2027 Permit & Lottery Calendar

Seasonal lottery (quarterly windows) · Seasonal Lottery

Typically apply early in the quarter for the upcoming season (e.g. Apr 1–20 for summer). Confirm live dates on Recreation.gov / NPS.

Day-before lottery · Day-before Lottery

Apply by mid-afternoon Mountain Time the day before your hike; results same day.

Day parking / trailhead pass · Katahdin Trailhead Pass

Buy a Katahdin Trailhead Pass on the Baxter reservation portal for day parking at Roaring Brook, Katahdin Stream, and Abol. Capacity is limited; reserve ahead for popular summer dates (Official Baxter State Park).

Rolling camping window · Baxter Camping Reservation

Summer camping opens on a rolling window exactly four months ahead, typically at 6:00 a.m. Eastern on the Baxter portal. Online bookings can cover up to four consecutive nights at the same roadside site; some backcountry sites still need phone / mail / in-person (Official Baxter 2026 portal rules).

Monthly lottery (4 months ahead) · Backcountry Early Access Lottery

Apply from the 16th through 5:00 p.m. MST on the 1st, four months before your start month. Results on the 2nd award up to 750 booking timeslots; leftover lottery access follows mid-month, then open booking on the next 1st (Official NPS / Rec.gov).

When inventory drops · Summit Road Vehicle Reservation

30% of Sunrise and Daytime reservations release at 10:00 a.m. ET 90 days ahead; 70% at 10:00 a.m. ET two days ahead (Official).

Self-guided timed entry · Cavern Timed Entry

Reservations open 30 days ahead at 8:00 a.m. MT and remain available until 7:00 a.m. MT on the visit day. Entry windows run until 2:30 p.m. cavern entry cutoff; buy/show your entrance pass inside the visitor center (Official NPS / Rec.gov).

Reserve before you drive in · Campground Reservation

Site-specific camping reservations on Recreation.gov. Cell service is poor in the valley — book before you go (Official Rec.gov / NPS guidance).

Rolling six-month overnight release · Overnight Zone Quota

During quota season (Friday before Memorial Day through September 30), overnight permits for 45 destination zones release on a rolling six-month window on Recreation.gov — typically daily at 7:00 a.m. Pacific for the date six months out. About 70% reservable online; ~30% walk-up same day (Official USFS / Rec.gov).

Online permit release · Self-Guided Exploration Permit

Reserve on Recreation.gov 2–7 days before your hike (releases commonly at 8:00 a.m. MT). Online booking is only a reservation — pick up the physical permit at the visitor center with your whole group and watch the required orientation (Official NPS / Rec.gov).

Walk-up inventory · Early Access Lottery

About 30% of wilderness campsites are held for same-day / day-before walk-up at park wilderness desks — not bookable online in advance (Official NPS).

Advance shuttle tickets (60 days ahead) · Logan Pass Shuttle Ticket

A portion of tickets release 60 days ahead starting May 2, 2026, 8:00 a.m. MDT on a rolling basis (Official NPS / Rec.gov). Season roughly July 1 – September 7, 2026.

Night-before shuttle tickets · Logan Pass Shuttle Ticket

Remaining tickets release at 7:00 p.m. MDT for next-day boarding, beginning June 30, 2026 (Official).

Advance day-ride booking · South Rim Day Mule Reservation

South Rim day mule rides may be reserved online or by phone through Grand Canyon Lodges / Xanterra, often up to about 15 months ahead, and popular dates sell out (Official NPS / Grand Canyon Lodges). Confirm live product names (Canyon Vistas, Havasupai Gardens, etc.) on the lodges page — offerings change when trails are closed.

Follow-up lotteries · Weighted Lottery

Additional short lotteries run as needed to reassign canceled or unassigned launch dates. Create an account year-round and enable NPS email notices (Official).

Sunrise vehicle reservation release · Sunrise Viewing Reservation

Book up to 60 days ahead and again 2 days ahead at 7:00 a.m. HST on Recreation.gov. Required for vehicle entry 3:00–7:00 a.m.

Daily lottery · Daily Lottery

Apply midnight–4pm Pacific, two days before the hike date.

Year-round arrival reservation · Parking or Shuttle Reservation

Reserve parking (30-minute arrival window for standard vehicles) or a shuttle seat on GoMuirWoods.com — required for all vehicle and shuttle arrivals. Bookings typically open up to ~90 days ahead, with some inventory held closer to the date (Official NPS / GoMuirWoods).

Walk-up inventory · Early Access Lottery

About 40% of peak-season sites are never reservable online and are issued first-come at wilderness desks / email workflows when posted (Official).

15-month-ahead lodging lottery · Lodging Lottery (Xanterra)

Enter on the 1st–25th of the month that is 15 months before your stay month (Mountain time). Winners are notified the following month; leftover beds release ~13 months ahead for general sale (Official Grand Canyon Lodges).

