How to Get a Bechler Permit
Yellowstone's Cascade Corner - a roughly 30-mile trail past more waterfalls than the rest of the park has, with campsites named Colonnade, Ouzel, Albright and Dunanda after them.
Check Bechler permit availability$5 per person per night plus a $10 reservation fee. The early access lottery application costs a separate, non-refundable $10.
Permit Cost
3-5 days
Duration
30 miles
Distance
strenuous
Difficulty
About Bechler
The Bechler - Yellowstone's Cascade Corner - is the park's southwest waterfall country, and Recreation.gov lists it among the four high-demand areas worth entering the early access lottery for. The Bechler River Trail is a classic, strenuous roughly 30-mile one-way route starting from either the Bechler Ranger Station or Lone Star Geyser. Campsites here are named for the falls: Colonnade Falls (9B5), Ouzel Falls (9B4), Albright Falls (9B9), Dunanda Falls (9A3), Ferris Fork (9D1). Backpacker sites take 8 people; most of the canyon sites are one-night limits, with Dunanda and Albright at two. Colonnade and Ouzel allow campfires; Dunanda does not. Stock-only sites - 9A0, 9B0, 9B3, 9M1 and 9M2 - take 12 people with up to 25 stock and are closed from December 1 to July 14. Timing is the whole trip here. Every campsite carries the note that trips prior to July 10 are not recommended due to flooding of Bechler Meadows and high water crossings, and the upper-canyon sites add that the Bechler River south of 9B7 may be too deep and swift to cross until mid-July or later. Separately, the park says the fording of Fall River near the Cave Falls Trailhead is wide and dangerous, and not recommended. As of the park's 2026 reports: Bechler Meadows was dry except for the perpetually muddy patches on July 28; the Bechler River Trail was cleared on July 5; the Bechler Canyon trail was in good condition on July 28 with crossings about 24 inches deep and bad mosquitoes at night as of July 6; and on August 7 the food pole at campsite 9A6 was down and not available, making an approved hard-sided bear-resistant container required there. Everything else is the park-wide backcountry permit: $5 per person per night plus a $10 reservation fee, a March early access lottery costing a separate non-refundable $10, and in-person pickup at a backcountry office up to two days before your trip. There is no Bear Management Area covering the Bechler - the park's published BMA table has none here.
The Bechler is the wettest, greenest, least-visited corner of Yellowstone, and Recreation.gov names it as one of four high-demand areas worth entering the lottery for. It is also the corner with the hardest timing constraint in the park: the campsites carry a standing note that trips prior to July 10 are not recommended due to flooding of Bechler Meadows and high water crossings.
The Experience
Meadow, then forest, then a waterfall every mile or two, with hot springs seeping into the river in places you can actually sit in. The mosquitoes in early July are legendary and the park's own site notes say so.
The park describes the Bechler River Trail as a classic, strenuous roughly 30-mile one-way backpacking trail in the southwest part of the park that leads past waterfalls and hydrothermal features, starting at either the Bechler Ranger Station or at Lone Star Geyser. Around it: the Boundary Creek Trail at 17.2 miles one way, the Bechler River Cutoff at 1.6, and the Robinson Creek Trail at 9.1.
The water is what governs the schedule. Every campsite in the district carries the note that trips prior to July 10 are not recommended due to flooding of Bechler Meadows and high water crossings, and the upper-canyon sites - 9B7, 9B8, 9D1, 9D2, 9D3, 9D4 and 9B9 - carry a second one: the Bechler River south of 9B7 may be too deep and swift to cross until mid-July or later. Separately, and with no date attached, the park says the fording of Fall River near the Cave Falls Trailhead is wide and dangerous, and not recommended.
What to Expect
A roughly 30-mile one-way trail from the Bechler Ranger Station or Lone Star Geyser
Campsites named for the waterfalls: Colonnade, Ouzel, Albright, Dunanda, plus Ferris Fork
8 people at backpacker sites; most canyon sites are one-night limits
Campfires allowed at Colonnade Falls and Ouzel Falls, not at Dunanda Falls
Multiple unbridged crossings, roughly 24 inches deep as of the park's 2026-07-06 report
Serious mosquitoes at night in early July, per the park's own condition notes
The food pole at 9A6 was down as of 2026-08-07, making a hard-sided container required there
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Permit Requirements
A backcountry permit is required and names your specific campsite and dates
Food and scented items must be hung from the food pole or stored in a hard-sided bear-resistant container. Soft-sided containers are not allowed
Off-trail travel in thermal areas is prohibited
Bathing, soaking or swimming in water entirely of thermal origin is prohibited
Campfires are allowed only where the campsite permits them - Colonnade Falls and Ouzel Falls do, Dunanda Falls does not
Stock-only sites take 12 people with up to 25 stock and are closed December 1 to July 14
Carry bear spray
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •Bear spray
- •Shoes you can ford in - the crossings are unbridged and were about 24 inches deep in early July 2026
- •A head net and repellent. The park's own condition note for early July is that mosquitos are bad at night
- •Rope for the food pole, or a hard-sided bear-resistant container
- •Water treatment
Recommended Gear
- •Trekking poles for the fords
- •Gaiters for Bechler Meadows, which stays muddy in patches all season
- •A dry bag for the camera - this is waterfall country and the spray is constant
- •A hard-sided bear canister as a backup for downed food poles
Hazards & Safety
High water. The park does not recommend trips before July 10 because of flooding in Bechler Meadows and high water crossings
The Bechler River south of campsite 9B7, which the park says may be too deep and swift to cross until mid-July or later
The Fall River ford near the Cave Falls Trailhead, which the park calls wide and dangerous and does not recommend
Grizzly and black bears
Thermal features along the river, where off-trail travel is prohibited and the crust is thin
Mosquitoes severe enough that the park logs them as a trail condition
Best Time to Visit
Mid-July through September. The park does not recommend trips before July 10 at all, and the upper canyon may not be crossable until mid-July or later. Late August and September dry the meadows out, kill the mosquitoes and drop the water - at the cost of thinner waterfalls.
Pro Tips
July 10 is the real season opener here, not the calendar. The whole district carries that note and it is about water, not preference.
Head net, not just repellent. The park logs the mosquitoes as a trail condition in early July, which tells you something.
Colonnade and Ouzel allow campfires and most of the canyon does not - useful if you want one night with a fire on a wet trip.
Carry a hard-sided container as well as rope. The food pole at 9A6 was down as of 2026-08-07 and a container became mandatory there.
Most canyon sites are one-night limits, so build a moving itinerary rather than a basecamp.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Bechler permit?
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Bechler permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Bechler?
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Mid-July through September. The park does not recommend trips before July 10 at all, and the upper canyon may not be crossable until mid-July or later. Late August and September dry the meadows out, kill the mosquitoes and drop the water - at the cost of thinner waterfalls.
How difficult is Bechler?
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Backpackers who will plan around water levels and do not mind being wet and bitten for the best waterfall walking in Yellowstone.
What gear do I need for Bechler?
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Essential gear includes: Bear spray, Shoes you can ford in - the crossings are unbridged and were about 24 inches deep in early July 2026, A head net and repellent. The park's own condition note for early July is that mosquitos are bad at night, Rope for the food pole, or a hard-sided bear-resistant container, Water treatment.
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