Lottery9/10
Wonderland
The legendary 93-mile loop circumnavigating Mount Rainier through alpine meadows...
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Mount Rainier Wilderness Permit
Overnight backcountry and climbing permit for Mount Rainier National Park. An early-access lottery runs in winter, then reservations open to the public in spring, with cancellations returning to Recreation.gov.
“One permit covers every night you spend in Mount Rainier's wilderness - 5 people to a trailside site, 12 if you are on snow in an alpine zone, and a fire that is banned parkwide right now.”
Track a specific zone— not the whole wilderness
Two ways to land it
Track cancellations or run a lottery pool
Core feature
Fast Lane tracking
We watch Rainier Wilderness for cancellations 24/7 and alert you when a spot opens so you can book before it's gone.
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Lottery pool
Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds. We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.
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Better odds with a crew
Rainier Wilderness is a 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.
Rainier Wilderness Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodLottery
Demand LevelHigh8/10
SeasonLate May - Wilderness Information Centers opened May 22, 2026 - October 12, 2026 is the last reservable date; the centers close October 13
Cost$6 Recreation.gov reservation fee plus $12 per person per night. Youth 15 and under are free.
Max Group Size5 people
Rainier Wilderness Permit Facts
- As of August 2026, Rainier Wilderness in Mount Rainier National Park, National Parks requires a permit issued via lottery.
- Rainier Wilderness is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The Rainier Wilderness lottery typically opens February 10, 2026, 7:00 am PT and closes March 3, 2026, 7:00 pm PT, with results announced March 14, 2026 - awarded applicants book from March 21; general on-sale April 25 at 7:00 am PT.
- Cancelled Rainier Wilderness permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Lottery OpensFebruary 10, 2026, 7:00 am PT
Lottery ClosesMarch 3, 2026, 7:00 pm PT
ResultsMarch 14, 2026 - awarded applicants book from March 21; general on-sale April 25 at 7:00 am PT
SeasonLate May - Wilderness Information Centers opened May 22, 2026 - October 12, 2026 is the last reservable date; the centers close October 13
Permit Details
TypeOvernight
Booking MethodLottery
Demand Level8/10
LocationCascade Range
Pro Tips
- •Book the lottery in February. General on-sale in late April is picking over what the early-access winners left.
- •Your reservation is not your permit. Collect it in person the day before or the morning of - and be there by noon on your start date or it gets cancelled and reissued.
- •Count your party carefully against the five-person limit. Six people is a group at Rainier, and group sites exist at only 25 camps.
- •For 2026, plan the Sunrise and White River side out of your itinerary. Those roads are closed until further notice for the Grand Park 2 Fire, which also takes the White River permit office offline.
- •Carry a stove that burns bottled or liquid fuel. The parkwide fire ban has run since June 26, 2026, and twig-burning stoves were already prohibited before it.
What to Expect
Highlights
- •One permit covers the trip; a climbing permit is required on top of it above 10,000 feet or on glaciers
- •Permits must be collected in person, no more than one day before your start date
- •Party size of 5 at trailside sites, cross-country zones and bare ground in alpine zones; 6-12 counts as a group
- •Group sites exist at 25 designated camps; alpine zones take 12 only when camping on snow
- •Four consecutive nights maximum in any one camp or zone
- •Trailside camps have privies, marked sites, bear poles and a nearby water source
- •A parkwide fire ban has been in effect since June 26, 2026
Best Time to Visit
Late July through September, once high camps melt out and before the autumn storms. The reservable season ends October 12, and the wilderness information centers close October 13 - after that, permits are first-come, first-served at the Longmire Museum and winter party-size and camping rules take over. For 2026 specifically, plan around the Grand Park 2 Fire closures on the Sunrise and White River side.
Hazards & Considerations
- !The Grand Park 2 Fire, with Sunrise Road and White River Road to SR 410 closed until further notice as of August 7, 2026, and air quality logged as unhealthy on August 6
- !Weather that turns fast at any elevation on this mountain
- !Snow lingering at high camps well past the calendar start of summer
- !Glacier and above-10,000-foot travel, which needs its own climbing permit and its own skills
- !River crossings on glacier-fed streams that rise through the day
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
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Backcountry Tips
- Day 6: 75% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
- Day 7: 63% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
Today
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41°
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34°
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34%
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55°
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54°
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Wed
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35°
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75%
Thu
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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 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 10, 2026, 7:00 am PT and March 3, 2026, 7:00 pm PT. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.
