Angels Landing Lottery Strategy: How to Win a Permit
Forget the horror stories about permit lotteries. NPS puts the odds across both lotteries at about 50% over the pilot program's first two years, and on quiet mid-week days they reach 100%. This guide is the strategy side: how the two lotteries work and how to aim your entry at the dates that actually go through.
Looking for quotas, fees, live availability, or alerts? Those live on the Angels Landing permit page. You can also check the Angels Landing lottery odds by month, or the 2026 lottery calendar.
~50%
NPS 2-Yr Odds
4 a year
Seasonal Lotteries
$6 + $3pp
Apply / If You Win
Year-round
Season
5.4 mi
Round Trip
This Lottery Is Actually Winnable
Compare Angels Landing to Half Dome (22% in the preseason lottery) or the Enchantments advance lottery (under 10%), and about 50% starts to look like great news. NPS's own two-year report on the pilot permit program puts the spread at 8% to 100% depending on the date. Quiet mid-week days reach 100%. The permits that go fast are holiday weekends, with Memorial Day Weekend Sunday the worst day on the calendar at 8%.
Two Ways to Get a Permit
Seasonal Lottery
Plan ahead • Four windows a year
Quarterly, not monthly: February 13-25, April 1-20, July 1-20, and October 1-20 in 2026
Opens 8:00 am MT, closes 11:59 pm MT, one season of hike dates per window
Recreation.gov issues these permits 1 to 3 months before the hike
Part of the roughly 50% two-year average NPS reports across both lotteries
Day-Before Lottery
Last-minute option • Daily
Runs every day, 12:01 am - 3:00 pm Mountain Time; permits go out at 4:00 pm MT
Enter it fresh every day of your trip
Cancelled seasonal permits roll into this pool automatically, per Recreation.gov
As low as 8% on Memorial Day Weekend Sunday, per NPS
The 2026 Seasonal Lottery Windows
Four windows a year, one per season. Every window opens at 8:00 am MT and closes at 11:59 pm MT on the dates below. Spring is the outlier: it opens the 13th and closes the 25th, while the other three open the 1st and close the 20th.
The next Angels Landing seasonal lottery opens October 1, 2026 at 8 a.m. MT and closes October 20 at 11:59 p.m. MT, covering hikes December 1 - February 28, 2027. Permits are issued October 25.
| Hike dates | Lottery opens | Lottery closes | Permits issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring: March 1 - May 31 | Opens February 13 | Closes February 25 | Permits issued February 26 |
| Summer: June 1 - August 31 | Opens April 1 | Closes April 20 | Permits issued April 25 |
| Fall: September 1 - November 30 | Opens July 1 | Closes July 20 | Permits issued July 25 |
| Winter: December 1 - February 28, 2027 | Opens October 1 | Closes October 20 | Permits issued October 25 |
Two sets of dates get no permits at all in 2026 while crews work on the trail: April 20-23, 2026 and October 5-8, 2026. Dates come from the NPS Angels Landing permits page and the four Recreation.gov seasonal permits, checked 2026-08-09.
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4 Strategies to Improve Your Odds
Start With the Seasonal Lottery
It runs four times a year, not monthly, and each window covers one season of hike dates 1 to 3 months later. Miss a window and the next chance is a full quarter away, so put the date in your calendar and enter before you book flights, not after.
Avoid Holidays and Weekends
NPS says that depending on the day of the week and time of year, between 10% and 100% of applicants get a permit. Memorial Day Weekend Sunday is the worst day on the calendar at 8%.
Enter Both Lotteries
Missed the seasonal window for your season, or booked the trip inside a month? The day-before lottery is a completely independent shot at the same trail, and cancelled seasonal permits get added to it.
Retry Every Day of Your Trip
The day-before lottery runs daily. A 4-night Zion trip means four separate chances - your odds compound fast.
Didn't Win? You Still Have Options
Day-Before Lottery
Apply again every day of your trip - it's a fresh shot each time.
Cancellation Alerts
PermitSnag monitors availability 24/7 and alerts you instantly.
Hike to Scout Lookout
No permit needed. About 90% of the elevation gain, just can't summit.
Pro Tips for Summit Day
Catch the first shuttle
Arriving early avoids the worst chain-section crowding and the midday heat on exposed rock.
Bring gloves
The steel chains get hot in summer and rough on bare hands - grippy work gloves help a lot.
Skip it in storms or ice
Wet or icy sandstone on the chain section is genuinely dangerous. Check conditions before you go.
Have your permit ready
Rangers check permits at Scout Lookout - keep it accessible on your phone or printed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the odds of winning the Angels Landing lottery?
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Angels Landing is the friendliest big-name lottery in the park system. NPS reports that across the pilot program's first two years, the overall odds in both the Seasonal Lottery and the Day-before Lottery average to about 50%. The date you pick swings it hard: NPS puts the range from 8% in the Day-before Lottery on Memorial Day Weekend Sunday to 100% on random mid-week days.
How do I apply for the Angels Landing lottery?
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There are two lotteries on Recreation.gov and you can enter both. The seasonal lottery runs four times a year, not monthly. In 2026 the windows are February 13-25, April 1-20, July 1-20, and October 1-20, and each one covers a single season of hike dates 1 to 3 months later. The next one opens October 1 at 8 a.m. MT and closes October 20 at 11:59 p.m. MT, for hikes December 1 - February 28, 2027; permits go out October 25. The day-before lottery runs every single day from 12:01 am to 3:00 pm Mountain Time, and permits go out at 4:00 pm MT the same day - so missing a seasonal window still leaves you a fresh shot every morning of your trip. Applying costs $6 either way, covers up to 6 people, and is non-refundable; winners pay another $3 per person.
Do you need a permit to hike Angels Landing?
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Yes. Since 2022, a permit is required for the final chain section above Scout Lookout. You can hike to Scout Lookout - about 90% of the elevation gain - without any permit. Only the last 0.5 miles along the chains require one, and rangers check permits at Scout Lookout.
What happens if I don't win the Angels Landing lottery?
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Apply again in the day-before lottery, which runs daily and gives you a fresh shot for each day of your trip. It also gets the leftovers: Recreation.gov says cancelled seasonal lottery permits roll automatically into the day-before lottery, so the pool grows as other people's plans fall apart. You can hike to Scout Lookout without any permit, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment a permit reopens.
How hard is the Angels Landing hike?
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Strenuous but short - 5.4 miles round trip with 1,488 feet of elevation gain, typically taking 4-5 hours. The final half-mile along steel chains has severe drop-offs on both sides. It's not technical climbing, but exposure and crowding make it feel harder than the mileage suggests.
Everything else about this permit
This guide covers lottery strategy. The permit page has the rest: the $6 application fee and the $3 per person you pay if you win, group size limits, what the chains section actually involves, and live availability the moment a spot reopens.
Don't Miss Your Angels Landing Permit
Even with odds near 50%, plans change and permits get cancelled. PermitSnag monitors availability 24/7 and alerts you the moment a spot opens up.
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