how hard is it to get wilderness permits once you arrive?

Hi -

We are just now planning the details of our trip to Yosemite. The idea is to camp during our stay. I called for wilderness permit on our trails of choice and unfortunately they are not available. Anyway, the Yosemite NPS website says that 40% of the permits are available on a first-come first-served basis the day of the beginning of your trip.

What has been your experience in getting a permit on the day of your hike?

Thanks,

Heather

how hard is it to get wilderness permits once you arrive?

Show up at the ranger station at 8am; your chances are good, but you might want to have an alternative destination in mind as well. You will need a bear canister if you are in the backcountry. If you don%26#39;t own one, you may be able to rent when you pick up your permit.

good luck, sharry

how hard is it to get wilderness permits once you arrive?

You will need to get a permit at a Wilderness center, rather than the Visitors Center. I believe that they are all open 7:30 am - 5:00 pm. On Sunday, July 14, we arrived at the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness center to get our reserved permit around 9 am. Every trailhead had availability except Vogelsang. All of the reserved permits are given away if they are not picked up by 10 am, so perhaps someone was able to get one for Vogelsang on that day.

The Wilderness Centers also rent the required bear canisters for $5 per trip. You can get one before your trip so you are packed %26amp; ready to go when you go to the center at 7:30 am. EVERYTHING that has an aroma must be put in the bear canister. We saw lots of bear tracks %26amp; bear scat, but no bears in the high country this week. However, the marmots tried to chew our water bottles %26amp; hung around looking for dropped crumbs.

The weather is gorgeous, and the views even better. Good luck getting the permit you desire.

eye tips