Wonderland Trail Permit

Mount Rainier National Park · Washington

Lottery, then cancellations all season

The legendary 93-mile loop circumnavigating Mount Rainier through alpine meadows, glacial valleys, and pristine wilderness.

Watch your Wonderland Trail itinerary

Wonderland is booked one camp per night, in order. Build your plan and we'll alert you the moment each night opens — so you can grab cancellations and lock your loop leg by leg.

Start date (night 1)

Nights

Miles per day

Route default for Wonderland Trail is 16.

Your nightly camps

Each night has to move forward along the route and stay within 16 miles of the night before, so later nights offer fewer camps. 16 is our starting guess for this route — change it and the camps on offer change with it. Nothing here is filtered by what is available — build the trip you want and we'll watch for it to open.

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70% of the openings our scanner caught on Wonderland were gone within 5 minutes.

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Lottery tips, strategies, and everything you need to know

Wonderland Quick Facts

Permit RequiredYes

Booking MethodLottery

Demand LevelExtremely High9/10

SeasonJune 1 - first reservable camp date - October 10 - last reservable camp date

Cost$6 reservation fee + $12 per person per night (15 and under free)

Max Group Size5 people

Wonderland Permit Facts

As of September 2026, Wonderland in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington requires a permit issued via lottery.
Wonderland is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 9/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
The Wonderland lottery typically opens February - early access lottery opens on Recreation.gov and closes Check Recreation.gov for the exact February close date, with results announced Individual access windows open between March and April.
The Wonderland route covers 93 miles with 27,000 feet of elevation gain, rated strenuous.
Cancelled Wonderland permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.

Live availability activity →When Wonderland permits open up →Chance of an opening →Wonderland Trail permit itinerary →Wonderland Trail lottery dates →Do I need a Wonderland Trail permit? →Wonderland lottery odds →Wonderland Trail lottery guide: dates and odds →

Key Information

Key Dates

Lottery OpensFebruary - early access lottery opens on Recreation.gov

Lottery ClosesCheck Recreation.gov for the exact February close date

ResultsIndividual access windows open between March and April

SeasonJune 1 - first reservable camp date - October 10 - last reservable camp date

Permit Details

TypeBackpacking

Booking MethodLottery

Demand Level9/10

LocationCascade Range, WA

Pro Tips

•Apply to the February early access lottery if you want the whole loop. The park says outright that building a full itinerary during or after the April 25 general on-sale is unlikely.
•Plan around the closures before you plan around the views. As of August 9, 2026 there is no access from SR165 to Carbon River or Mowich Lake and no caching at Mowich, caches sent to Carbon cannot be returned, and the Grand Park 2 Fire has closed Sunrise Road and White River Road until further notice.
•Cache at Longmire, and hand-deliver if you are inside two weeks. White River is the usual second cache point but it is behind the Grand Park 2 Fire closure as of August 9, 2026. Fuel has to be hand-delivered to Longmire regardless, into its own locker, because it cannot go in a food cache or in the mail.
•Noon on the start date is a real deadline. Un-collected reservations are cancelled and their camps go into the first-come pool - which is also why watching for released camps works.
•Party of six to eight? Your whole itinerary depends on group sites, because standard sites cap at five. Check which camps have one before you build the plan.
•Assume mid-July at the earliest. NPS says an average snow year makes it inadvisable before mid- to late July, and a June permit you cannot safely walk is worth nothing.

What to Expect

Route Details

Distance

93 miles

Elevation Gain

27,000 ft

Route Type

Loop

Duration

Up to 13 consecutive nights per permit

Difficulty

Strenuous

Elevation Range

2,320 - 6,750 ft

Highlights

•93 miles as a loop, with about 27,000 feet of gain and 27,000 feet of loss
•Every night at a named, reserved camp - no cross-country camping on a full Wonderland
•Up to 13 consecutive nights (14 days) on one permit
•Maximum party size 5 at standard sites, 12 at designated group sites
•Mostly snow-free mid-July to October; not advisable before mid- to late July in an average snow year
•Food and fuel caches at Longmire, July-September. The White River cache bin exists but Sunrise Road and White River Road are closed for the Grand Park 2 Fire as of August 9, 2026
•Permits must be picked up in person and are held only until noon on your start date
•No access to Carbon River or Mowich Lake from SR165 because of the Fairfax Bridge closure, and no access to Sunrise or White River because of the Grand Park 2 Fire as of August 9, 2026

