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Grand Teton Backcountry cancellations
The park-wide overnight permit for camping anywhere in Grand Teton's backcountry...
Paintbrush-Cascade Loop Permit
Grand Teton National Park · Wyoming
Sold by zone, one night at a time
Classic loop hike.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Paintbrush were gone within 10 minutes.
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Paintbrush Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodReservation
Demand LevelHigh7/10
SeasonMay 1 - October 31
Cost$20 flat permit fee, non-refundable, plus $7 per person per night, refundable until five days before your start date.
Max Group Size6 people
Paintbrush Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Paintbrush in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming requires a permit issued via reservation.
- Paintbrush is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The permit season for Paintbrush runs May 1 through October 31.
- The Paintbrush route covers 19 miles, rated strenuous.
- Cancelled Paintbrush permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Lottery OpensNot a lottery - advance reservations opened January 7, 2026 at 8:00 am MST
SeasonMay 1 - October 31
Permit Details
TypeOvernight
Booking MethodReservation
Demand Level7/10
LocationTeton Range, WY
Pro Tips
- •Two thirds of Grand Teton's backcountry permits are walk-up. If January 7 does not go your way, showing up the day before is a genuinely good plan here - much better odds than at most parks.
- •Book Holly Lake if you can. It puts the divide crossing in the morning, which is when the snow is firm and the storms have not built.
- •Carry an ice axe until you have seen a current conditions report saying otherwise. The park's own line is that the divide can need one as late as August.
- •The canister is free at the permit station. Do not buy one for this trip.
- •For 2026, drop the Death Canyon variants from your planning - the road and trailhead are closed to all use from June 19 to September 7.
What to Expect
Route Details
Distance
19 miles
Route Type
Loop
Duration
2-3 days
Difficulty
StrenuousHighlights
- •19.0 miles as a loop from String Lake, which the park suggests doing in one night
- •Zone camping, not numbered sites - pick your spot between the boundary signs
- •Holly Lake is three campsites; North Fork Cascade is a zone near but not at Lake Solitude
- •Six people per individual permit; 7 to 12 must use a designated group site
- •An ice axe and the skill to use it if you cross the divide before late July - and possibly as late as August
- •Bear canisters required, and free to check out at any permit station
- •No campfires in any mountain camping area
Best Time to Visit
Late July through September. Before late July the divide is a snow climb rather than a hike, and the park says as much. September clears the crowds and the snow both, though nights get cold at 9,000 feet. The permit season runs May 1 to October 31.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Snow and ice on Paintbrush Divide. The park's guidance is that safe travel over it requires an ice axe and knowledge of its use as late as August
- !Afternoon thunderstorms on a fully exposed divide
- !Grizzly and black bears, which is why the canister is mandatory rather than advised
- !Fire danger listed as HIGH on July 31, 2026
- !Death Canyon Road and Trailhead closed to all use June 19 to September 7, 2026
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
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Backcountry Tips
- Today: 67% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
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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 National Park Service account
Sign up at National Park Service if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
2
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
3
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
4
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Learn More
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand4/5
Fitness and endurance required
Technical Skill3/5
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Exposure Risk4/5
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Navigation2/5
Route finding and trail clarity
Commitment3/5
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Fit backpackers with snow-travel skills, or anyone willing to wait until the divide melts out in late July or August.
Recommended Experience
Multi-day mountain backpacking plus ice-axe use and self-arrest for an early crossing. The exposure rating reflects a steep snow traverse at 10,000 feet with a long runout - it drops considerably once the divide is bare.
Not Recommended For
Parties without an ice axe before late July. The divide is a steep, high-consequence snow slope early in the season, and the park says so in plain language.
About This Permit
The Paintbrush-Cascade loop is 19.0 miles from the String Lake trailhead, per the park's own route list, which suggests one night for it. Grand Teton publishes no elevation-gain figure for the loop.
Camping is zone-based rather than site-based. Lower Paintbrush, Upper Paintbrush and Holly Lake sit on the way up; North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade on the way down. Holly Lake is three campsites near Holly Lake in Paintbrush Canyon; North Fork Cascade is a zone near, but not at, Lake Solitude. Group sites exist at Holly Lake, North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade. Inside a zone you pick your own spot between the boundary signs. Campfires are not allowed in any mountain camping area. The park publishes no per-zone capacity number - it states only that a quota exists for both the number of permits and the number of people issued on any given night.
