Find the permit you want, fast

America's most spectacular wilderness areas require permits to protect fragile ecosystems and ensure quality experiences. From the granite walls of Half Dome permits to the sandstone waves of The Wave permit, these protected lands see millions of visitors each year.

Permit systems vary by agency and location. National Park permits typically use Recreation.gov for reservations and lotteries. National Forest permits and wilderness areas often have different quota systems. Utah & BLM permits like the Vermilion Cliffs manage their own lottery systems.

Agencies publish very different odds for the hardest permits, and several publish none at all. The Forest Service puts the Enchantments advance lottery, across all zones, at under 10%. NPS recorded 8,043 applications for 482 launch dates in the 2025 Grand Canyon river Main Lottery, about 6%. Yosemite publishes no success rate for the JMT permits and their Donohue Pass trailheads. Cancellations happen on all of them, and PermitSnag monitors availability around the clock so you can catch those openings.