How to Get a JMT Yosemite Permit
One Yosemite permit covers the whole 211-mile John Muir Trail - and only two trailheads in the park can issue it.
Check JMT Yosemite permit availability45 people/day over Donohue Pass, no published rate
Lottery Odds
45
People Per Day
$10 lottery application + $5 per person on confirmation
Permit Cost
2-3 weeks
Duration
211 miles
Distance
About JMT Yosemite
The John Muir Trail runs 211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, and for most of that length it overlaps the Pacific Crest Trail. If you hike it as a continuous trip, NPS says you need exactly one wilderness permit - a Yosemite one - for the whole thing. What you are actually competing for is a trailhead entry date. Yosemite issues permits to a limited number of people each day per trailhead, based on entry date and entry point, and it measures those quotas per person rather than per permit. On top of that sits the Donohue Pass exit quota, introduced in 2015: the park issues permits valid for exiting Yosemite over Donohue Pass for up to 45 people per day, 15 of them from Happy Isles to Past LYV and 30 from Lyell Canyon. Those are the only two trailheads that reach the full JMT beyond the park. The lottery is weekly and runs 24 weeks ahead of your entry date, from Sunday 12:01 am to Saturday 11:59 pm, with results emailed the following Monday evening and payment due by Thursday 11:59 pm. Sixty percent of wilderness permits can be reserved 24 weeks in advance; the remaining forty percent become available seven days in advance. One application per group per lottery - and NPS defines a group as anyone who may be planning to hike together, cancelling duplicates without refund. A permit is $10 to enter the lottery plus $5 per person when you confirm, and none of it is refundable.
This is not a permit for a trail. It is a Yosemite wilderness entry permit for a specific trailhead on a specific date, which happens to be the thing that unlocks the John Muir Trail. NPS puts it plainly: if you hike the JMT as a continuous hike you only need one wilderness permit from Yosemite for the entire trip - no Whitney stamp, no permits from the forests and parks in between. The catch is the exit quota. Yosemite limits hikers exiting the wilderness over Donohue Pass to 45 per day, and only two trailheads are Donohue Pass eligible.
The Experience
Everything about the JMT is decided before you take a step. You are not choosing a start date so much as being assigned one, out of a weekly lottery, 24 weeks ahead, for one of 45 places a day. And then you walk out of Yosemite Valley at 4,035 feet and do not touch a road again for weeks.
The John Muir Trail runs 211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, and it overlaps the Pacific Crest Trail for most of its length. Inside Yosemite the trail's high point is Donohue Pass at 11,056 feet, on the park's southern border - which is exactly where the quota bites.
Only two trailheads give access to the full JMT beyond Yosemite: Happy Isles to Past LYV (Donohue Pass eligible) and Lyell Canyon (Donohue Pass eligible). Of the 45 people a day allowed to exit over Donohue Pass, 15 come from Happy Isles and 30 from Lyell Canyon. If you start at Happy Isles, your first night cannot be in Little Yosemite Valley.
Everything downstream of Yosemite is covered by that one permit. Bear canisters are required throughout the park, food hanging is not permitted anywhere in Yosemite, and there are no exceptions for through-hikers. Resupply goes by General Delivery to the post offices in Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows - ranger stations do not accept food packages.
What to Expect
211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, on one Yosemite permit for a continuous hike
Only two Donohue Pass eligible trailheads: Happy Isles to Past LYV, and Lyell Canyon
45 people per day may exit Yosemite over Donohue Pass - 15 from Happy Isles, 30 from Lyell Canyon
60% of permits reservable 24 weeks ahead, 40% released seven days ahead
Weekly lottery: Sunday to Saturday, results Monday evening, pay by Thursday
Bear canisters required throughout Yosemite; hanging food is not permitted anywhere in the park
First night cannot be in Little Yosemite Valley on a Happy Isles to Past LYV permit
Permits must be picked up in person at a wilderness permit station, the day of or day before entry
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Permit Requirements
A wilderness permit is required year-round for any overnight stay in Yosemite Wilderness
Trailhead quotas are per person and by entry date, not by length of stay
The permit is valid only for the trip leader, trailheads, dates and number of people on it, and only for continuous wilderness travel
Exiting the wilderness mid-itinerary invalidates the permit; any travel through Yosemite Valley invalidates it, with no exception
Thru-hikers may stay one night at the Tuolumne Meadows backpackers' campground as part of a continuous permit
45 people per day maximum exiting over Donohue Pass: 15 from Happy Isles to Past LYV, 30 from Lyell Canyon
On a Happy Isles to Past LYV permit, the first night's camp cannot be in Little Yosemite Valley
Maximum group size is 15 people, or 8 for cross-country hiking more than a quarter mile off any trail
Approved bear-resistant canisters are required for food storage everywhere in Yosemite Wilderness; hanging food is not permitted
Campfires are prohibited above 9,600 feet
Camp at least 100 feet from any water source and any trail