3
Wait for lottery results
Results are typically announced March 14, 2026 - awarded applicants book from March 21; general on-sale April 25 at 7:00 am PT. 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.
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand4/5
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
Backpackers ready for a big glaciated volcano. The trailside camps are approachable; the cross-country and alpine zones are not.
Recommended Experience
Multi-day backpacking in mountain weather. Above 10,000 feet or on any glacier you need a separate climbing permit and the skills that go with it. The exposure rating reflects the alpine and cross-country zones this permit covers, not the forested trailside camps.
Not Recommended For
Anyone planning to camp in an alpine zone without blue bags and snow skills, and anyone counting on picking up a permit remotely - Rainier makes you show up in person.
About This Permit
Mount Rainier sells its overnight wilderness through one Recreation.gov product, and a permit is required year-round for every overnight stay in the backcountry. A separate climbing permit is required for travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers. The reservation is not the permit: the park's rule is that permits must be obtained in person at a wilderness information center or visitor center, and a reservation not claimed by noon on your start date is cancelled.
For the 2026 season the early-access lottery took applications from February 10 at 7:00 am PT to March 3 at 7:00 pm PT, notified applicants on March 14, and opened awarded booking windows from March 21. General on-sale was April 25 at 7:00 am PT. October 12 is the last date campsites can be reserved; on October 13 the wilderness information centers close, self-registration becomes available at some locations, and permits go first-come, first-served at the Longmire Museum.
Costs are $6 to Recreation.gov plus $12 per person per night, for up to 13 consecutive nights, and youth 15 and under are free. The park says approximately two thirds of summer season backpacking and climbing permits are made available for advance reservation, with the remaining one third issued at wilderness information centers first-come, first-served no more than one day before the trip start.
Two current conditions change how you plan a 2026 trip. A parkwide fire ban has been in effect since June 26, 2026 until lifted - no campfires, no wood, briquettes or any fuel in fire pits, fire pans or grills, though portable stoves and lanterns burning liquefied or bottled fuel are still allowed. And the Grand Park 2 Fire has Sunrise Road and White River Road to SR 410 closed until further notice as of the park's August 7, 2026 update, which takes the White River Wilderness Information Center off the map. The Longmire and Paradise wilderness information centers are both still reachable and both issue permits.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Rainier does not sell a separate campsite reservation and a separate permit. The wilderness permit IS the reservation, it is required year-round for every overnight stay in the backcountry, and a climbing permit is required on top of it for travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers. Everything from a single night at a trailside camp to a full Wonderland circuit runs through this one product.
The Route
The park's own three-part structure is worth understanding before you book. Designated trailside camps are metered by the number of parties, and each has one to eight improved sites that hold a party of one to five - roughly three small two-person tents. Many also carry a group site for parties of 6 to 12; the park says those exist at 25 designated camps. Cross-country zones are metered by parties in administrative sub-zones, need a camp at least a quarter-mile from any road or trail and 100 feet from water, and are closed to anyone hiking the complete Wonderland Trail. Alpine zones, where the park says generally only climbing activity occurs, allow camping only on permanent snow or ice or on bare ground previously used as a campsite.
The party-size rule follows that structure and is easy to get wrong. In summer the limit is five people at individual trailside sites, in cross-country zones, and camping on bare ground in alpine zones. Six to twelve counts as a group and needs a group site - or, in an alpine zone, snow to camp on. In winter the limit is twelve everywhere. The park defines summer as May 15 to September 30, plus any date outside that window when snow depth is under two feet.
The Feeling
Camp below a 14,411-foot volcano that generates its own weather. Trailside camps sit in the forest with a privy, a bear pole and a water source; alpine zones put you on permanent snow with the mountain directly overhead and blue bags in your pack.
Trailhead Information
Longmire
Home of the Longmire Wilderness Information Center, and mile 0 on the Wonderland Trail. NPS lists it as a permit pick-up location.
