How to get in02 pathsLottery
The Subway
Left Fork (The Subway) needs a wilderness permit year-round — seasonal lottery first, then a day-before daily lottery.
Day trip
HikeTechnicalPhysical effort · Estimate
Technical — Skills or exposure beyond a standard hike — canyoneering, scrambling, etc.
Canyoneering: cold water, stemming, and route-finding beyond a normal trail.
Editorial estimate of the typical trip — not lottery hardness, and not an Official agency grade.
Photo by John Fowler
Good fitCanyoneers ready for Left Fork who will play seasonal and daily Subway lotteries.
Usually notStandard Zion canyon walks that never leave the main trail system.
Lottery type
Seasonal Lottery
How you get in
No % yet
Agency has not published odds
No Official overall success % published for the Subway seasonal draw.
When to apply
Seasonal lottery windows
Official timing
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).
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:
- Canyoneering Daily Lottery two days before (Rec.gov 4251918)
- Other Zion day hikes that do not need a Subway permit
Lottery type
Canyoneering Daily Lottery
How you get in
No % yet
Agency has not published odds
Last-minute path for Subway and other listed canyons. Still a lottery — no Official overall %.
When to apply
Daily lottery (2 days ahead)
Official timing
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).
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:
- Mystery Canyon seasonal lottery (separate Zion product)
- Angels Landing seasonal / day-before lotteries
Backup options
Nearby or alternate ways in if these draws miss.
- The Narrows bottom-up (no top-down permit) when conditions allow
- Canyoneering Daily Lottery two days before (Rec.gov 4251918)
- Other Zion day hikes that do not need a Subway permit
- Mystery Canyon seasonal lottery (separate Zion product)
- Angels Landing seasonal / day-before lotteries
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
- 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
- The drop-minute checklistHow to prepare for a Recreation.gov reservation release
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. Seasonal lottery Rec.gov 4251917; canyoneering daily lottery 4251918 covers Subway leftovers. Same permit for top-down technical and bottom-up hike variants. About Official / Estimate / Not confirmed yet