Best Time to Visit

Mid-July through September. NPS says the Wonderland is typically mostly snow-free from mid-July to October, and that in an average snow year it is not advisable to hike it until mid- to late July. Camps are reservable between June 1 and October 10, so June dates exist on paper but usually mean snow on the high traverses and dangerous glacial river fords. Late July and August give you the meadows; September gives you stable weather, fewer people and a real chance of the first snow.

Hazards & Considerations

!Snow on the high sections into July and sometimes August - NPS says fording dangerous glaciated rivers is a skill you need for earlier-season attempts
!River crossings on glacial rivers, which run highest on hot afternoons
!Rapid weather change; the park's summer wildflower postcard and a whiteout are the same trail
!Sustained elevation change - 27,000 feet of gain over 93 miles means there is almost no flat trail
!Black bears, which is why food storage is a permit condition not a suggestion
!Access closures: SR165 to Carbon River and Mowich Lake is cut off with no alternate route, and the Grand Park 2 Fire closed Sunrise Road and White River Road as of August 9, 2026. Three of the four road accesses to the loop were shut at once - confirm all of them on the park road status page before you finalise an itinerary

Weather Forecast

Trailhead (2,320 ft)

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Backcountry Tips

Today: Expect 16°F colder at summit. Layer up.
Today: Wind gusts to 43mph. Secure tent, avoid exposed ridges.
Today: 97% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.

Today

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36°

27°

97%

Mon

☁️

39°

30°

Tue

🌧️

40°

26°

24%

Wed

☀️

54°

28°

Thu

☀️

62°

38°

Fri

☀️

55°

36°

Sat

☁️

59°

37°

View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.

How to Get This Permit

Create a National Park Service account

Apply during the lottery window

Submit your application between February - early access lottery opens on Recreation.gov and Check Recreation.gov for the exact February close date. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.

Wait for lottery results

Results are typically announced Individual access windows open between March and April. Check your email and your National Park Service account.

If unsuccessful, monitor cancellations

Permits get cancelled daily. Peak cancellation times are 24-48 hours before the trip date.

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.

Apply at National Park Service

Learn More

Lottery strategies Cancellation hunting

When to Go

Peak: Late July through AugustShoulder: Late June to mid-July, and September to October 10

Conditions

Snow on the high traverses. Camps become reservable from June 1, but NPS advice is that an average snow year makes the loop inadvisable until mid- to late July.

Crowd Level

Low

Advantages

+Camps are reservable from June 1 and far less contested
+Waterfalls at full volume
+Empty trail

Challenges

!Snow on the high sections
!Glacial river fords at their most dangerous
!Route finding across snow-covered traverses

Difficulty Assessment

Physical Demand5/5

Fitness and endurance required

Technical Skill2/5

Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills

Exposure Risk2/5

Steep dropoffs and fall potential

Navigation2/5

Route finding and trail clarity

Commitment5/5

Difficulty of bailing out mid-route

Best For

Backpackers who can carry a multi-day pack over 3,000-4,000 feet of gain day after day for a week and a half. The trail is well built and signed; the difficulty is relentlessness and the logistics of caches, permits and pickup.

Recommended Experience

Several three-plus-night trips with big elevation days. Practise fording, and get comfortable with the idea that your itinerary is decided by which camps you won, not by which ones you wanted.

Not Recommended For

Anyone whose longest trip is a weekend, and anyone attempting it before mid-July without snow travel and river fording skills.

About This Permit

The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile loop around Mount Rainier with about 27,000 feet of elevation gain and 27,000 feet of loss. It is not a thru-hike - it circles the mountain and returns to where it started. Every night is a specific named camp with its own reservation, and NPS is clear that hikers doing the complete Wonderland are limited to designated camps only, with cross-country zones not permitted.

