Wilderness Camping Permit
Per-person permit required for primitive wilderness camping.
“A genuine quota permit for four primitive wilderness campgrounds below the highest peak in the California State Park System — and the quota is simply the number of sites.”
How to get Wilderness Permit
There is no calendar we can watch. California State Parks sells the developed campgrounds here through ReserveCalifornia and issues the wilderness permit by application instead — at park headquarters in Idyllwild up to 8 weeks ahead, by mail, or same day at the Long Valley ranger station. Live UseDirect check 2026-08-31 confirmed all four wilderness camps carry AllowWebBooking:false with none of their units web viewable, so nothing is sold on a calendar we could poll.
Official permit pagePlanning another trip? See the permits we watch.
How to get Wilderness Permit
There is no calendar we can watch. California State Parks sells the developed campgrounds here through ReserveCalifornia and issues the wilderness permit by application instead — at park headquarters in Idyllwild up to 8 weeks ahead, by mail, or same day at the Long Valley ranger station. Live UseDirect check 2026-08-31 confirmed all four wilderness camps carry AllowWebBooking:false with none of their units web viewable, so nothing is sold on a calendar we could poll.
Official permit pagePlanning another trip? See the permits we watch.
Plan the full trip, not just the permit
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Wilderness Permit Quick Facts
Wilderness Permit Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Wilderness Permit in Mount San Jacinto State Park, California requires a permit issued via reservation.
- Wilderness Permit is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The Wilderness Permit route covers 11.6 miles with 2,400 feet of elevation gain, rated strenuous.
Key Information
Permit Details
What to Expect
Route Details
Highlights
- •A per-person $5 permit, available up to 56 days ahead, with a genuine site-count quota behind it
- •Four year-round camps totalling 36 sites, each taking up to 15 people
- •Vault toilets everywhere; a water spigot only at Round Valley, which must be purified and may run dry
- •A same-day walk-up channel at the Long Valley Ranger Station, cash or check only
- •No fires at all, anywhere in the wilderness — chemical stoves only
- •Altitude: the Long Valley entry is 8,400 feet and the peak is 10,834
Best Time to Visit
Late spring through early autumn, once snow has cleared the higher trails. Summer weekends are the crunch — the agency says the campgrounds fill four or more weeks in advance then, so apply on the day the 56-day window opens. Midweek in September and October is the easiest permit and the clearest air. Winter camping is allowed year-round but demands full snow gear.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Altitude — the tram delivers you to 8,400 feet with no gradual approach, and the peak is 10,834 feet.
- !Snow persists at higher elevations near the peak well into spring; trekking poles and micro-spikes are strongly recommended.
- !There are no wildlife-proof lockers in the State Wilderness.
- !The Round Valley water spigot may run dry, and all water must be filtered or purified.
- !The Skyline Route to the summit ascends over 10,000 feet from Palm Springs with no water access points until Long Valley, and weather is highly variable with unpredictable temperatures and icy conditions.
- !The walkway down from the tramway Mountain Station descends 100 feet in an eighth of a mile and its handrails do not run its full length.
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Backcountry Tips
- UV index 9. High altitude sun is intense—sunscreen and hat essential.
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How to Get This Permit
Create a California State Parks account
Sign up at California State Parks if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Difficulty Assessment
Fitness and endurance required
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Route finding and trail clarity
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Backpackers who want high alpine terrain in Southern California, and anyone who likes the idea of riding a tram to 8,400 feet and walking into wilderness from there. Groups up to 15 fit on a single permit.
Recommended Experience
Comfort at altitude and with water purification. Know which entrance you are using before you apply — the tramway and Idyllwild entrances are on opposite sides of the mountain.
Not Recommended For
Anyone with a dog — dogs are barred from the state wilderness entirely. Anyone who needs a campfire, anyone unacclimatized planning to summit on day one, and anyone arriving on a summer weekend without a permit already in hand.
