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Overnight backcountry camping permit for Yellowstone National Park. An early-acc...
Shoshone Lake Backcountry Permit
Yellowstone National Park · Wyoming
Booked one camp per night, in order
Largest backcountry lake.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Shoshone Lake were gone within 10 minutes.
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Shoshone Lake Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodReservation
Demand LevelHigh7/10
SeasonLewis and Shoshone Lake are typically ice free in early June - October 31 ends the peak permit season
Cost$5 per person per night plus a $10 reservation fee. The early access lottery application costs a separate, non-refundable $10.
Max Group Size8 people
Shoshone Lake Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming requires a permit issued via reservation.
- Shoshone Lake is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The Shoshone Lake lottery typically opens March 1, 2026 and closes March 20, 2026, with results announced March 25, 2026 - winners get a randomized booking time between April 1 and 25.
- Cancelled Shoshone Lake permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Lottery OpensMarch 1, 2026
Lottery ClosesMarch 20, 2026
ResultsMarch 25, 2026 - winners get a randomized booking time between April 1 and 25
SeasonLewis and Shoshone Lake are typically ice free in early June - October 31 ends the peak permit season
Permit Details
TypeOvernight
Booking MethodReservation
Demand Level7/10
LocationGreater Yellowstone, WY
Pro Tips
- •Paddle at dawn. The park warns that southwest winds build through the morning and afternoon on both lakes and can be formidable - the water is usually glass before 9 am.
- •Before June 10, boat-accessible sites are walk-up permit only. If you want an early-season paddle, plan to collect the permit in person rather than book it.
- •Basin Beach (8T1) is the geyser-basin site and caps at four people. If your party is five or more, you need a different site and a longer walk to the basin.
- •Bring river-crossing shoes if you come in via DeLacy Creek. The outlet crossing runs about a foot and a half deep.
- •Carry 30 feet of rope minimum for the food pole - the site listings state that explicitly for these camps.
What to Expect
Route Details
Route Type
Out & Back
Duration
NPS allows a maximum of three consecutive nights at any one campsite.
Highlights
- •24 designated campsites around the lake, most taking 8 people for up to 3 nights
- •Basin Beach (8T1) is capped at four people and is the geyser-basin access site
- •Shoshone Meadows (8G1) is a one-night site; South Narrow Point (8Q1) is two
- •No campfires at the lake sites; pit toilets and food poles at each
- •No motorboats on the lake; the Lewis River Channel is non-motorized only
- •Before June 10, boat-accessible sites are walk-up permit only
- •The last mile of the channel means pulling your boat up the stream
Best Time to Visit
Mid-June through September. Lewis and Shoshone Lake are typically ice free in early June, and boat-accessible campsites are walk-up only before June 10. Late August and September give the calmest mornings on the water and the fewest mosquitoes. The park's August 4, 2026 note has the channel passable by canoe but shallow enough to bump rocks.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Wind. The park says southwest winds often build through the morning and afternoon on Lewis and Shoshone lakes and can be formidable
- !Cold water. The channel is swift and cold and the lake stays cold all summer
- !Thermal ground at Shoshone Geyser Basin, where the crust is thin and the water is scalding
- !Grizzly and black bears
- !The 8T1 trail to the geyser basin, which the park calls difficult to navigate with areas of knee-deep mud
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
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Backcountry Tips
- Snow expected: Check current trail conditions before departing.
Today
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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 Demand3/5
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
Paddlers who can handle a cold, wind-exposed lake crossing, and backpackers happy to walk in and share the shore with them.
Recommended Experience
Flatwater paddling with wind judgement, or bear-country backpacking. The exposure rating covers cold water, thermal ground at the geyser basin, and how far you are from help.
Not Recommended For
Inexperienced paddlers. Wind on Shoshone Lake is the real hazard here, and the nearest road is hours away by boat.
About This Permit
Shoshone Lake sits at the head of the Lewis River southwest of West Thumb, with no road to it. The park describes it as Yellowstone's second largest lake, 8,050 acres in area and 205 feet at its maximum depth, and reports that the US Fish and Wildlife Service believes it may be the largest lake in the lower 48 states that cannot be reached by road.
