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Enchantments daily lottery permit
The one-day-ahead lottery for the Enchantment Permit Area. You apply from a phon...
Enchantments Core Zone Permit
The Enchantments · Washington
This season's lottery is done · cancellations are the way in
Overnight permits for the legendary Core Zone—one of America's most spectacular alpine destinations and most competitive permit lotteries.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Core Zone were gone within 10 minutes.
Plan the full trip, not just the permit
Build your full itinerary start to finish
Add your dates and get a day-by-day plan: what needs a permit, what gear to bring, and one link to share with your whole group to coordinate every step.
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No permit needed to start
The Enchantments traverse is covered by three separate zone permits, not one through-hike permit. See the Enchantments Through-Hike permit page.
Core Zone Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodLottery
Demand LevelExtremely High10/10
SeasonMay 15 - October 31
Cost$6 lottery application + $5 per person, per day
Daily Quota24 people
Lottery OddsUnder 10% (USFS, all zones)
Max Group Size8 people
Core Zone Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Core Zone in The Enchantments, Washington requires a permit issued via lottery.
- Core Zone is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 10/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The Core Zone lottery typically opens February 15 and closes March 1, with results announced March 17.
- The permit season for Core Zone runs May 15 through October 31.
- The Core Zone route covers 18 miles, rated expert.
- Cancelled Core Zone permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Lottery OpensFebruary 15
Lottery ClosesMarch 1
ResultsMarch 17
SeasonMay 15 - October 31
Permit Details
TypeOvernight
Booking MethodLottery
Demand Level10/10
LocationAlpine Lakes Wilderness, Cascade Mountains, WA
Pro Tips
- •Apply for every zone you would actually accept - the Core is the hardest draw of the five
- •The Snow Zone takes five groups a day, the most of any zone, and lets you day hike the whole Core
- •Enter the daily lottery too - it holds 8 of the Core Zone's 24 daily spaces, but you must be inside the geofence to apply
- •Unclaimed lottery awards go back to the advance reservation system on April 1 around 7am PT
- •Set your group size carefully on the application; you cannot add anyone after the lottery
- •A Core permit lets you camp in another zone on the way in or out, which makes the approach far more manageable
- •Day hiking needs only the free self-issue permit at the trailhead
What to Expect
Route Details
Distance
18 miles
Route Type
Point to Point
Duration
2-4 days
Difficulty
ExpertElevation Range
1,370 - 7,826 ft
Highlights
- •A quota counted in people, not groups: 24 visitors enter the Core Zone per day
- •Two ways in, both hard - Aasgard Pass from Colchuck Lake, or bedrock slabs above Upper Snow Lake
- •Unmaintained route within the Core, often marked only by cairns
- •Lakes between 4,400 and 7,800 feet, with snow and winter-like conditions possible in May, June, September and October
- •Fragile alpine vegetation that the Forest Service asks you not to trample
- •A Core Zone permit that also lets you camp in any other zone on your entry or exit night
Best Time to Visit
Mid-July through mid-September is the reliable snow-free window. The Forest Service treats May, June, September and October as shoulder seasons where you should expect snow and winter-like conditions, so a late-September larch trip is a real gamble on weather as well as on the lottery.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Aasgard Pass - very steep, loose rocky terrain with no maintained trail
- !The Snow Lakes approach ascends bedrock slabs the Forest Service warns "can [be] treacherous if icy"
- !Route-finding within the Core, where the way is unmaintained and often marked only by cairns
- !Afternoon thunderstorms with no shelter above treeline
- !Snow and winter-like conditions in May, June, September and October
- !Mountain goats habituated to people around camps
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (3,200 ft)
⚠️
Backcountry Tips
- Today: Expect 16°F colder at summit. Layer up.
- Today: Freezing temps at elevation. Bring insulation even if warm below.
- Today: 73% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
Today
❄️
42°
34°
73%
Sun
❄️
33°
29°
100%
Mon
🌫️
44°
28°
Tue
☁️
53°
31°
26%
Wed
☀️
58°
35°
Thu
☀️
61°
38°
Fri
⛅
66°
41°
View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.