Permits come through Recreation.gov. Roughly two thirds of summer season (June-September) backpacking and climbing permits are made available for advance reservation; the remaining one third are issued first-come, first-served at park Wilderness Information Centers. Because building a whole 93-mile itinerary means getting a dozen consecutive camps to line up, the park runs an optional early access lottery in February: winners get an individual access window between March and April, and are limited to a single reservation during that period. Everything left over goes on general sale April 25, for camp dates between June 1 and October 10.

The park's own advice is blunt: it is unlikely that visitors will be able to create a full Wonderland Trail itinerary during or after the general on-sale. If you want the whole loop in one go, the lottery is the route.

Timing matters as much as permits. NPS says the trail is typically mostly snow-free from mid-July to October, and that in an average snow year it is not advisable to hike it until mid- to late July.

The Experience

Why It Matters

The Wonderland is a circuit, not a thru-hike - it starts and finishes in the same place and never leaves the mountain. Congress designated 97% of Mount Rainier National Park as wilderness in 1988, and the Wonderland is the trail that immerses you in it. It is also the reason Mount Rainier runs an early access lottery at all: the park says demand for wilderness camps and high-use climbing routes exceeds capacity, and the lottery exists specifically so that fewer people are competing simultaneously for multi-night itineraries.

The Route

The Wonderland runs 93 miles around Mount Rainier and every night of it is a specific named camp you reserved in advance. NPS is explicit: hikers doing the complete Wonderland Trail are limited to camping in designated camps only, and cross-country zones are not permitted.

The camps sit in three park areas, which is also how Recreation.gov groups them. Longmire area camps include Devil's Dream, Pyramid Creek, Paradise River, Maple Creek, Snow Lake, Lake George, South Puyallup River, North Puyallup River, Klapatche Park and Golden Lakes. Carbon River area camps include South Mowich River, Mowich Lake, Eagle's Roost, Cataract Valley, Carbon River, Dick Creek, Mystic, Granite Creek, James, Yellowstone Cliffs and Ipsut Creek. White River area camps include Sunrise, Berkeley Park, Granite Creek's neighbours on the east side, Summerland, Indian Bar, Nickel Creek, Olallie Creek and Deer Creek.

Most people start at Longmire and go clockwise, which is the direction the park's own trail description uses. There is no wrong direction, but the camps you can actually get are what shapes the itinerary - and that is decided in the lottery, not on a map.

The Feeling

The mountain is the constant. Some hours it is directly overhead and some hours it disappears behind its own shoulder, but you are always walking around it. The trail does not contour - it drops to a river and climbs back to a ridge, over and over, until 27,000 feet of gain stops being a number and starts being a rhythm. Meadows in August, glacier snouts, and a suspension bridge that swings.

Trailhead Information

Longmire

2,760 ft elevation

Primary

The traditional Wonderland start and the park's main Wilderness Information Center. Permits are picked up in person here.

Restrooms

Water on site

Before you rely on this water

Developed, year-open services - and as of August 9, 2026 the only Wonderland road access still reachable, with SR165 closed by the Fairfax Bridge and Sunrise/White River Roads closed by the Grand Park 2 Fire. Confirm on the park road status page.

Getting There

Drive east on Hwy 706 from Ashford for 10 miles; Longmire is 6.5 miles past the Nisqually Entrance.

Nearest Services

General Store at Longmire - one of only two places in the park to buy basic supplies.

Notes

Food caches are stored inside the Longmire WIC and must be dropped off or collected between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm. Fuel cannot go in a food cache here; it goes in a separate fuel locker and has to be hand-delivered.

White River

Alternate

East-side Wilderness Information Center and Wonderland access, just past the White River Entrance Station.

Restrooms

No water

Getting There

Follow WA-410 to about mile post 62.5, then turn onto the White River / Sunrise Road. As of August 9, 2026 the park lists Sunrise Road and White River Road to the campground as CLOSED due to the Grand Park 2 Fire until further notice, so this access is not currently usable. Check the park road status page before you count on it.