Group size is the park's own sentence: individual permits can consist of up to six people, and groups of 7-12 people must camp in designated group sites.
Advance reservations for the May 1 to October 31 peak season opened January 7, 2026 at 8:00 am MST on Recreation.gov - note that Recreation.gov's season information block says January 10 elsewhere on the same permit, and the park's own About section still carries a stale 2025 date. Only about one third of backcountry camping permits go to advance reservation; approximately two thirds are available via walk-up through Grand Teton's permit offices, first-come first-served, obtainable one day before your start date. Fees are $20 flat per permit, non-refundable, plus $7 per person per night, refundable until five days before you start. Maximum stay is two nights per location, ten nights between June 1 and Labor Day, and thirty nights per year.
Bear canisters are mandatory. The park requires Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved containers for food storage in the backcountry, and permit holders can check one out free of charge at any permit-issuing station. The Upper Paintbrush zone carries its own reminder of the same rule.
For 2026, the Death Canyon Road and Trailhead are closed to all use from June 19 to September 7, which removes the 37.1-mile Death Canyon/Paintbrush variant for the season. Fire danger was listed as HIGH on July 31, 2026.
The Experience
Why It Matters
This is the Tetons' signature loop and the reason most people apply for a Grand Teton backcountry permit at all. It links two of the range's biggest canyons over a 10,000-foot divide, passes Holly Lake and Lake Solitude, and puts the Grand, Owen and Teewinot in front of you for most of a day. The park's own note on it is short and telling: this is an extremely busy trail July and August.
The Route
The park publishes the loop as 19.0 miles from the String Lake trailhead, and suggests one night. It does not publish an elevation gain for it, and the only gain figure it gives in that section belongs to the Teton Crest Trail, which is a different route.
Camping is by zone. The relevant ones are Lower Paintbrush, Upper Paintbrush, Holly Lake - which the park describes as three campsites near Holly Lake in Paintbrush Canyon - and, on the far side, North Fork Cascade, described as a camping zone in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon near, but not at, Lake Solitude. South Fork Cascade sits below. Group sites exist separately at Holly Lake, North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade. Zones are marked by a sign at each end and you choose your own campsite inside the boundary; campfires are not allowed in any mountain camping area.
The divide is the crux. Recreation.gov's guidance is explicit: safe travel over Paintbrush, Static Peak and Moose Basin Divides, and Hurricane, Mt. Meek and Fox Creek Passes requires an ice axe and knowledge of its use as late as August, and if you are planning to cross any divide before late July without those skills, consider an alternate route. The park's own conditions report on 2026-07-19 had Paintbrush Canyon snow free to Holly Lake, with snow patches higher up and ice axe and crampons advised.
The Feeling
Up through forest and boulder fields into Paintbrush Canyon, over a divide that is often still holding snow, then down into Cascade with the north face of the Grand filling the head of the canyon. Camp in a zone rather than at a numbered site, which means you pick your own spot inside a marked boundary.
Trailhead Information
String Lake
The standard start and finish. NPS gives the Cascade Canyon/Paintbrush Canyon loop as 19.0 miles from here.
Restrooms
No water
South Jenny Lake
Clockwise start up Cascade Canyon. NPS gives the Cascade Canyon/Death Canyon loop as 25.8 miles, or 23.4 miles with the ferry option, which is the only ferry saving it publishes.
Restrooms
No water
Rules & Regulations
- •A backcountry permit is required for all overnight camping
- •Individual permits can consist of up to six people; groups of 7-12 people must camp in designated group sites
- •IGBC-approved bear canisters are required for food storage in the backcountry
- •Campfires are not allowed in any mountain camping area
- •Maximum two nights per location, ten nights between June 1 and Labor Day, and thirty nights per year
- •Camp inside the marked zone boundary; the signs at each end of a zone define it
- •Walk-up permits are issued one day before the start date, first-come first-served
Gear Checklist
Required
- An IGBC-approved bear canister - free to check out with your permit at any permit station
- An ice axe, and the knowledge to use it, for any divide crossing before late July
- A stove; campfires are prohibited in all mountain camping areas
- Water treatment
- Wind and rain layers for an exposed 10,000-foot divide
Recommended
- Crampons or microspikes - the park's 2026-07-19 report advised both for upper Paintbrush
- Trekking poles for the descent into Cascade
- Sun protection; the divide has no shade
- A shelter that handles afternoon thunderstorms
Plan Your Trip
🎒
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Paintbrush
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Key Landmarks
Lower Paintbrush zone
First camping zone on the climb, in forest below the open upper canyon.
