Sequoia & Kings Canyon Wilderness Permits
Sequoia and Kings Canyon wilderness permits, or SEKI permits, cover one entry point and one entry date. The National Park Service releases them daily at 7:00 AM Pacific, up to six months before the trip, and closes the reservation window one week out.
Only 2 of the 39 permits on this page are drawn by lottery, both of them for Mount Whitney. The other 37 are straight reservations. The 2026 quota season runs May 22 to September 26; outside it, permits are free, self-issued and not subject to daily entry limits.
The table below lists every SEKI entry point we track, with the daily quota beside the ones the Park Service publishes a figure for.
Signature Experiences
The most sought-after permits in SEKI
Mt. Whitney Day
“Stand atop the highest point in the contiguous United States, where on a clear day you can see over 100 miles in every direction.”
Mt. Whitney Overnight
“Whitney over two or three days instead of one, which is what Inyo National Forest actually recommends: camp a night or two "allowing more time to adapt to high elevation."”
High Sierra Trail
“Seventy-two miles from a giant sequoia grove to the highest point in the lower 48, on a trail blasted across the Great Western Divide with air compressors in 1930.”
Thru-Hikes & Long Trails
Epic multi-day traverses starting from SEKI
Plan a Sequoia & Kings Canyon trip
Named routes in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and the permit each one is issued against.
Rae Lakes Loop permit
Roads End, entered at Bubbs Creek or Woods Creek depending on direction.
High Sierra Trail permit
Crescent Meadow to the John Muir Trail, and on to Mount Whitney.
Mount Whitney day hike permit
The February lottery for a single-day summit.
Mount Whitney overnight permit
The overnight half of the same February lottery.
Mount Langley via Cottonwood Lakes
A 14,042 ft peak reached through the Cottonwood Lakes basin.
Dusy Basin permit
Bishop Pass into Kings Canyon.
Rae Lakes Loop permit guide
How the loop's two entry points are released and what to book.
Sequoia National Park permit guide
The Sequoia half of the shared system, with its 2026 permit timeline.
Kings Canyon permit guide
The Kings Canyon half of the shared system, with its 2026 permit timeline.
Mount Whitney permit guide
The February lottery, and the unclaimed permits released after it.
Every Sequoia & Kings Canyon entry point
All 39 permits, what each one covers, how it is booked, and the published daily quota where the Park Service states one.
| Permit | Trip type | How to book | Daily quota | Quota season | Lottery window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEKI Alta permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Atwell Chief permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Belle Canyon permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Bubbs Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | 25 people/day | May 22 to September 26 | |
| Colony Mill East permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Colony Mill West permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Copper Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Don Cecil East permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Don Cecil West permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Dusy Basin permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Eagle Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | 25 people/day | May 22 to September 26 | |
| Farewell Gap permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Franklin Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | 30 people/day | May 22 to September 26 | |
| Garfield Grove permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| High Sierra Trail permit | Thru-Hike | Reservation | |||
| High Sierra Trail permit | Overnight | Reservation | 30 people/day | May 22 to September 26 | |
| SEKI Hockett permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| JO Pass permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| SEKI Ladybug permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Lewis Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Middle Fork Kaweah permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Mosquito Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Mount Langley via Cottonwood Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Mt. Whitney permit | Day Use | Lottery | 100 people/day | May 1 to November 1 | Opens February 1, closes March 1 |
| Mount Whitney Overnight permit | Overnight | Lottery | 60 people/day | May 1 to November 1 | Opens February 1, closes March 1 |
| North Fork Kaweah permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Oriole Lake permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Paradise Ridge permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Pear & Emerald permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Pear & Emerald PT permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Rae Lakes Loop permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Redwood Canyon permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Sawtooth Pass permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| SEKI Sugarloaf permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Tar Gap permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Timber Gap permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Twin Lakes permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| SEKI White permit | Overnight | Reservation | |||
| Woods Creek permit | Overnight | Reservation | 25 people/day | May 22 to September 26 |
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
Desolation permits
61 permits
Point Reyes permits
4 permits
Lost Coast permits
1 permit
Trinity Alps permits
4 permits
Planning Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks for 2027
Sequoia & Kings Canyon has already published a window that runs into 2027, and outside it the permit rules change.
- “Wilderness Permits During Non-Quota Season (September 27, 2026 - May 20, 2027)”Published as a section heading on the park's permits page.
- “Outside the quota season, wilderness permits are free, self-issued, and are not limited to daily entry quotas.”
- “Reservations can be made up to six months in advance of your trip, and are released daily at 7:00 AM Pacific Standard Time.”For a trip inside the quota season.
Source: National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Read the official permit page.
“Reservations can be made up to six months in advance of your trip, and are released daily at 7:00 AM Pacific Standard Time.”
Checked against the agency page on August 20, 2026.
Permit guides for SEKI
Trip planning
Articles that plan a trip around this permit.
SEKI Permit FAQ
What are SEKI wilderness permits?
SEKI is the Park Service's own short code for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, which run one shared wilderness permit system. A permit covers one entry point on one entry date, and PermitSnag tracks 39 of them. Inside the quota season the parks limit how many people start at each entry point per day; outside it, permits are free, self-issued and not subject to daily entry limits.
Do I need a permit to backpack in Sequoia or Kings Canyon?
Yes, for any overnight trip in the wilderness of either park. During the quota season the permit must be reserved for a specific entry point and entry date, and it has to be picked up and validated in person at a wilderness office. Outside the quota season the permit is free and self-issued.
When can I reserve a Kings Canyon wilderness permit?
The Park Service states that reservations can be made up to six months in advance of your trip, and are released daily at 7:00 AM Pacific Standard Time. The window closes one week before the entry date. On the High Sierra Trail the parks then release unused reservable quota to the walk-up pool at the permit station.
Is there a lottery for Sequoia wilderness permits?
Only for Mount Whitney. Every other entry point in Sequoia and Kings Canyon is booked on the rolling six-month window with no lottery. The Mount Whitney lottery opens February 1, closes March 1 and publishes results on March 15, and it is administered by Inyo National Forest rather than by the parks.
What is the Sequoia and Kings Canyon wilderness permit season?
May 22 to September 26 in 2026. Entry quotas and fees apply inside that window. From September 27 2026 to May 20 2027, permits are free, self-issued and not subject to daily entry limits.
Which entry point permit do I need for the Rae Lakes Loop?
The direction decides it. The Park Service states that the Bubbs Creek permit does not allow a clockwise start and the Woods Creek permit does not allow a counter-clockwise start, so the entry point you reserve fixes which way round you walk. Your entry point cannot be changed after you reserve.