Skip to content
Lamar Valley Backcountry permit area in Yellowstone National Park - backcountry hiking destination

Lamar Valley Backcountry Permit

Yellowstone National Park · Wyoming

Booked one camp per night, in order

Wildlife viewing area.

Watch your Lamar Valley nights

A Lamar Valley reservation is a sequence of nights, and each night books a specific night.

Give us your trip window and we watch every night of it across all nights on this permit, then tell you the moment nights open.

Cover the whole trip, plus any spare days you could shift onto — a wider window catches more openings.

Party

70% of the openings our scanner caught on Lamar Valley 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.

Start a plan — it's free

No permit needed to start

Lamar Valley Quick Facts

Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodReservation
Demand LevelModerate5/10

Key Information

Permit Details

TypeOvernight
Booking MethodReservation
Demand Level5/10
LocationWY

Weather Forecast

Trailhead (5,000 ft)

⚠️

Backcountry Tips

  • Snow expected: Check current trail conditions before departing.

Today

🌫️

64°

30°

Sun

☁️

62°

40°

Mon

❄️

53°

31°

22%

Tue

☀️

62°

31°

Wed

☁️

64°

34°

Thu

☁️

69°

37°

Fri

☀️

69°

39°

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.

Safety & Planning

🚨

Emergency Info

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

🐻

Food Storage

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

Lamar Valley FAQ

How do I get a Lamar Valley permit?

Lamar Valley permits use a reservation system. PermitSnag sends lottery open, deadline, and results reminders; you can also enable cancellation alerts if spots open later.

When is the best time to visit Lamar Valley?

Check with the managing agency for current season dates. Weekdays generally have better availability than weekends.

How competitive is the Lamar Valley permit?

This permit has a demand score of 5/10, making it moderately competitive.

What if I can't get a Lamar Valley permit?

Cancellations happen daily. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to get notified the moment a spot opens up. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.

👥Community

Trail Conditions

No active conditions reported

Sign in to report trail conditions.

Questions

No questions yet

Be the first to ask about Lamar Valley.

Trip Reports

Write Report

No trip reports yet

Be the first to share your experience at Lamar Valley.

Write the First Report

A small favor

One tick helps us more than you’d think

Google lets you pick the sites it highlights for you. Add PermitSnag and our permit pages get marked as one of yours in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Add PermitSnag in Google

Takes less than a minute.