Nearest Services

Sunrise Day Lodge, when open, is the park's other supply point.

Notes

Food cache bin is behind the ranger station at White River Campground, but As of August 9, 2026 the park lists Sunrise Road and White River Road to the campground as CLOSED due to the Grand Park 2 Fire until further notice. With SR165 to Carbon River and Mowich Lake also closed, Longmire is the only cache point currently reachable by road - build the itinerary on that assumption and re-check the park road status page. The WIC is closed in winter.

Mowich Lake / Carbon River

Alternate

Northwest corner access, normally used to start or resupply a Wonderland loop.

Restrooms

No water

Getting There

Currently no public access from SR165. The Carbon River Fairfax Bridge outside the park is closed to vehicles and pedestrians with no alternate route.

Notes

Because of the bridge closure there is no food caching at Mowich Lake and caches sent to Carbon cannot be returned. The Carbon River Ranger Station is closed until further notice. Plan a Wonderland itinerary around this.

Rules & Regulations

•A wilderness permit is required for all overnight camping in the park, year-round
•Camping is only permitted at the camp areas and on the dates on your permit itinerary
•Full Wonderland hikers must camp in designated camps only - cross-country zones are not permitted
•Maximum party size is 5 for standard sites; 12 for designated group sites, Alpine zones and Winter zones
•Groups of 24 or more require a Special Use Permit
•All food, garbage and scented items must be hung from a bear pole or secured in an approved canister
•Reservations are held until noon on your start date and cancelled after that unless you arrange late pickup
•Reservations must be made at least two days before the trip start; walk-up permits can be had the day of or one day before
•Pets, weapons other than firearms, bicycles and other wheeled devices are not allowed on park trails or in undeveloped areas
•Travel above 10,000 feet or on glaciers also needs a climbing special use permit and the annual climbing fee

Gear Checklist

Required

Approved bear canister or the ability to hang from a bear pole - all food, garbage and scented items
Rain shell and warm layers; this is the Cascades and the weather turns without much warning
Water treatment - the rivers here run glacial and silty
Boots you have already broken in over 27,000 feet of combined climbing and descending
Printed permit, picked up in person, carried with you and shown to rangers on request

Trekking poles for river fords and for the descents
Microspikes if you go before late July, when snow lingers on the high traverses
Five-gallon buckets or similar rigid plastic containers for food caches - the park requires rodent-proof plastic, clearly labelled
Gaiters for early-season snow and wet meadow trail
A stove that runs on fuel you can cache; fuel cannot be mailed and has to be hand-delivered to Longmire

Plan Your Trip

Lottery concierge

Your next shot at Wonderland

Next season’s application dates aren’t published yet.

We check for them every day. Track Wonderland now and your concierge picks them up the moment they land, then emails you when applications open, before the deadline, and when results post.

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Better odds with a crew

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Gear Checklist

Required and recommended gear for Wonderland

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Shuttle Services

Trailhead transportation options

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Guide Services

Experienced wilderness guides

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Key Landmarks

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27,000ft

Gain

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27,000ft

Loss

⛰️

6,750ft

High

📏

72.8mi

Distance

📐

Avg Grade

Click on a marker to view details•16 landmarks

Landmarks (16)

Lottery Statistics

Competitive

estimated success rate

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Boost Your Chances

Start a pool Turn on auto win-detection

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Apply these for the best odds

The lottery only awards an early booking window, not an itinerary. Have several itineraries ready when your window opens.
A third of permits are held for first-come, first-served pickup at ranger stations, so a failed lottery is not the end of the route.
Cancellations reopen on Recreation.gov all season, and full circuits can often be stitched together from individual camp openings.

Apply now on National Park Service

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Full lottery odds & strategy →

Safety & Planning

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Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Wonderland. Sign up to track this permit.

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Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit. Sign up to track this permit.

Wonderland FAQ

Is the Wonderland Trail a loop or a thru-hike?