Restrooms
No water
Getting There
All vehicles must carry tire chains in the park during the winter season, November 1 to May 1. NPS says this applies to all vehicles including four-wheel drive, regardless of tire type or weather.
Nearest Services
Longmire and Ashford.
Notes
A reservation is not a permit. NPS says the person named on the reservation must come into a ranger station to have it activated, and the ranger checks photo ID.
Paradise
The main south-side hub, and the start for Snow Lake, Paradise River and the Muir climbing corridor.
Restrooms
No water
Getting There
NPS says October to April climbers can self-register at the Paradise Old Ranger Station, and that the climbing fee must be paid before self-registration.
Nearest Services
Paradise visitor services.
White River
Normal start for Glacier Basin and the eastern Wonderland. NPS gives White River Campground as mile 60.3 clockwise from Longmire on the Wonderland Trail.
Restrooms
No water
Sunrise
The highest road access in the park. NPS gives the Sunrise parking lot as mile 57.4 clockwise from Longmire on the Wonderland Trail, half a mile off the trail itself.
Restrooms
No water
Mowich Lake
Mile 34.3 clockwise from Longmire on the Wonderland Trail, and the start of the Spray Park alternate.
Restrooms
No water
Westside Road
West-side access. NPS advises that Westside Road is an active geohazard zone: because of rockfall danger, vehicles must park south of the barricade at Dry Creek when the road is open, and hikers and bicyclists should travel through with caution and avoid lingering in the hazard zone.
Restrooms
No water
Nearest Services
Ashford.
Rules & Regulations
- •A wilderness permit is required year-round for all overnight stays in the backcountry
- •A climbing permit is required for travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers
- •Summer party size is 5 at individual trailside sites, in cross-country zones, and on bare ground in alpine zones; groups of 6 to 12 need a group site, or snow in an alpine zone. Winter is 12 everywhere
- •Maximum four consecutive nights in any one camp or zone
- •Cross-country camps must be at least a quarter mile from any road or established trail and 100 feet from lakes, streams and wetlands
- •Hikers doing the complete Wonderland Trail must camp in designated camps only - cross-country zones are not permitted
- •Alpine-zone camping is allowed only on permanent snow or ice, or on bare ground previously used as a campsite
- •Climbers in alpine zones are required to use the Blue Bag system and pack waste out
- •Parkwide fire ban since June 26, 2026 - stoves burning liquefied or bottled fuel are still permitted; bio-fuel stoves that burn twigs or cones are not
- •Your reservation is cancelled if you do not appear by 12:00 pm on your start date
- •Four consecutive nights is the maximum stay in any one camp or zone (a single permit can still cover up to 13 consecutive nights across the trip)
- •Camping within 100 feet of water is prohibited except in a designated campsite
- •The three designated camps on climbing routes are metered by TOTAL PEOPLE rather than by party, unlike every other camp on this permit
Gear Checklist
Required
- A stove that burns liquefied or bottled fuel - the parkwide fire ban has been in effect since June 26, 2026
- Blue bags if any part of your trip is in an alpine zone
- Rain and wind protection sized for a mountain that makes its own weather
- Water treatment
- A trowel for cathole use in cross-country zones - six to eight inches deep, four to six across, and pack the paper out
Recommended
- A bear canister for subalpine areas without tall trees - the park recommends but does not require one
- Traction and an ice axe for early-season snow on any high camp
- Trekking poles
- A tent that handles sustained rain
Plan Your Trip
🎒
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Rainier Wilderness
🚐
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Key Landmarks
Devil's Dream Camp
7 individual sites and 1 group site, 5.8 miles from Longmire.
Klapatche Park Camp
4 individual sites and no group site, so a party of six cannot camp here.
Golden Lakes Camp
5 individual sites and 1 group site on the quiet west side.
Mowich Lake
34.3 miles clockwise from Longmire. Currently unreachable by road: there is no public access from SR 165.
Ipsut Creek
12 individual sites and 1 group site, and the lowest camp on the circuit. Reachable only on foot from inside the park.
Mystic Camp
7 individual sites and 1 group site above the Carbon Glacier.
Sunrise Walk-In Camp
8 individual sites and 2 group sites, the highest camp on the trail. Sunrise Road is closed for the Grand Park 2 Fire.
