gear a trip up to Merced lake might be possible in early season.
Hetch Hetchy Trails
This one is a stunning region to hike in early season although generally very wet. Crossing the bridge at Hetch Hetchy is very dangerous early in the season, traveling with the mindset that you may need to go up and around on the North Rim as a better option.
Hetch Hetchy is located in the northwest portion of Yosemite National Park. It’s located about 6 hours from Los Angeles and 3.5 hours from San Francisco. The gates into the reservoir are not open overnight so you must plan accordingly. The opening hours are as follows (check with a ranger beforehand to make sure there are no changes):
8AM to 7PM = April 1 to April 30
7AM to 9PM = May 1 to Labor Day
8AM to 7PM = Day after Labor Day to October 31
Checkout this itinerary from Backpacker Babe
- Number of nights: 2
- Total miles: 27 miles
- Total Elevation: about 5,850 ft. gain
- Starting trailhead: Beehive Meadow (clockwise)
Best Summer Backpacking Destinations Yosemite
Once the summer season rolls around after July 1st most of Yosemite High Country is available to explore. here is a short list of our favorite Backpacking Experiences to consider. These Permits are very competitive and you should consider being flexible with dates if you would like to secure a trip.
Young Lakes – This stunning three lake location is 7 miles north of Tuolumne meadows and is a popular place for climbers as it features a fun climb of Ragged Peak at the Lower Lake and the option to Climb White mountain and MT. Conness further East. We suggest as well an extra day to cross over to the base of Mt. Conness and visit Roosevelt lake.
Vogelsang High Country – a very popular region as it features half a dozen stunning lakes, the Vogelsang pass and and high Alpine tundra region that will take your breath away. Visit Fletcher Lake, Townsley Lake, Booth Lake, Vogelsang Lake , Evelyn Lake, Emeric lake as well as Parsons and Vogelsang Peak. We like staying at Booth Lake or Emeric Lake to avoid the crowds at the High Camp
Cathedrals lakes – Crowds and traffic are unavoidable here, but the setting is simply divine. Cathedral lakes is a short enough hike to have dozens of day hikers on your trip, but the morning and evening glows and reflections are outstanding. the fishing here is also at time epic. Want to escape the crowds consider a further jaunt off trail to Echo Lake for more secluded lake with less impressive features, but stunning visuals of the Matthes crest and Echo peak in the evening glow.
May Lake – the easiest of hikes on this list but still stunning. May lake makes a great base camp for further exploration. The Sunrise from the East side of the lake is unreal and the glow of Mt. Hoffman off the water at sunrise is special. However beware the mosquitos here early in the season are a problem.