About This Permit
Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness runs a real permit quota, and the park explains the mechanism plainly: there is no dispersed camping in the State Wilderness, all campers must have a Wilderness Camping Permit and camp in a designated wilderness campground, and only enough permits are sold to occupy the available sites. Four primitive wilderness campgrounds exist, all open year-round — Round Valley with 19 sites, Tamarack Valley with 8, Little Round Valley with 6, and Strawberry Junction with 3. Every one has vault toilets and a maximum occupancy of 15 per site.
Permits are $5.00 per person and subject to availability. They may be acquired up to 8 weeks before your desired camping date, and one person may fill out the permit for a hiking group of up to 15 provided everyone hikes together at all times. There are three routes: in person at Park Headquarters at the Idyllwild Campground, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; at the Long Valley Ranger Station at the top of the tramway, cash or check only and same-day permits only; or by mail with a completed application, a check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope — the park does not process applications without the envelope.
Demand is real and the agency publishes it: on summer weekends these campgrounds fill to capacity four or more weeks in advance. It is essential that campers plan ahead to avoid being turned away on those weekends. Fees are non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Most California state park camping is a race for inventory. This is a carrying-capacity system, and the park says so outright: each backcountry campground has a limited number of sites and only enough permits are sold to occupy those sites. Thirty-six sites across four camps is the whole ceiling, and on summer weekends these campgrounds fill to capacity four or more weeks in advance.
The Route
There are two ways in. From the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the only entrance into the park from the Mountain Station is down a steep paved walkway that descends 100 feet in an eighth of a mile, whose handrails do not run its full length. From Long Valley at 8,400 feet, Round Valley Meadow is 4.2 miles round trip with 700 feet of gain, and the Round Valley Loop is 4.0 miles with 600 feet. From Idyllwild, the Devil's Slide Trail reaches Wellman Divide in 10.6 miles round trip with 3,300 feet of gain.
The four campgrounds are all open year-round: Round Valley with 19 primitive sites and a water spigot that must be filtered or purified and may run dry, Tamarack Valley with 8, Little Round Valley with 6, and Strawberry Junction with 3. All have vault toilets and a maximum occupancy of 15 per site.
San Jacinto Peak stands at 10,834 feet, the highest peak in the California State Park System — 11.6 miles round trip and 2,400 feet of gain from Long Valley, or 16 miles and 4,500 feet from Devil's Slide.
The Feeling
You step out of a tram car into pine forest that has no business being just above the desert floor. The weather at the Mountain Station is typically 30 to 40 degrees cooler than on the desert below.
Trailhead Information
Long Valley Ranger Station (Palm Springs Aerial Tramway)
8,400 ft elevationThe high-elevation entry at 8,400 feet, reached from the tramway Mountain Station. Campers must check in here before heading to their wilderness campsite.
Parking
Park at the tramway Valley Station. Include the license plate number of any vehicle left at the trailhead or tramway parking lot on your permit application.
Getting There
One Tram Way, Palm Springs. The only entrance into the park from the Mountain Station is down a steep paved walkway descending 100 feet in an eighth of a mile, and the handrails do not run its full length.
Nearest Services
Palm Springs, at the base of the tram. Same-day permits at the ranger station are cash or check only.
Idyllwild — Park Headquarters
The staffed office where wilderness camping permits are sold up to 8 weeks in advance, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Parking
The USFS operates a separate weekend quota on the Devil's Slide Trail from Memorial Day to Labor Day; on those Saturdays and Sundays that trail's permit comes from the San Jacinto Ranger District in Idyllwild.
Getting There
Park headquarters is at the Idyllwild Campground. Permits by mail go to PO Box 308, Idyllwild, CA 92549 with a check or money order and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Nearest Services
Idyllwild village.
Rules & Regulations
- •Build no fires. Chemical stoves permitted.
- •Camp only in a campsite designated by a brown post. There is no dispersed camping in the State Wilderness.
- •Bring no dogs into the State Wilderness.
- •No more than 15 people per campsite; juvenile groups must have at least one adult leader for each 14 juveniles.
- •No smoking. Smoking is not allowed.
- •Possess no firearms, bows, or slingshots.
- •Neither possess nor use any wheeled mechanical or motorized device, including bicycles, strollers, carts or motorcycles.