Monthly advance releases · Timed Entry Reservation

First-come releases at 8:00 a.m. MDT on the 1st of each month for the following reservation block (e.g. May 1 → May 22–June 30). Extra inventory at 7:00 p.m. MDT the night before (Official).

Seasonal lottery windows · Seasonal Lottery

Apply on the 1st–25th two months before each hiking quarter (e.g. Feb 1–25 for Apr–Jun). Results emailed on the 27th; claim within two weeks. Unclaimed dates open mid-following month at 10:00 a.m. MT (Official NPS / Rec.gov).

Daily lottery (2 days ahead) · Canyoneering Daily Lottery

Apply 12:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. MT two days before your hike when seasonal inventory is gone. Drawing follows that afternoon (Official).

Advanced lottery (apply all month for dates 4 months ahead) · Advanced Lottery

Apply during calendar month M for entry month M+4. Drawing ~1st of next month at 9am MT (BLM).

Daily lottery (2 days before) · Daily Lottery

Apply 6am–6pm local on a mobile device inside the geofence, two days before the hike.

Overnight quota season · Overnight Permit Quota

May 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 · 2026 dates; 2027 not posted yet

May 1 – September 30: overnight paddle/motor/hiking trips need a quota permit reserved on Recreation.gov (Official USFS / Rec.gov). Inventory is first-come by entry point/date — not a single overall lottery %.

Off-season self-issue · Overnight Permit Quota

Oct 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 · 2026 dates; 2027 not posted yet

October 1 – April 30: self-issued permits at entry-point kiosks / Forest Service offices (no Rec.gov quota reservation).

Reservation season (2026) · Summit Road Vehicle Reservation

May 20, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026 · 2026 dates; 2027 not posted yet

Vehicle reservations required to drive Cadillac Summit Road May 20 – October 25, 2026 (Official NPS / Rec.gov).

Peak-season access reservations · Shuttle or Trailhead Parking

May 22, 2026 – Oct 18, 2026 · 2026 dates; 2027 not posted yet

2026: RFTA shuttle roughly May 22 – October 18 from Aspen Highlands; private vehicles need trailhead parking reservations and generally may arrive before 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. while the midday road is shuttle-only (Official USFS / Visit Maroon Bells).

Year-round overnight requirement · Wilderness Overnight Permit

A wilderness permit is required for all overnight stays year-round. Winter-season reservations typically open mid-September for the following winter window (Official NPS). Some sites list In Station or walk-up only — contact the WIC.

Cool-season timed entry · Scenic Drive Timed Entry

Oct 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027

Reservations required October 1 – May 31 for entry 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Primary release: up to 30 days ahead at 7:00 a.m. PT rolling; secondary release two days ahead at 7:00 a.m. PT (Official BLM / Rec.gov).

Summer walk-up season · Scenic Drive Timed Entry

Jun 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 · 2026 dates; 2027 not posted yet

June 1 – September 30: timed entry not required; pay at the entrance station (Official).

When a reservation is required (2026) · Timed Entry Reservation

May 22, 2026 – Oct 12, 2026 · 2026 dates; 2027 not posted yet

Timed Entry (park, not Bear Lake Road): 9 a.m.–2 p.m., May 22 – October 12, 2026. Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road: 5 a.m.–6 p.m., May 22 – October 18, 2026 (Official NPS / Rec.gov).

Corridor status after Aug 2026 flooding · Backcountry Early Access Lottery

NPS reported major Bright Angel Canyon / Phantom Ranch corridor closures after flash flooding on Aug 29, 2026. Confirm current trail and campground status on NPS Grand Canyon before entering any lottery.

Road Lottery status · Park Road Lottery (suspended)

Official NPS position (2026): the Denali Road Lottery remains closed for 2026 and the foreseeable future. Hikers/cyclists may use the road west of East Fork as posted; buses stop at East Fork through the 2026 season. Recheck NPS Denali before planning 2027.

Area status after Aug 2026 flooding · Lodging Lottery (Xanterra)

NPS reported Phantom Ranch (including cabins/canteen) and nearby corridor closures after flash flooding on Aug 29, 2026, with no firm reopen date. Confirm current NPS Grand Canyon lodging / trail notices before entering any lottery.

How access control works in 2026 · Park farther · walk to the view

No ticket or lottery. Do not park or unload near the viewpoint — park at Yosemite Falls parking (or Yosemite Village / Curry Village + free shuttle), then walk about 1.5 miles each way to the El Capitan Picnic Area viewing zone. Afternoons: one Northside Drive lane becomes a pedestrian walkway; no parking, stopping, or unloading between Lower Yosemite Fall and El Capitan Crossover. Busy weekends may close Northside Drive for about 30 minutes after sunset. Disability-placard vehicles may drive to the picnic area turnouts as posted (Official NPS).

Typical viewing window · Park farther · walk to the view

Projected mid- to late February when light and flow align (2026: about Feb 10–26). Conditions vary night to night — clear sky, enough water, and the right sunset angle all have to line up (Official NPS).