A loop. NPS describes it as about 93 miles long and encircling Mount Rainier - it starts and finishes in the same place. That matters practically: you have no shuttle to arrange, but you do have to reserve a named camp for every night of a circuit that never leaves the mountain.

How do I get a Wonderland Trail permit?

On Recreation.gov. About two thirds of summer season permits are available for advance reservation and the remaining third are first-come, first-served at park Wilderness Information Centers. For the full loop, apply to the early access lottery that opens in February - winners get an individual access window between March and April. Everything left goes on general sale April 25.

Is there a Wonderland Trail lottery?

Yes, an optional early access lottery, opening in February on Recreation.gov. It does not award permits directly - it awards you a date and time to log in and build an itinerary before general access opens, and lottery participants are limited to a single reservation during that early access period. The park says it exists because demand for camps exceeds capacity during peak periods.

Can I get a Wonderland Trail permit without winning the lottery?

For a section, easily. For the whole loop, the park itself says it is unlikely that visitors will be able to create a full Wonderland Trail itinerary during or after the general on-sale on April 25. The other route is the one third of permits held back for first-come, first-served, or cancellations - reservations are cancelled at noon on the start date if nobody picks them up, and those camps go straight back into the first-come pool.

How much does a Wonderland Trail permit cost?

$6 for the Recreation.gov reservation fee plus $12 per person per night, for up to 13 consecutive nights. Youth 15 and under are free. The park restructured wilderness fees in January 2025, and the $6 fee also applies to first-come, first-served permits issued in person.

What is the group size limit on the Wonderland Trail?

Five people at standard sites. Designated group sites, Alpine zones and Winter zones allow up to 12. Most Wonderland camps have both a standard site and a group site, so a party of eight has to plan the whole loop around group-site availability. Groups of 24 or more need a Special Use Permit.

When is the Wonderland Trail snow-free?

NPS says it is typically mostly snow-free from mid-July to October, and that in an average snow year it is not advisable to hike the Wonderland until mid- to late July. Camps are reservable from June 1, so early-season permits exist - they just come with snow on the high traverses and glacial rivers that are hardest to ford in the afternoon.

Can I cache food on the Wonderland Trail?

Yes in principle, July through September, at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center and behind the ranger station at White River Campground. Caches must be in rodent-proof plastic containers, clearly labelled with your name, pickup location, pickup date and permit number, and you may leave up to five containers per group per location, and the park does not move caches between locations. In practice only Longmire is reachable right now: Mowich Lake has been cut off by the Fairfax Bridge closure on SR165, and As of August 9, 2026 the park lists Sunrise Road and White River Road to the campground as CLOSED due to the Grand Park 2 Fire until further notice, which takes the White River bin with it. That was the position on August 9, 2026 - re-check the park road status page, because a fire closure can lift as fast as it appeared.

Do I have to pick up my Wonderland Trail permit in person?

Yes. The reservation is not the permit. Someone named on the reservation has to come to a ranger station with photo ID, an emergency contact and vehicle details. Your reservation is cancelled at noon on your start day if you have not shown up and have not arranged a late pickup, and those camps go into the first-come pool for other hikers.

👥Community

Trail Conditions

No active conditions reported

Questions(2)

Can you still get a Wonderland Trail permit after losing the early-access lottery?

0 votes·1 answer·Apr 14

Does winning the Wonderland Trail lottery guarantee an itinerary?

0 votes·1 answer·Feb 5

Trip Reports(1)

Write Report

Wonderland Trail in early July: swollen rivers and a snowbound Panhandle Gap

Wonderland

4.0

Jul 1-4, 2026

Photography Guide

Golden Hour

Klapatche Park and Indian Bar are the two camps people plan whole itineraries around for evening light on the mountain. Both face it directly.

Best Light

Late July and August, after the snow clears and while the meadows are still going. That is also the narrowest permit window of the year.

Beat the Crowds

The Wonderland's crowding is structural - it is a permit quota, so you are never in a crowd you did not book. The day-hiker pressure is at Sunrise, Paradise and Mowich Lake; walk 45 minutes past any of them and it stops.