How to Get This Permit
1
Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Verify your email and add payment info ahead of time.
2
Apply during the lottery window
Submit your application between February 15 and March 1. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.
3
Wait for lottery results
Results are typically announced March 17. Check your email and your Recreation.gov account.
4
If unsuccessful, monitor cancellations
Permits get cancelled daily. Peak cancellation times are 24-48 hours before the trip date.
5
Set up PermitSnag alerts
Get notified when cancellations happen. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.
When to Go
Peak: Mid-July through SeptemberShoulder: May, June and October, which the Forest Service warns can bring winter-like conditions
Conditions
The permit season opens May 15, but the Forest Service classes May and June as shoulder season with snow and winter-like conditions likely.
Crowd Level
LowAdvantages
- +Fewest people in the basin
- +Waterfalls and lakes at full snowmelt
- +Easier to draw a permit for these dates
Challenges
- !Snow on Aasgard Pass and the Snow Lakes slabs
- !Winter-like weather at any time
- !Route-finding harder with cairns buried
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand5/5
Fitness and endurance required
Technical Skill3/5
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Exposure Risk3/5
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Navigation3/5
Route finding and trail clarity
Commitment4/5
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Experienced backpackers comfortable carrying a full pack up loose rock and following a cairned route across bedrock.
Recommended Experience
Prior backpacking at elevation plus some scrambling. The Forest Service warns the trails are very primitive with steep, rocky sections and that travel is difficult in areas.
Not Recommended For
First-time backpackers, and anyone uneasy on steep, loose ground with a heavy pack.
About This Permit
The Enchantment Permit Area sits inside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington's Cascade Mountains - rugged glaciated peaks and a chain of lakes ranging from 4,400 to 7,800 feet. The Forest Service is blunt about the trails: "Although the area is high use, trails are very primitive with steep, rocky sections. Travel is difficult in areas."
The Core Enchantment Zone is the hardest of the five zones to get into, and the quota is written in people rather than groups. A total of 24 visitors may enter the Core Zone per day. Sixteen of those spaces come from the advanced lottery held each February; the remaining eight come from the daily lottery, which runs May through October and requires you to be inside a geofenced area near Leavenworth to apply. Group size tops out at eight, and once the advanced lottery is done your group size cannot be increased.
Permits are required for overnight stays from May 15 through October 31. The rest of the year no permit is needed, though the Forest Service asks visitors to self-register at the trailhead box.
The Experience
Why It Matters
The Core is the one zone whose quota is written in people rather than groups, which tells you how tightly the Forest Service holds it. Sixteen of the 24 daily spaces come from the February advanced lottery and eight from the daily lottery. Everything about the permit is designed around the fact that the basin is small, the vegetation is fragile, and demand for overnight permits far exceeds the number available.
The Route
The Core Enchantment Zone is the high lake basin between Aasgard Pass and Upper Snow Lake. The Forest Service describes two routes in. The first begins at the Stuart Lake Trailhead and travels past Colchuck Lake - 4.2 miles and 2,100 feet on the Colchuck Lake Trail - then climbs very steeply to Aasgard Pass on loose rocky terrain. The second begins at the Snow Lakes Trailhead, climbing 6.5 miles and 4,100 feet to Upper Snow Lake, then ascending slabs of bedrock that can be treacherous if icy.
Once you are in, travel is on an unmaintained route often marked only by cairns, and the Forest Service asks visitors to take care not to trample sensitive vegetation. The lakes across the permit area range from 4,400 to 7,800 feet.
One rule makes the trip far more manageable than it looks: because of the long and arduous approach, groups holding a Core Zone permit may camp in any of the other zones on their entry or exit. That turns a brutal single push into a staged trip.
