July 29, 2026
Conundrum Hot Springs drops fall dates, Middle Fork opens through December
What dropped this week
Conundrum Hot Springs had the busiest week on record, with three separate availability changes stacking up: near-term openings for July 28-30, then a long run of dates through August, September, October, and November, including August 4-5, September 21-23, and September 28-30. Anyone still hunting a summer or fall slot there should check now. Middle Fork saw a big shift too - a July 30 opening plus a massive block of fall and early-winter availability running from October 6 clear through December 31, alongside a single September 15 date. Lyell Canyon (Donohue Pass eligible) opened three midweek dates: August 2, August 8, and August 23. On the mountaineering side, Mt. Whitney Trail Overnight opened July 30, Whitney Mountaineer's Route picked up July 23, July 27, August 9-10, and a run of October dates, and the St. Helens summit permit opened July 27 and August 5. Wonderland Trail added August 5 and August 8.
Open right now
Eight permits are showing live availability right now: St. Helens, Lost Coast, Sabrina Lake, Conundrum Hot Springs, Lyell Canyon (Donohue Pass eligible), Mt. Whitney Trail Overnight, High Sierra Trail, and Middle Fork. If any of these are on your list, this is the week to grab a date before it closes back up.
Lotteries opening/closing soon
The Wave lottery closes July 31, and so does the Selway River lottery - get entries in before then if you haven't already. Angels Landing's lottery opens August 1, so mark that morning if you need a Zion date.
This week's data insight
Looking at when availability changes actually landed this week, Saturday and Friday are far and away the busiest days - 445 and 377 openings respectively - while Wednesday is the quietest with just 55. If you're the type to refresh a permit page, weekends are when the churn happens; midweek is mostly quiet by comparison. Worth timing your checks for Friday and Saturday if you want the best odds of catching something new.