Long Trails Backcountry Permits

About Long Trails Permits

America's long trails cross state lines and change hands between agencies every few days. No single permit covers most of them: you walk on for free across most of the miles, then need a separate permit or registration wherever a national park, a state park or a quota area sits on the route. Each trail page lists every one of those in trail order, with the booking link, and sets a cancellation alert wherever the permit is one we can check.

Best Time to Visit

Most long-trail seasons are set by the ends of the trail, not the middle: snow at the high end and heat at the low end. Each trail page gives its own window and the usual start dates for each direction.