The Feeling
Getting here costs you something either way. From Colchuck the route climbs very steeply on loose rock; from Snow Lakes it goes up bedrock slabs that ice over without warning. Then it levels out and you are in a basin of pale granite and lakes with larches scattered through it, and there are at most 23 other people in the whole zone. You set the tent on rock, not vegetation, and watch the goats work the slabs.
Trailhead Information
Stuart Lake Trailhead
Access for the Colchuck Lake Trail and the Aasgard Pass route into the Core.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Parking
Northwest Forest Pass required. Day users must use the designated day-use parking areas here. Parking is prohibited along the left-hand side of FS Road 7601, and violators are ticketed and towed at the owner's expense.
Getting There
From Leavenworth, up Icicle Creek Road and onto FS Road 7601.
Nearest Services
Leavenworth, with the Wenatchee River Ranger Station at 600 Sherbourne (limited hours).
Snow Lakes Trailhead
The other route in - 6.5 miles and 4,100 feet to Snow Lakes, then bedrock slabs to Lake Viviane.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Parking
Northwest Forest Pass required.
Getting There
On Icicle Creek Road out of Leavenworth, closer to town than the Stuart Lake Trailhead.
Nearest Services
Leavenworth.
Rules & Regulations
- •Overnight permits required May 15 through October 31; the rest of the year self-register at the trailhead box
- •A total of 24 visitors may enter the Core Zone per day - 16 through the advanced lottery, 8 through the daily lottery
- •Eight people is the maximum group size allowed at any time, and group size cannot be increased after the advanced lottery
- •Because of the long approach, a Core Zone permit lets you camp in any other zone on your entry or exit
- •The permit is valid only for the exact dates and the specific zone printed on it
- •Once a reservation is made, the permit zone and entry date cannot be changed
- •No dogs permitted
- •No campfires above 5,000 feet or within half a mile of any lake
- •Use toilets where provided
- •Day users need a free self-issued day-use permit from any of the three trailheads, plus a Northwest Forest Pass, parking in the designated day-use areas at the Stuart Lake Trailhead
- •A maximum of 14 days can be reserved on one permit
Gear Checklist
Required
- Water filter or treatment - the lakes are the only supply
- Rain gear and insulation for weather that turns winter-like in the shoulder months
- Boots with real edges for the loose rock on Aasgard and the slabs above Upper Snow Lake
- Sun protection for sustained time above treeline
- A way to secure food from goats and rodents overnight
Recommended
- Trekking poles for the Aasgard descent and the boulder fields
- Microspikes or an ice axe early and late in the season, when the slabs above Upper Snow Lake ice up
- Camp shoes for wading and snow crossings
- A wag bag as backup where no toilet is provided
Plan Your Trip
Lottery concierge
Your next shot at Core Zone
Next season’s application dates aren’t published yet.
We check for them every day. Track Core Zone now and your concierge picks them up the moment they land, then emails you when applications open, before the deadline, and when results post.
Better odds with a crew
Core Zone is a lottery — solo odds run about 10%. Every friend who applies adds another entry. Five of you, each applying: about 41%.
One of you runs the pool (Pro or a $19 alert). Everyone else joins free.
🎒
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Core Zone
🚐
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
Browse all shuttles🧭
Guide Services
Experienced wilderness guides
Browse all guidesSome links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.
Key Landmarks
⛰️
7,826ft
High📏
18.0mi
DistanceClick on a marker to view details•14 landmarks
Landmarks (14)
Lottery Statistics
Under 10% (USFS, all zones)
estimated success rate
Get detailed lottery statistics and tips. Sign up to track this permit.
Boost Your Chances
Apply with a crew to multiply your combined odds, and let auto win-detection tell you the moment you win — you never have to check Recreation.gov. Win-detection reads the result email you forward us, so it takes a one-time setup in your inbox (about two minutes, and we walk you through it). Pool and auto win-detection are on Pro or a $19 permit alert.
Apply these for the best odds
- Consider Colchuck or Snow zones. The Core Zone is capped at 24 people a day, while the other zones are allocated by group — Colchuck three groups per day, Stuart four, Snow five, Eightmile/Caroline three — and you can still day hike into the Core from either.
