Very High DemandReservation6 min read

Updated August 9, 2026

How to Get a Paintbrush Permit

Nineteen miles over Paintbrush Divide and back down Cascade Canyon, on a divide the park says can need an ice axe as late as August.

Check Paintbrush permit availability

$20 flat permit fee, non-refundable, plus $7 per person per night, refundable until five days before your start date.

Permit Cost

2-3 days

Duration

19 miles

Distance

strenuous

Difficulty

About Paintbrush

The Paintbrush-Cascade loop is 19.0 miles from the String Lake trailhead, per the park's own route list, which suggests one night for it. Grand Teton publishes no elevation-gain figure for the loop. Camping is zone-based rather than site-based. Lower Paintbrush, Upper Paintbrush and Holly Lake sit on the way up; North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade on the way down. Holly Lake is three campsites near Holly Lake in Paintbrush Canyon; North Fork Cascade is a zone near, but not at, Lake Solitude. Group sites exist at Holly Lake, North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade. Inside a zone you pick your own spot between the boundary signs. Campfires are not allowed in any mountain camping area. The park publishes no per-zone capacity number - it states only that a quota exists for both the number of permits and the number of people issued on any given night. Group size is the park's own sentence: individual permits can consist of up to six people, and groups of 7-12 people must camp in designated group sites. Advance reservations for the May 1 to October 31 peak season opened January 7, 2026 at 8:00 am MST on Recreation.gov - note that Recreation.gov's season information block says January 10 elsewhere on the same permit, and the park's own About section still carries a stale 2025 date. Only about one third of backcountry camping permits go to advance reservation; approximately two thirds are available via walk-up through Grand Teton's permit offices, first-come first-served, obtainable one day before your start date. Fees are $20 flat per permit, non-refundable, plus $7 per person per night, refundable until five days before you start. Maximum stay is two nights per location, ten nights between June 1 and Labor Day, and thirty nights per year. Bear canisters are mandatory. The park requires Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved containers for food storage in the backcountry, and permit holders can check one out free of charge at any permit-issuing station. The Upper Paintbrush zone carries its own reminder of the same rule. For 2026, the Death Canyon Road and Trailhead are closed to all use from June 19 to September 7, which removes the 37.1-mile Death Canyon/Paintbrush variant for the season. Fire danger was listed as HIGH on July 31, 2026.

This is the Tetons' signature loop and the reason most people apply for a Grand Teton backcountry permit at all. It links two of the range's biggest canyons over a 10,000-foot divide, passes Holly Lake and Lake Solitude, and puts the Grand, Owen and Teewinot in front of you for most of a day. The park's own note on it is short and telling: this is an extremely busy trail July and August.

The Experience

Up through forest and boulder fields into Paintbrush Canyon, over a divide that is often still holding snow, then down into Cascade with the north face of the Grand filling the head of the canyon. Camp in a zone rather than at a numbered site, which means you pick your own spot inside a marked boundary.

The park publishes the loop as 19.0 miles from the String Lake trailhead, and suggests one night. It does not publish an elevation gain for it, and the only gain figure it gives in that section belongs to the Teton Crest Trail, which is a different route.

Camping is by zone. The relevant ones are Lower Paintbrush, Upper Paintbrush, Holly Lake - which the park describes as three campsites near Holly Lake in Paintbrush Canyon - and, on the far side, North Fork Cascade, described as a camping zone in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon near, but not at, Lake Solitude. South Fork Cascade sits below. Group sites exist separately at Holly Lake, North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade. Zones are marked by a sign at each end and you choose your own campsite inside the boundary; campfires are not allowed in any mountain camping area.

The divide is the crux. Recreation.gov's guidance is explicit: safe travel over Paintbrush, Static Peak and Moose Basin Divides, and Hurricane, Mt. Meek and Fox Creek Passes requires an ice axe and knowledge of its use as late as August, and if you are planning to cross any divide before late July without those skills, consider an alternate route. The park's own conditions report on 2026-07-19 had Paintbrush Canyon snow free to Holly Lake, with snow patches higher up and ice axe and crampons advised.

What to Expect

19.0 miles as a loop from String Lake, which the park suggests doing in one night

Zone camping, not numbered sites - pick your spot between the boundary signs

Holly Lake is three campsites; North Fork Cascade is a zone near but not at Lake Solitude

Six people per individual permit; 7 to 12 must use a designated group site

An ice axe and the skill to use it if you cross the divide before late July - and possibly as late as August

Bear canisters required, and free to check out at any permit station

No campfires in any mountain camping area

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Permit Requirements

A backcountry permit is required for all overnight camping

Individual permits can consist of up to six people; groups of 7-12 people must camp in designated group sites

IGBC-approved bear canisters are required for food storage in the backcountry

Campfires are not allowed in any mountain camping area

Maximum two nights per location, ten nights between June 1 and Labor Day, and thirty nights per year

Camp inside the marked zone boundary; the signs at each end of a zone define it

Walk-up permits are issued one day before the start date, first-come first-served

Gear & Preparation

Required Gear

•An IGBC-approved bear canister - free to check out with your permit at any permit station
•An ice axe, and the knowledge to use it, for any divide crossing before late July
•A stove; campfires are prohibited in all mountain camping areas
•Water treatment
•Wind and rain layers for an exposed 10,000-foot divide

Recommended Gear

•Crampons or microspikes - the park's 2026-07-19 report advised both for upper Paintbrush
•Trekking poles for the descent into Cascade
•Sun protection; the divide has no shade
•A shelter that handles afternoon thunderstorms

Hazards & Safety

Snow and ice on Paintbrush Divide. The park's guidance is that safe travel over it requires an ice axe and knowledge of its use as late as August

Afternoon thunderstorms on a fully exposed divide

Grizzly and black bears, which is why the canister is mandatory rather than advised

Fire danger listed as HIGH on July 31, 2026

Death Canyon Road and Trailhead closed to all use June 19 to September 7, 2026

Best Time to Visit

Late July through September. Before late July the divide is a snow climb rather than a hike, and the park says as much. September clears the crowds and the snow both, though nights get cold at 9,000 feet. The permit season runs May 1 to October 31.

Pro Tips

Two thirds of Grand Teton's backcountry permits are walk-up. If January 7 does not go your way, showing up the day before is a genuinely good plan here - much better odds than at most parks.

Book Holly Lake if you can. It puts the divide crossing in the morning, which is when the snow is firm and the storms have not built.

Carry an ice axe until you have seen a current conditions report saying otherwise. The park's own line is that the divide can need one as late as August.

The canister is free at the permit station. Do not buy one for this trip.

For 2026, drop the Death Canyon variants from your planning - the road and trailhead are closed to all use from June 19 to September 7.

Written by

PermitSnag Team

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a Paintbrush permit?

Paintbrush permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.

When is the best time to visit Paintbrush?

How difficult is Paintbrush?

Fit backpackers with snow-travel skills, or anyone willing to wait until the divide melts out in late July or August.

What gear do I need for Paintbrush?

Essential gear includes: An IGBC-approved bear canister - free to check out with your permit at any permit station, An ice axe, and the knowledge to use it, for any divide crossing before late July, A stove; campfires are prohibited in all mountain camping areas, Water treatment, Wind and rain layers for an exposed 10,000-foot divide.