One application per group per weekly lottery - duplicates from the same group are cancelled without refund
Permits must be picked up in person by 11 am on the entry date unless held for late arrival
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •An approved bear canister - required throughout Yosemite, with no exception for through-hikers, and rentable at any wilderness permit station for $5 a week
- •A stove; campfires are prohibited above 9,600 feet and most of the JMT is above it
- •Water treatment for three weeks of Sierra creeks and lakes
- •Warm layers and a real shelter - Donohue Pass is 11,056 feet and the passes south of it are higher
- •Your permit, picked up in person; there is no printing it at home
Recommended Gear
- •Microspikes and an ice axe for an early-season start, when the passes still hold snow
- •A resupply plan by General Delivery to Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows post offices - ranger stations do not accept food packages
- •Sun protection for weeks above treeline
- •A second bear canister staged in a resupply box, since one rarely holds more than about a week of food
- •Transport plan for the finish: there is no public transport between Whitney Portal and Yosemite, though Eastern Sierra Transit runs Lone Pine to Mammoth and YARTS runs Mammoth to Yosemite Valley
Hazards & Safety
Snow on the passes into July in a heavy year, and creek crossings running high with it
Altitude - the trail spends weeks between 8,000 and 14,000 feet
Afternoon thunderstorms above treeline through the summer
Bears, which is why canisters are mandatory and hanging is banned outright in Yosemite
Seasonal road closures: if your trailhead is inaccessible your permit will not be issued and there is no refund
Overnight parking is prohibited on Tioga and Glacier Point Roads from October 15, and weather can close them with little notice
A permit that only covers continuous travel - stepping out to a road, a bus or the Valley voids it
Best Time to Visit
Mid-July through September. Tioga Road typically opens mid to late June and Glacier Point Road late May or June, both depending on snowpack and plowing, so a Lyell Canyon start before late June may simply not be reachable. From October 15, overnight parking is prohibited on both roads and inclement weather can close them for the season with little notice, so an exit date after that means arranging your own transport. Early season means snow on Donohue and the passes south of it; late September means short days and the first storms.
Pro Tips
Apply for Lyell Canyon, not Happy Isles, if you just want to walk the trail. It carries 30 of the 45 daily places against Happy Isles' 15.
One application per group, and NPS defines a group as anyone who may be planning to hike together. Multiple applications from the same party are cancelled without refund.
List up to eight preferred entry dates and entry points on the application. Only one preference can be awarded per week, so spread them.
Cancellations release quota immediately, and 40% of permits do not appear until seven days out. Losing the 24-week lottery is not the end of it.
Check the road dates before you pick a trailhead. Tioga Road typically opens mid to late June, and a Lyell Canyon permit for a closed road is not issued and not refunded.
Post offices, not ranger stations, take resupply. General Delivery to Yosemite Valley year-round and Tuolumne Meadows roughly mid-June to mid-September, marked "hold for hiker until [date]".
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 JMT Yosemite permit?
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JMT Yosemite permits are distributed through a lottery system. Apply during the lottery window, and if you're not selected, check for cancellations as they become available.
When is the best time to visit JMT Yosemite?
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Mid-July through September. Tioga Road typically opens mid to late June and Glacier Point Road late May or June, both depending on snowpack and plowing, so a Lyell Canyon start before late June may simply not be reachable. From October 15, overnight parking is prohibited on both roads and inclement weather can close them for the season with little notice, so an exit date after that means arranging your own transport. Early season means snow on Donohue and the passes south of it; late September means short days and the first storms.
How difficult is JMT Yosemite?
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Backpackers ready for two to three weeks of self-supported travel at altitude, with resupply logistics to organise and a permit process to survive 24 weeks before they leave.
What if I don't win the JMT Yosemite lottery?
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Cancellations happen regularly. Use PermitSnag to monitor availability and get alerts when spots open up. You can also check for walk-up permits or consider similar alternatives in the area.
What gear do I need for JMT Yosemite?
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Essential gear includes: An approved bear canister - required throughout Yosemite, with no exception for through-hikers, and rentable at any wilderness permit station for $5 a week, A stove; campfires are prohibited above 9,600 feet and most of the JMT is above it, Water treatment for three weeks of Sierra creeks and lakes, Warm layers and a real shelter - Donohue Pass is 11,056 feet and the passes south of it are higher, Your permit, picked up in person; there is no printing it at home.
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