- Enter the daily lottery too. One permit from each zone is reserved for it, and the Core Zone holds back eight of its 24 daily spaces.
Opens the official lottery — you submit your entry. We never automate or store your Recreation.gov login.
Full lottery odds & strategy →Core Zone FAQ
How many people can enter the Enchantments Core Zone each day?
A total of 24 visitors are permitted to enter the Core Zone per day. Sixteen of those spaces come from the advanced lottery and the remaining eight from the daily lottery.
When is the Enchantments permit lottery?
The advanced lottery application period is February 15 through March 1. Results are sent March 17, and winners must confirm, provide an exit date and pay by 11:59 pm PT on March 31.
What is the difference between the Enchantments advanced lottery and daily lottery?
They are two separate systems. The advanced lottery runs each February on Recreation.gov. The daily lottery runs May through October, holds eight of the Core Zone's 24 daily spaces, and requires you to be inside a geofenced area to apply from a mobile device.
What does an Enchantments Core Zone permit cost?
The lottery application is a $6.00 non-refundable fee. The recreation fee is $5.00 per person, per day from May 15 through October 31.
Can you add people to an Enchantments Core Zone permit after winning?
No. Eight people is the maximum group size at any time, and group size cannot be increased after the advanced lottery. Decide the size you are willing to accept when you apply.
Do you need a permit to day hike in the Enchantments?
Yes, but it is free and self-issued. Day users fill out a day-use permit at any of the three trailheads and need a Northwest Forest Pass, parking in the designated day-use areas at the Stuart Lake Trailhead.
Can a Core Zone permit holder camp in the other Enchantments zones?
Yes. Because the approach is so long and arduous, groups holding a Core Zone permit may camp in any of the other zones on their entry or exit.
Do you need an Enchantments permit in winter?
No. Permits are required only from May 15 through October 31. Outside that window the Forest Service asks visitors to self-register at the trailhead registration box.
👥Community
Trail Conditions
No active conditions reported
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Photography Guide
Golden Hour
Camping in the Core is the entire advantage: you are already in the basin at dawn and dusk while day hikers are still climbing or already descending. First light on the granite is the reason to hold the permit.
Best Light
Early morning gives still water for reflections. High sun brings out the colour in the lakes themselves. Camping means you get both on the same trip instead of choosing.
Beat the Crowds
The quota does it for you - a total of 24 visitors may enter the Core Zone per day. Day hikers clear out by late afternoon, which leaves the basin to permit holders for the best light at both ends of the day.
Classic Shots
- 📍Prusik Peak above the Core basin at first light
- 📍Golden larches through the Core in late September and early October
- 📍Reflections in the Core lakes before the wind comes up
- 📍Looking back down Aasgard Pass to Colchuck Lake
- 📍Mountain goats on the bedrock slabs
- 📍A tent pitched on granite with the basin empty around it
Can't Get a Core Zone Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Colchuck Zone Permit
Same AreaCamp at Colchuck Lake, 4.2 miles and 2,100 feet from the Stuart Lake Trailhead, and day hike up into the Core without a full pack.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Its own quota of three groups per day rather than a share of the Core's 24 people. Camping immediately below Aasgard Pass is not allowed on a Colchuck permit.
Snow Zone Permit
Same AreaThe most generous quota of the five zones at five groups per day. Groups with a Snow Zone permit may day hike throughout the Core Zone but must camp at or below Upper Snow Lake.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
A 6.5-mile, 4,100-foot climb from the Snow Lakes Trailhead, and no camping in the Core itself - but the best odds of any zone.
Enchantments Through-Hike
Similar ExperienceCross the whole permit area in a single day on the free self-issued day-use permit, with no lottery involved at all.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
You see everything and camp nowhere. It is a long, hard day, but it is the only way into the Core that needs no draw.
🏕️
Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Core Zone trip
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