Recreation.gov runs 24 designated campsites around the lake in its Shoshone Lake district. Most take 8 people for up to 3 nights - Windy Point (8R1), Bluff Top (8R2), Cove (8R3), Outlet Hiker (8S0), Outlet Boat (8S1) and DeLacy Creek (8S2) among them - with South Narrow Point (8Q1) limited to 2 nights, Shoshone Meadows (8G1) to a single night, and Basin Beach (8T1) capped at four people. Sites are labelled by travel method: some are backpacker-only, some non-motorized boat only, some both. None allow campfires, all have a pit toilet, and each requires a food pole with a minimum of 30 feet of rope.
Boating rules here are the strictest in the park in one direction and the most permissive in another. No motorboats are allowed on the lake - motorized boats are only permitted on Lewis and Yellowstone lakes - but the Lewis River Channel between Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake is the single exception to Yellowstone's blanket closure of rivers to boating, open to non-motorized watercraft only. Before June 10, boat-accessible campsites on Shoshone Lake are available by walk-up permit only. Lewis and Shoshone Lake are typically ice free in early June.
Everything else follows the park-wide backcountry permit: $5 per person per night plus a $10 reservation fee, a March early access lottery ($10 non-refundable to apply), and in-person permit pickup at a backcountry office up to two days before your trip. There is no Bear Management Area covering Shoshone Lake - the park's published BMA table has none here - but the food-storage and bear-spray rules apply exactly as everywhere else.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Recreation.gov names Shoshone Lake as one of four high-demand areas in Yellowstone worth entering the lottery for, and the reason is simple: it is the park's second largest lake and the US Fish and Wildlife Service believes it may be the largest lake in the lower 48 states that cannot be reached by road. That is a narrower claim than the one you will see repeated elsewhere, and it is the one the Park Service actually publishes.
The Route
Two ways in. Paddlers cross Lewis Lake and go up the Lewis River Channel, which the park describes as swift and cold, with the last mile requiring boaters to pull their boats up the stream - this is the only river reach in Yellowstone open to boating at all, and non-motorized only. As of the park's August 4, 2026 note, the channel was passable via canoe but shallow, with boats bumping rocks. Hikers come in from DeLacy Creek, where the trail meets the lake at an outlet crossing about a foot and a half deep - the park recommends river-crossing shoes.
The park publishes no mileage for either approach. What it does publish is the rule that matters on the water: cross Shoshone Lake only at the narrows.
The Feeling
Wind and water. The park warns that winds from the southwest often build through the morning and afternoon on Lewis and Shoshone lakes and can be formidable, which is why paddlers here start at dawn. On the far shore, the Shoshone Geyser Basin - reachable only by hiking or by boat - holds one of the highest concentrations of geysers in the world.
Trailhead Information
DeLacy Creek Trailhead (7K2)
NPS trailhead 7K2, Grant Area. A 5.8-mile there-and-back through forest edge and open meadows to the shore of Yellowstone's largest backcountry lake. NPS says to look for sandhill cranes, moose and water birds.
Restrooms
No water
Notes
NPS lists two amenities, an information kiosk or bulletin board and the trailhead. No toilet.
Shoshone Lake / Dogshead Trailhead (8K1)
NPS trailhead 8K1. A 10.8-mile there-and-back through lodgepole pine to the Lewis River Channel and on to Shoshone Lake.
Restrooms
No water
Getting There
Approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of the Grant Village intersection, just north of Lewis Lake on the west side of the road.
Notes
NPS lists a vault or composting toilet here, and marks the trailhead with a caution that grizzly bears frequent the area.
Lewis Lake
The paddling start for the Lewis Channel route into Shoshone Lake.
Restrooms
No water
Notes
Every watercraft, including float tubes and paddle boards, needs a Yellowstone boat permit and an AIS inspection before launching. Recreation.gov says inspections and permits are available 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily at Bridge Bay, Grant Village and Lewis Lake, and that the boating season runs from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through October 31.
Rules & Regulations
- •A backcountry permit is required and names your specific campsite and dates
- •No motorboats on Shoshone Lake; motorized boats are only allowed on Lewis and Yellowstone lakes
- •The Lewis River Channel is the only river reach in Yellowstone open to boating, and only to non-motorized watercraft
- •Cross Shoshone Lake only at the narrows
- •Food and scented items must be hung from the food pole - a minimum of 30 feet of rope - or stored in a hard-sided bear-resistant container. Soft-sided containers are not allowed
- •Bathing, soaking or swimming in water entirely of thermal origin is prohibited
- •No off-trail travel in thermal areas
- •The Shoshone Geyser Basin is closed to stock year-round
Gear Checklist
Required
- Bear spray
- A minimum of 30 feet of rope for the food pole
- River-crossing shoes for the DeLacy Creek outlet, which the park puts at about a foot and a half deep
- A stove - campfires are not allowed at the lake sites
- Water treatment
Recommended
- A dry suit or dry top for the channel; the park calls it swift and cold
- A spray skirt and a boat you can drag - the last mile of the channel is a haul
- A head net for late June and July
- Gaiters for the mud on the 8T1 approach to the geyser basin
Plan Your Trip
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Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Shoshone Lake
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Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
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Key Landmarks
Lewis River Channel
The only river reach in Yellowstone open to boating, non-motorized only. Swift and cold, and the last mile means pulling the boat up the stream.