Lake Solitude
Cirque lake below the divide, at the head of Cascade Canyon's north fork.
Paintbrush FAQ
Do I need a permit for the Paintbrush-Cascade loop?
For an overnight, yes - a Grand Teton backcountry permit, at $20 flat per permit plus $7 per person per night. Day hiking the loop needs no permit. About one third of permits are reservable in advance and roughly two thirds are held for walk-ups the day before your start date.
How long is the Paintbrush-Cascade loop?
19.0 miles, per the park's own backcountry route list, which suggests one night. Grand Teton publishes no elevation-gain figure for it. Its published pace guidance is to expect no more than 2 miles per hour with an extra hour for every 1,000 feet of gain, and it recommends against planning more than one pass in a day.
Do I need an ice axe for Paintbrush Divide?
Often, yes. The park's guidance is that safe travel over Paintbrush Divide requires an ice axe and knowledge of its use as late as August, and that anyone planning to cross a divide before late July without those skills should consider an alternate route. The 2026-07-19 conditions report had the canyon snow free to Holly Lake with snow patches above, advising an ice axe and crampons.
Do I need a bear canister in Grand Teton?
Yes. Grand Teton requires Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved containers for food storage in the backcountry, and you can check one out free of charge at any permit-issuing station when you collect your permit. The park's rule of thumb is that if you put it in your mouth or on your skin, it should probably be in the canister.
How many people can be on one Grand Teton backcountry permit?
Six. The park's wording is that individual permits can consist of up to six people, and groups of 7-12 people must camp in designated group sites. Group sites relevant to this loop exist at Holly Lake, North Fork Cascade and South Fork Cascade.
When do reservations open for a Grand Teton backcountry permit?
Advance reservations for the 2026 peak season, May 1 to October 31, opened on January 7 at 8:00 am MST. Recreation.gov's season information block on the same permit says January 10, and the park's own About section still shows a 2025 date - so treat January 7 as the date to be ready for and check the permit page that week.
How many campsites are in the Holly Lake zone?
Three, per Recreation.gov's own description of the zone. North Fork Cascade is a zone rather than a set of sites - the park describes it as a camping zone in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon near, but not at, Lake Solitude. Grand Teton publishes no per-zone capacity number.
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Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Sunrise from Paintbrush Divide, with the whole range coming out of shadow to the south.
Best Light
Late afternoon at Lake Solitude, when the north face of the Grand catches warm light across the water.
Beat the Crowds
The park calls this an extremely busy trail in July and August. Camp high, start before dawn, and you will have the divide to yourself for the first two hours.
Classic Shots
- 📍The Grand, Owen and Teewinot from Lake Solitude
- 📍Holly Lake with the divide behind it
- 📍The Paintbrush Divide traverse with the canyon dropping away
- 📍Wildflowers through upper Paintbrush in late July
- 📍Cascade Canyon's north face wall from the valley floor
Can't Get a Paintbrush Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Teton Crest Trail
Similar ExperienceThe range's full north-south traverse, on the same zone-based permit system.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Several days rather than two, and it crosses more divides - the park recommends against planning more than one pass in a day.
Grand Teton Backcountry Permit
Same AreaThe park-wide zone-based backcountry permit, with roughly two thirds of permits held for walk-ups.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Same fees and canister rule; a wider choice of canyons when Paintbrush and Cascade are full.
Alaska Basin
Same AreaThe high basin on the range's west side, over Hurricane Pass from Cascade Canyon - and outside the national park entirely.
No permit needed
Tradeoffs
It is Jedediah Smith Wilderness on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, so a Grand Teton permit is not required for it and it carries no nightly fee. Different agency, different regulations.
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Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Paintbrush trip
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