How to get in02 pathsLottery
Angels Landing
The spine beyond Scout Lookout requires a permit from seasonal or day-before lotteries.
Day trip
HikeStrenuousPhysical effort · Estimate
Strenuous — Long miles, elevation, or sustained hard effort.
Steep ascent to Scout Lookout, then exposed chains to the tip.
Editorial estimate of the typical trip — not lottery hardness, and not an Official agency grade.
Photo by Carl Nenzen Loven
Good fitHikers comfortable with exposure who will secure a timed permit before the chain section.
Usually notAnyone uneasy with heights or counting on same-day luck in peak season.
Lottery type
Seasonal Lottery
Historical success rate
50%
NPS Zion — Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program (two-year summary, Apr 2024) · for 2024 · Agency published 2024-04 · We checked 2026-09-20
When to apply
Seasonal lottery (quarterly windows)
Official timing
Typically apply early in the quarter for the upcoming season (e.g. Apr 1–20 for summer). Confirm live dates on Recreation.gov / NPS.
We checked 2026-09-22
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
If you miss this window, try these instead:
- Day-before lottery
- West Rim to Scout Lookout without permit
Sources & notes
- NPS Zion — Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program (two-year summary, Apr 2024) · for 2024 · Agency published 2024-04 · We checked 2026-09-20
NPS: overall average ~50% across Seasonal + Day-before over two years; range ~8% (holiday) to 100% (some midweek days).
Average across both lottery types; individual dates vary widely.
Lottery type
Day-before Lottery
Historical success rate
50%
NPS Zion — Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program (two-year summary, Apr 2024) · for 2024 · Agency published 2024-04 · We checked 2026-09-20
When to apply
Day-before lottery
Official timing
Apply by mid-afternoon Mountain Time the day before your hike; results same day.
We checked 2026-09-22
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
If you miss this window, try these instead:
- Observation Point / other Zion classics
Sources & notes
- NPS Zion — Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program (two-year summary, Apr 2024) · for 2024 · Agency published 2024-04 · We checked 2026-09-20
NPS: overall average ~50% across Seasonal + Day-before over two years; range ~8% (holiday) to 100% (some midweek days).
Average across both lottery types; individual dates vary widely.
Backup options
Nearby or alternate ways in if these draws miss.
- Day-before lottery
- West Rim to Scout Lookout without permit
- Observation Point / other Zion classics
Field notes
All field notesPlaybooks for the confusing parts of applying — not live calendars.
- Day-before lotteries and rolling releasesWhat a day-before lottery is — and how rolling timed entry releases work
- Desert and Sierra when you have one weekDesert day-hike lottery or Sierra overnight permit — what fits one week off
- How to read a place pageHow to read a park permit page before you apply on Recreation.gov
- Which Recreation.gov product is this?Recreation.gov parking vs timed entry vs lottery — how to pick the right one
Dates, group rules, a backup, entry day — the apply checklist is under Before you go
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply. NPS Zion publishes program stats; apply on Recreation.gov. Prefer NPS figures over third-party blogs. Seasonal products are split by hike season on Rec.gov. About Official / Estimate / Not confirmed yet