Do I need a permit to thru-hike John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry?
Yes. You need a permit to thru-hike John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry in Yosemite National Park, and it is awarded by lottery rather than first come, first served.
Lottery permit
What the John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry permit costs and covers
- Fee
- $10 lottery application + $5 per person on confirmation
- Group size limit
- 15 people
- Issued per day
- 45 people
- Applications open
- 24 weeks before your entry date, Sunday 12:01 am
- Applications close
- The following Saturday, 11:59 pm
- Results
- Monday evening by email; accept and pay by Thursday 11:59 pm
- Season starts
- Year-round permits, but Tioga Road typically opens mid to late June
- Season ends
- Overnight parking prohibited on Tioga and Glacier Point Roads from October 15
What the rules require
- A wilderness permit is required year-round for any overnight stay in Yosemite Wilderness
- Trailhead quotas are per person and by entry date, not by length of stay
- The permit is valid only for the trip leader, trailheads, dates and number of people on it, and only for continuous wilderness travel
- Exiting the wilderness mid-itinerary invalidates the permit; any travel through Yosemite Valley invalidates it, with no exception
- Thru-hikers may stay one night at the Tuolumne Meadows backpackers' campground as part of a continuous permit
- 45 people per day maximum exiting over Donohue Pass: 15 from Happy Isles to Past LYV, 30 from Lyell Canyon
- On a Happy Isles to Past LYV permit, the first night's camp cannot be in Little Yosemite Valley
- Maximum group size is 15 people, or 8 for cross-country hiking more than a quarter mile off any trail
- Approved bear-resistant canisters are required for food storage everywhere in Yosemite Wilderness; hanging food is not permitted
- Campfires are prohibited above 9,600 feet
- Camp at least 100 feet from any water source and any trail
- One application per group per weekly lottery - duplicates from the same group are cancelled without refund
- Permits must be picked up in person by 11 am on the entry date unless held for late arrival
Published rules for the John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry, quoted as written.
“Sixty percent of reservations become available starting 24 weeks in advance and another forty percent become available one week in advance.”
Read August 20, 2026 on the National Park Service, Yosemite National Park permit page
Getting one
Lottery winners cancel and miss payment deadlines, and those dates go back into the booking system through the season. PermitSnag watches John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry and sends you an alert the moment one reappears.
Common questions about the John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry permit
Do I need a permit to thru-hike John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry?
Yes. You need a permit to thru-hike John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry in Yosemite National Park, and it is awarded by lottery rather than first come, first served.
How much does a John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry permit cost?
$10 lottery application + $5 per person on confirmation.
When can I apply for a John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry permit?
The application window opens 24 weeks before your entry date, Sunday 12:01 am. It closes The following Saturday, 11:59 pm. Results: Monday evening by email; accept and pay by Thursday 11:59 pm.
How many people can be on one John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry permit?
15 people.
When is the John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry permit season?
Season starts: Year-round permits, but Tioga Road typically opens mid to late June. Season ends: Overnight parking prohibited on Tioga and Glacier Point Roads from October 15.
What if I lose the John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry lottery?
Lottery winners cancel and miss payment deadlines, and those dates return to the booking system through the season. PermitSnag watches John Muir Trail — Yosemite Entry for those cancellations and sends an alert when one appears.