Shoshone Lake
The park's second largest lake, 8,050 acres and 205 feet at its deepest. No motorboats. Cross only at the narrows.
Shoshone Geyser Basin
On the lake's southwest side, reached only by hiking or by boat. More than 80 geysers in an area 1,600 by 800 feet. Closed to stock year-round.
Campsite 8T1 - Basin Beach
The geyser-basin access site, and the only one on the lake capped at four people. The trail from it to the basin is difficult to navigate with knee-deep mud.
Shoshone Lake FAQ
Do I need a permit to camp at Shoshone Lake?
Yes. A Yellowstone backcountry permit is required year-round for all overnight stays and names your specific campsite and dates. It costs $5 per person per night plus a $10 reservation fee, and you collect it in person at a backcountry office up to two days before your trip.
Is Shoshone Lake the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48?
Not as flatly as it is usually stated. The park's own page says the US Fish and Wildlife Service believes Shoshone Lake may be the largest lake in the lower 48 states that cannot be reached by road - an attributed belief about road access, not a ranked claim about backcountry lakes. What the park does state directly is that it is Yellowstone's second largest lake, 8,050 acres and 205 feet deep at its maximum.
Can I paddle to Shoshone Lake?
Yes, and it is the classic approach. The Lewis River Channel between Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake is the only river reach in Yellowstone open to boating, and it is non-motorized only. The park calls it swift and cold and says the last mile requires boaters to pull their boats up the stream. No motorboats are allowed on Shoshone Lake itself.
Are there motorboats allowed on Shoshone Lake?
No. The park permits motorized boats only on Lewis and Yellowstone lakes. Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and other non-motorized boats are permitted on all park lakes except Sylvan Lake, Eleanor Lake, Twin Lakes and Beach Springs Lagoon.
How many people can camp at a Shoshone Lake campsite?
Most of the lake's sites take up to 8 people. Basin Beach (8T1) is the exception at four. Stay limits vary too - most are 3 nights, South Narrow Point (8Q1) is 2, and Shoshone Meadows (8G1) is 1.
Can I visit the Shoshone Geyser Basin?
Yes - it is reached only by hiking or by boat, and holds more than 80 geysers in an area about 1,600 by 800 feet. The trail from campsite 8T1 is difficult to navigate with areas of knee-deep mud, so carry proper footwear, a map and a compass. Off-trail travel in thermal areas is prohibited, and the basin is closed to stock year-round.
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Trail Conditions
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Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
First light on the lake before the wind gets up, with steam rising off the geyser basin across the water.
Best Light
Cold, still mornings. The basin smokes hardest when the air is near freezing and the lake is flat.
Beat the Crowds
There is very little crowd. The busiest thing here is the channel on a July weekend, and it thins the moment you are on the lake.
Classic Shots
- 📍Shoshone Geyser Basin steaming across an empty shoreline
- 📍The Lewis River Channel running clear and shallow through lodgepole
- 📍A canoe pulled up on the beach with the lake dead flat behind it
- 📍Bleached driftwood along the north shore
- 📍Night sky over the lake - there is no road light in any direction
Can't Get a Shoshone Lake Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Yellowstone Backcountry Permit
Same AreaThe park-wide permit covering all 293 designated backcountry campsites.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Same fees and same lottery, with far more sites to choose from once the Shoshone Lake district fills.
Bechler River
Same AreaThe park's southwest corner, with the highest concentration of waterfalls in Yellowstone.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Also on Recreation.gov's high-demand list. Trips before July 10 are not recommended because of flooding in Bechler Meadows.
Grand Teton Backcountry Permit
Similar ExperienceZone-based mountain camping an hour south, with roughly two thirds of permits held for walk-ups.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Much better last-minute odds and bigger mountains, but a bear canister is mandatory and there is no paddling equivalent.
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Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your Shoshone Lake trip
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