Summerland Camp
5 individual sites and 1 group site, 7.0 miles and 2,300 feet above White River Campground.
Indian Bar
4 individual sites and 1 group site in the Ohanapecosh headwaters, 4.7 miles beyond Summerland.
Lottery Statistics
Competitive
estimated success rate
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Rainier Wilderness FAQ
Do I need a permit to camp in the Mount Rainier wilderness?
Yes, year-round, for every overnight stay in the backcountry. A separate climbing permit is required on top of it for travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers. Permits must be obtained in person at a wilderness information center or visitor center - a Recreation.gov reservation is not itself the permit.
What is the group size limit for a Mount Rainier wilderness permit?
In summer, five people at individual sites in trailside designated camps, in cross-country zones, and camping on bare ground in alpine zones. Parties of 6 to 12 count as a group and must use one of the group sites the park maintains at 25 designated camps, or camp on snow in an alpine zone. In winter the limit is 12 for all areas. Summer here means May 15 to September 30, plus any date outside that when snow depth is under two feet.
How much does a Mount Rainier wilderness permit cost?
$6 to Recreation.gov plus $12 per person per night, for up to 13 consecutive nights. Youth 15 and under are free. Walk-up permits carry the same $12 per person per night plus the same non-refundable $6 fee, and payment is card only - no cash.
When does the lottery open for a Mount Rainier wilderness permit?
For 2026 the early-access lottery took applications from February 10 at 7:00 am PT until March 3 at 7:00 pm PT, with results on March 14 and awarded booking windows opening March 21. General on-sale was April 25 at 7:00 am PT. The park says the lottery opens in February each year and points to Recreation.gov for the exact dates.
Can I get a walk-up wilderness permit at Mount Rainier?
Yes. The park says approximately two thirds of summer backpacking and climbing permits are released for advance reservation and the remaining one third are issued at wilderness information centers first-come, first-served, requestable no more than one day before your start date.
Do I need a bear canister at Mount Rainier?
No. All camps have food storage poles for hanging, and the park's wording is that in some subalpine areas without tall trees the use of a bear-proof canister is highly recommended. It is a recommendation here, not a requirement - which is different from Glacier, Grand Teton or Olympic.
Which Mount Rainier wilderness information centers are open in 2026?
Longmire and Paradise are both open and issuing permits. The White River Wilderness Information Center is behind the Grand Park 2 Fire closure - Sunrise Road and White River Road to SR 410 have been closed until further notice as of the park's August 7, 2026 update. The Carbon River Ranger Station is closed until further notice because of the SR 165 Fairfax Bridge closure outside the park, and the Jackson Visitor Center does not process wilderness permits in summer.
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Write the First ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Alpenglow on the summit ice from any west-facing camp, and first light off the Tatoosh Range from the Longmire side.
Best Light
Clear mornings before the mountain builds its own afternoon cloud. By 2 pm in summer the summit is often gone.
Beat the Crowds
Day-use crowds concentrate at Paradise and Sunrise. Anything more than three miles from a road is quiet, and with the Sunrise side closed in 2026 the east of the park is quieter still.
Classic Shots
- 📍The summit from a subalpine meadow camp at first light
- 📍Glacier-fed streams running milky grey with rock flour
- 📍Wildflower meadows in late July and early August
- 📍Tents on snow in an alpine zone with the mountain behind
- 📍Old-growth forest along the low trailside camps
Can't Get a Rainier Wilderness Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Wonderland Trail
Similar ExperienceThe 93-mile circuit of the mountain, booked through the same permit system.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
The park's marquee trip and by far the hardest itinerary to assemble. Complete-circuit hikers are restricted to designated camps and may not use cross-country zones.
Olympic Wilderness Permit
Similar ExperienceRainforest, coast and alpine on the Olympic Peninsula, at $6 per permit plus $8 per person per night.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
No lottery - the whole summer releases on April 15 at 7:00 am Pacific - and permits can be issued without an in-person visit. Bear canisters are required there, not just recommended.
North Cascades Backcountry
Similar ExperienceBig glaciated country three hours north, on a camp-based permit with its own early-access lottery.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Less crowded and cheaper at $10 per person plus a $6 fee, but the road access is more fragile and several Chilliwack-area camps are closed for fire damage.
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