Inyo National Forest Wilderness Permits
Inyo National Forest wilderness permits are booked on Recreation.gov, one permit per entry trailhead per entry date, and no trailhead on this page runs a lottery. The forest releases 60% of each trail's quota six months ahead at 7 am Pacific and the remaining 40% two weeks ahead, on the same day of the week.
The Forest Service requires a wilderness permit for overnight use in the John Muir, Ansel Adams, Hoover and Golden Trout Wildernesses. Quota season runs May 1 to November 1 at the trailheads that publish one; outside it permits are unlimited and can be booked up to two weeks ahead. Fees on Recreation.gov permit 233262 are $6 per reservation plus $5 per person.
The table below lists all 62 Inyo trailheads we track. Inyo does not publish a per-trailhead daily quota in prose, so this page states none. A trailhead showing "NR" on Recreation.gov has sold its first 60% and has not yet dropped the second.
Signature Experiences
The most sought-after permits in Inyo NF
Kearsarge Pass (JMT)
“Six and a half miles from a road-end at 9,100 feet to the John Muir Trail — the shortest legal walk onto the JMT from anywhere in the Eastern Sierra.”
Baxter Pass (JMT)
“Six thousand feet of climbing in eight miles to reach the John Muir Trail, on the pass almost nobody chooses - which is exactly why it is still available.”
Bishop Pass (JMT)
“A staircase of granite benches out of South Lake, each one holding its own lake, ending at the pass that drops into Dusy Basin and the John Muir Trail.”
Every Inyo National Forest trailhead permit
All 62 entry trailheads, what each permit covers, and how it is booked. Quota season is shown where the forest publishes one.
| Permit | Trip type | How to book | Quota season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Baxter Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Beck Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Big Pine Creek North Fork permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Big Pine Creek South Fork permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Birch Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Bishop Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Inyo NF Blackrock permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Bloody Canyon permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Convict Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Cottonwood Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Cottonwood Pass (PCT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | June 30 to September 15 |
| Deer Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Duck Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Fern Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Fish Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Gable Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Mt. Williamson permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| George Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Gibbs Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Glacier Canyon permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Golden Trout Lakes (Onion Valley) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| High Trail PCT (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Hilton Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Horton Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Italy Pass (Pine Creek) permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| JMT North of Devils Postpile permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| JMT South of Devils Postpile permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Kearsarge Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Lamarck Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Laurel Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Little Lakes Valley permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Lundy Canyon permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| McGee Pass permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Meysan Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Minaret Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Mono Pass (Rock Creek) permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Mt. Whitney Trail Crest Exit permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| North Fork Lone Pine Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Olancha Pass (PCT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Parker Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Pine Creek Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Piute Pass (North Lake) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Red Cones - Mammoth Pass permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Red Lake (Split Mt) permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| River Trail (Agnew Meadow) permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Rush Creek (Silver Lake) permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Sabrina Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Saddlebag Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Sawmill Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Shadow Creek (Agnew Meadow) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Shepherd Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Taboose Pass (JMT) permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Tamarack Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Trail Pass permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Treasure Lakes - South Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | May 1 to November 1 |
| Tuttle Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Tyee Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Upper Buttermilk permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Valentine Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Warren Fork permit | Overnight | Reservation | |
| Yost and Fern Lake (June Lake) permit | Overnight | Reservation |
An empty cell means the agency does not publish that figure for this permit, and nothing in this table is estimated.
Other California Areas
Explore more wilderness permits in the region
Planning Inyo National Forest for 2027
Inyo trailhead quotas are not a lottery. Most of a 2027 date is released half a year out and the rest arrives two weeks before the trip.
- “During the quota season (May 1 to November 1) 60% of the quota is available starting 6 months in advance of the entry date and 40% of the quota is added to the reservation website 2 weeks prior to the entry date.”
Source: USDA Forest Service, Inyo National Forest. Read the official permit page.
“Wilderness Permits are required for overnight use in John Muir, Ansel Adams, Hoover and Golden Trout Wildernesses.”
Checked against the agency page on August 20, 2026.
Trip planning
Articles that plan a trip around this permit.
Inyo NF Permit FAQ
Do I need a wilderness permit in Inyo National Forest?
Yes, for overnight trips. The Forest Service states that wilderness permits are required for overnight use in the John Muir, Ansel Adams, Hoover and Golden Trout Wildernesses. Every Inyo permit listed on this page is an overnight permit.
Is there a lottery for Inyo National Forest wilderness permits?
No. Inyo runs a rolling release rather than a lottery: 60% of each trail's quota goes on sale six months before the entry date at 7 am Pacific, and the other 40% two weeks before, on the same day of the week. The Mount Whitney Trail lottery is run separately and is not part of this system.
When do Inyo National Forest permits go on sale?
Six months before your entry date at 7 am Pacific for the first 60% of the quota, and two weeks before for the remaining 40%. A trailhead listed as "NR" on Recreation.gov has sold through the first release and has not yet reached the second.
How much does an Inyo wilderness permit cost?
Recreation.gov permit 233262 lists a $6 Inyo reservation fee plus a $5 per-person fee. Mount Whitney trailheads carry a higher per-person fee, and trips through Reds Meadow Valley also pay a transportation fee covering the mandatory shuttle.
What is the Inyo National Forest permit quota season?
May 1 to November 1 at the trailheads that publish a season, with one exception in our data: Cottonwood Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail runs June 30 to September 15. Outside the quota season permits are unlimited and bookable up to two weeks in advance.
How many Inyo National Forest trailheads have their own permit?
PermitSnag tracks 62 Inyo National Forest entry trailheads, each one a separate permit with its own quota. They are all listed in the table on this page, and PermitSnag watches every one of them for cancellations.