Lottery10/10
Enchantments Core Zone lottery
Overnight permits for the legendary Core Zone—one of America's most spectacular ...
LotteryOvernightVery High Demand
Enchantments Daily Lottery Permit
The one-day-ahead lottery for the Enchantment Permit Area. You apply from a phone inside a one-mile geofence around the Leavenworth Ranger Station, between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m. PT, for the next day's entry.
Other permits in The Enchantments we can watch
How to get Daily Lottery
Every daily-lottery permit is drawn the morning before entry, so there is no inventory to watch for cancellations. You also have to be standing within a mile of the Leavenworth Ranger Station on a location-enabled phone to apply. What we can do is remind you the day the season's daily lottery starts.
Official permit pagePlanning another trip? See the permits we watch.
How to get Daily Lottery
Every daily-lottery permit is drawn the morning before entry, so there is no inventory to watch for cancellations. You also have to be standing within a mile of the Leavenworth Ranger Station on a location-enabled phone to apply. What we can do is remind you the day the season's daily lottery starts.
Official permit pagePlanning another trip? See the permits we watch.
Plan the full trip, not just the permit
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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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Daily Lottery Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodLottery
Demand LevelExtremely High9/10
SeasonMay 15 - October 31
Cost$6 application + $5/person/day
Max Group Size8 people
Daily Lottery Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Daily Lottery in The Enchantments, Washington requires a permit issued via lottery.
- Daily Lottery is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 9/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The permit season for Daily Lottery runs May 15 through October 31.
Key Information
Key Dates
SeasonMay 15 - October 31
Permit Details
TypeOvernight
Booking MethodLottery
Demand Level9/10
LocationNorth Cascades, WA
Pro Tips
- •You have to be in Leavenworth to apply, so build a night in town into the plan
- •The window is three hours: 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. PT, on a phone or tablet with location on
- •Results land by email around 11:00 a.m. PT, and you pay by 11:59 p.m. the same day
- •Enter for a zone you would actually be happy with, because you cannot change it later
What to Expect
Highlights
- •A three-hour application window, in town, on a phone with location turned on
- •Email results around 11:00 a.m. PT and a same-day 11:59 p.m. deadline to accept and pay
- •Zone and entry date locked once you accept, with no changes and no refunds
- •Larches turning gold through late September and early October, which is also peak competition
- •Snow on Aasgard Pass into midsummer and again from October
Best Time to Visit
Late July through September is the snow-free stretch. Late September into early October is larch season, which is the most beautiful and the most contested. Because you apply the day before, you can watch the forecast first, which is the one real advantage this lottery has over the advance one.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Aasgard Pass, 2,200 feet of loose rock in a mile with no maintained trail
- !Afternoon thunderstorms with no shelter above treeline
- !Snow-covered creek holes in May, June and October, where several people have died glissading
- !Mountain goats around camps
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
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Backcountry Tips
- Day 3: Wind gusts to 43mph. Secure tent, avoid exposed ridges.
- Day 3: 90% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
- Snow expected: Check current trail conditions before departing.
Today
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44°
32°
Thu
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46°
35°
29%
Fri
❄️
39°
26°
90%
Sat
🌧️
43°
19°
Sun
☁️
46°
25°
Mon
☁️
49°
26°
Tue
☁️
50°
29°
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.
Learn More
About This Permit
The Enchantment Permit Area runs two lotteries, and most people only know about one. The advance lottery opens in February, covers the whole May 15 to October 31 season, and is the one with the famous odds. The daily lottery is the other door: it runs every day of the season, one day at a time, and Recreation.gov says it accounts for about a quarter of the season's permits.
The catch is that you cannot apply from your couch. The Forest Service requires you to be on a location-enabled phone or tablet inside a one-mile geofence around the Leavenworth Ranger Station, between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m. PT, for the following day's entry. That turns a permit application into a trip: you drive to Leavenworth, sleep somewhere nearby, apply in the morning, and find out around 11:00 whether you are hiking tomorrow.