- •Pack out all trash and garbage.
- •Dispose of waste water and wash dishes at least 100 feet from any stream, spring or faucet.
- •Erect no structures made from rocks, branches, snow or other natural materials.
- •Everyone entering the wilderness area for the day or for camping must have a permit in their possession. Day-use permits are free.
- •Both the State Park and National Forest honour each other's day-use permits, but not overnight permits.
Gear Checklist
Required
- Water filter or purifier — all backcountry water must be purified, including the Round Valley spigot
- Chemical or gas stove; fires are prohibited outright
- Cold-weather sleeping system for high-elevation camps in any season
- Cash or check for a same-day permit at Long Valley
- Sun protection at altitude
Recommended
- Trekking poles and micro-spikes when snow remains at higher elevations near the peak
- A wildlife-proof food container — there are no lockers in the wilderness and the park highly recommends one
- Extra water capacity in case the Round Valley spigot is dry
- A self-addressed stamped envelope if applying by mail; applications without one are not processed
- Layers for a 30 to 40 degree drop from the desert floor
Plan Your Trip
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Wilderness Permit
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
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Experienced wilderness guides
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Key Landmarks
Landmarks (5)
Safety & Planning
Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Wilderness Permit.
Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Wilderness Permit FAQ
How do I get a Wilderness Permit permit?
Wilderness Permit is not sold online. There is no calendar we can watch. California State Parks sells the developed campgrounds here through ReserveCalifornia and issues the wilderness permit by application instead — at park headquarters in Idyllwild up to 8 weeks ahead, by mail, or same day at the Long Valley ranger station. Live UseDirect check 2026-08-31 confirmed all four wilderness camps carry AllowWebBooking:false with none of their units web viewable, so nothing is sold on a calendar we could poll. PermitSnag does not send alerts for it — check the official permit page for the current process.
When is the best time to visit Wilderness Permit?
Check with the managing agency for current season dates. Weekdays generally have better availability than weekends.
How competitive is the Wilderness Permit permit?
This permit has a demand score of 7/10, making it highly competitive. We recommend having backup dates and reading the official permit page for how this one is issued.
What if I can't get a Wilderness Permit permit?
On this permit there is no cancellation queue and no alert to set, because nothing is re-released onto a calendar we could watch. Bring backup dates, and check the official permit page for the current process and any closures.
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Write the First ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Sunset from the summit ridge, looking west over the Coachella Valley with the desert already dark below.
Best Light
Late spring and early autumn, once snow is off the trails and the desert air is clearest.
Beat the Crowds
Long Valley itself is a day-use crowd from the tram. Everything past the ranger station requires a permit, and the quota means the trail thins immediately. Weekdays are far easier to permit than summer weekends.
Classic Shots
- 📍The summit block of San Jacinto Peak at 10,834 feet
- 📍Round Valley meadow ringed with lodgepole
- 📍The tram car rising against the escarpment
- 📍Wellman Divide with the peak behind
- 📍Snow on the high camps with the desert visible below
Can't Get a Wilderness Permit Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Henry W. Coe Backpacking Zone Permit
Similar ExperienceFirst-come backcountry permits across more than 80,000 acres of the Diablo Range, issued first-come, first-served at the park entrances.
Tradeoffs
No quota to beat and no advance planning needed, and dispersed camping is allowed in the outer zones. But it is hot, low and dry rather than alpine, and water is the constant problem.
Granite Springs Environmental Camp
Easier AlternativeA first-come, first-served hike-in or ride-in camp in Cuyamaca Rancho, 4.5 miles from Green Valley, with chemical toilets, non-potable water and corrals.
Tradeoffs
No permit lottery and no advance application at all — you register at park headquarters or a contact station. But it is a far lower range with a very different feel.
Castle Rock Trail Camp
Easier AlternativeTwenty campsites on a ridge 2.6 miles from the main parking lot in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with picnic tables, fire rings, trash receptacles and bathrooms.
Tradeoffs
Far shorter, lower and better serviced. But it is one fixed camp in coastal forest, not a wilderness above 8,000 feet.
Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Wilderness Permit trip
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