Yosemite National Park

Yosemite
PERMIT

Questions?

209-372-0826

Monday-Friday, 9 am to noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm.
This phone line is staffed with wilderness rangers during Summer.

Gemeral Inquires
Mailing Address

Yosemite National Park
PO Box 577
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

General Inquires
Phone Number

(209) 372-0200

This guide is written North to South for Long Distance Backpackers along the Sierra Crest. Therefore Tuolumne Meadows is more of a resupply destination along our hike South to Mount Whitney than a starting point.

(See new permit restrictions above)

This is not so for most backpackers. Folks love to start backpacking through Yosemite Trailheads, and of special interest is the beginning of the John Muir Trail out of Yosemite Valley.

Happy Isles Trailhead

Local
&
Section Hikers
Complete Yosemite National Park Backpacking Permit Information is provided below and on the sidebar to our Left to make it convenient for backpackers who are section hiking the Tahoe to Whitney, Pacific Crest, and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails out of Yosemite. Or those starting the John Muir Trail, and anyone who just wants to do a nice backpacking trip around Yosemite.

The Golden Triangle is Killer.

We've got all the permit information you need to understand how to obtain a Yosemite Backpacking Permit in the link list to the Left.

The main thing is to use the early-season reservation system. We can make reservations six months in advance for dates in the Summer following. Check the Yosemite JMT page for specific dates and more information.

BACKPACKING CALENDAR
August 20s

To better serve John Muir Trail hikers who are starting from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley we offer generalized information and resources about Yosemite National Park permits and
public transportation.

This should be helpful to all backpackers using public transportation to get into Yosemite National Park to start the JMT, as well as hikers trying to get out of Yosemite at the end of backpacking trips.

Getting in and out is easy. Yosemite is exceedingly easy to hitch hike into and out of once we get the hell out of the city.

My easy solution to problems getting Yosemite permits is never to begin trips in Yosemite. I hike in from Highway 108 along the PCT or TYT, or hike down from Lake Tahoe. Then I hike out the South end of Yosemite on the JMT-PCT.

That's how I avoid permit hassles at Yosemite:
HIKE THE LENGTH OF THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAIN RANGE!

I HIKE HUNDREDS OF MILES; HOW DARE I.

Some of the Park and Forest "officials" believe I hike the long trails to evade their permit restrictions!

Love needs no permit.

Apparently the NPS is working to end Long Distance Backpacking
in the Sierra Nevada, because it's a
"LOOPHOLE"
in their attempts to limit the numbers of hikers on the PCT-JMT!

That's just crazy thinking and bad policy.

I call the alternative route from Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley "backwards" on the John Muir Trail, and back to to the JMT in Lyell Canyon, "The Golden Triangle." It is quite a fine stand-alone hike around the heart of Yosemite National Park as well as a sweet "extra" section to add onto a Tahoe to Whitney backpacking trip as we hike through Yosemite National Park.

When obtaining permits to hike from Tahoe to Whitney from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (can you?) we make-sure that we write in all the killer campsites we can possibly foresee if we are adding in the Golden Triangle, if we plan on hiking the JMT backwards down to Yosemite Valley from Tuolumne Meadows when we hit the end of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

Guide Index
Tuolumne Meadows to Happy Isle

DOWN
Rather than picking up the John Muir Trail South along the Sierra Crestline out of Tuolumne Meadows, we're going to hike down to the Valley along the JMT.

AND BACK
Hiking back out of Yosemite Valley triggers us to also specify campsites up the Merced River on our way over Voglesang on on our permit so we can to rejoin the John Muir Trail in Lyell Canyon.
We'll drop into Lyell Canyon from Voglesang High Sierra Camp to pick up the JMT a few miles South of Tuolumne Meadows, and complete the Golden Triangle.

ARRRRGGG!
The important point here is to understand the importance of properly planning out our long distance backpacking trip to designate and name all the campsites we plan on occupying on our through-permit when we cross high-use and highly patrolled areas such as Yosemite.

But route and campsite selection come after getting ready at least six months ahead, and having the flexibility to accept reservation dates that are available, rather than those preferred.

PCT long distance permits are highly restricted.

Long distance PCT permits only apply to the PCT corridor. No hiking out of that corridor is allowed. If you find yourself approaching Yosemite and you are feeling froggy, like you've got to hike down to the Valley, you must obtain another permit for that, and every other, extra segment added to your trip as you hike down the long trail.

VERY BUSY
Those backpackers starting their backpacking trips from Yosemite have to deal with the hassle of getting a permit from Yosemite National Park. Yosemite makes it as easy as possible, but that place is very busy.

City Busy
This is a function of the international and national popularity of Yosemite potentially crowding backcountry trails during peak backpacking and toursit season.

THE RESERVATION SYSTEM
Yosemite responded with trailhead and zone quotas while designating 60% of permits be available for pre reservations and 40% of permits for issuing in person to backpackers at the Yosemite Permit Stations.

This keeps the trails fairly quiet, while making getting permit reservations or permits at Yosemite fairly hectic, from my observations.

Personally I have never drawn a permit from Yosemite. (UPDATE: A First, I drew a permit from Tuolumne Meadows the day before the Fed shut down in Oct 2013 for a hike to Yosemite Valley from Tuolumne Meadows! What a delightful experience... there was virtually nobody in Yosemite! WOW!)

My solution to Yosemite's permit issues has been to hike into Yosemite rather than start trips in Yosemite.
I've walked to Yosemite every time I've visited (except once), at least as an adult for the last 20+ years.

I do remember a couple of car trips to the Valley in the early '60s with the family. Bears at the dump and the firefall still stick in my mind to this day, along with my amazement at the spectacular rock rising straight up from the floor of Yosemite Valley.

Decades of watching backpacker's ordeals obtaining Yosemite permits as I hike through has given me a few insights, if you have to get a permit from Yosemite.

1> Flexibility is Key. Don't mark out your vacation days-dates before you get your reservations for a Yosemite permit. You may have to settle for your second or third selection for trip dates, especially if your trip dates are on or near major Summertime holidays on popular trails.

2> Don't bet on getting the permit dates you want in person from the Yosemite Permit Stations. I've watched 25 backpackers line up an hour before the Tuolumne Meadows Permit Station opens, all hoping to get their desired permits, while only a few succeed.

Me? I am going to sleep in on my Resupply Days...

I have consistently met the nicest backpacking folks from around the world and the whole USA at the Tuolumne Meadows Backpacker's Camp.
Among those who are getting ready to start or are just finishing Yosemite backpacking trips there is always a substantial group waiting to get one of the daily release of permits.

Those who don't get permits are fated to repeat this the next day, but the Rangers generally take the names of those who failed to get permits one day to assure they get one the next.