The five zones draw separately. The Core Enchantments Zone releases 8 people a day through this lottery, and the other four zones release one group each per day.
Rules & Regulations
- •Overnight permits required May 15 through October 31
- •Applications only from a mobile device inside the one-mile Leavenworth Ranger Station geofence
- •Maximum group size of 8, and no alternate group leaders in the daily lottery
- •Successful applicants may only win the Enchantment Permit Area lottery once per season
- •Camp in the zone printed on the permit, though Core Zone holders may camp in any of the five
- •No dogs anywhere in the permit zones
- •No campfires above 5,000 feet or within half a mile of any lake
Gear Checklist
Required
- Water filter or treatment for lake and creek sources
- Warm layers and rain gear, because the Cascades turn fast at 7,000 feet
- Sturdy boots for the loose rock on Aasgard Pass
- Bear-resistant food storage
Recommended
- Microspikes for early-season and October snow
- Trekking poles for the Aasgard descent
- WAG bag for shoulder-season trips when the toilets are buried
Two ways to land it
Get lottery reminders or run a lottery pool
Core feature
Lottery reminders
We remind you when the Daily Lottery lottery opens, before the deadline, and when results post, so you never miss your window. This permit is awarded by lottery, so there are no cancellations to catch.
Set lottery remindersPro or $19 alert
Lottery pool
Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds. We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.
See plans to start a poolBest odds: run a pool and let us remind you before every deadline.
Plan Your Trip
Better odds with a crew
Daily Lottery permits are drawn by lottery. Every friend who applies adds another entry, so a crew gets more shots at the same permit than any one of you alone.
One of you runs the pool (Pro or a $19 alert). Everyone else joins free.
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Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Daily Lottery
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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.
Lottery Statistics
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.
Safety & Planning
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Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Daily Lottery.
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Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Daily Lottery FAQ
How is the Enchantments daily lottery different from the advance lottery permit?
They are two separate permits on Recreation.gov. The advance lottery (permit 233273) opens in February for the whole season and you can apply from anywhere. The daily lottery (permit 445863) runs every day of the season for the next day's entry, and you have to apply in person-ish: on a location-enabled phone or tablet inside a one-mile geofence around the Leavenworth Ranger Station. Recreation.gov puts it plainly: "The Daily Lottery constitutes about 1/4 of available permits for the season, the rest are reserved through the Advanced Lottery."
What time do I apply for the Enchantments daily lottery permit?
Between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. PT the day before you want to start. Recreation.gov: "Apply between 7:00 am PT and 10:00 am PT the day before the desired hike day." Results go out by email around 11:00 a.m. PT, and if you win you have to log in, accept and pay by 11:59 p.m. PT that same day.
How many permits does the Enchantments daily lottery hand out?
It varies by zone. Recreation.gov lists the daily-lottery split as: Core Enchantments Zone 8 people per day, Colchuck Lake 1 group per day, Stuart Lake 1 group per day, Snow Lakes 1 group per day, Eightmile/Caroline 1 group per day. The Core is counted in people and you cannot add anyone after the draw, so apply with the smallest number you would still go with.
Can PermitSnag watch the Enchantments daily lottery for cancellations?
No, and no one can. There is no reservation inventory sitting there to be released. Every seat is drawn the morning before entry, and anything unclaimed rolls into the next day's draw. We can remind you when the season's daily lottery opens, and we can watch the reservable permits elsewhere in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but the daily lottery is a thing you have to show up in Leavenworth for.
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Trail Conditions
No active conditions reported
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Questions
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Trip Reports
Write ReportCan't Get a Daily Lottery Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Enchantments Core Zone Permit
Same AreaThe advance lottery for the same permit area. Opens February 15, applied for from anywhere, covers the whole season.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
You apply months out and find out in March, instead of the day before. It carries three quarters of the season's permits.
Snow Zone Permit
Same AreaThe lower-elevation zone, and the one with the most groups per day in the advance lottery.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Long climb to reach the Core Zone lakes, but it is the easiest Enchantments zone to actually win.
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Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Daily Lottery trip
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