Sierra Wilderness Permit Lines

[Wandering Daisy]

Lines depend on the size of the group ahead of you and really, each time is a unique experience. Once at Lodgepole, there was a group of 15 applying and they took forever. Other time, took 5 minutes to get the permit. A long line at Roads End a few times. Kiosk at Tuolumne usually has a line. Bishop office also has a line. The Mono Lake visitor center usually has a few people in line. Although helpful, the staff is a bit slow here. Big Oak on 120 - unfortunately the wilderness permit desk also gets a lot of questions from non-backpackers. The small office in Bridgeport is quick but staffed by one person, so if a tourist gets ahead of you, they can chat forever! Yosemite Valley permits can take a long time too. In general, if you show up at the prime times (11AM) or first thing in the morning, you will have to wait in a line.

Another problem is the newbie that stands there and asks a thousand questions delaying everyone behind them. And tourists who just want to talk forever without a clue of what that delay does to the backpacker.

All said I never stood in line more than about 20 minutes. For the most part the permit staff does well.

And speaking of lines- if you get stuck behind an RV who refuses to pull over, a huge line of cars can get backed up between Groveland to Yosemite Valley.

[rlown]

And speaking of lines- if you get stuck behind an RV who refuses to pull over, a huge line of cars can get backed up between Groveland to Yosemite Valley.

If I'm right behind one of those, I just keep flashing the high beams at them. I'm good with going the speed limit but go the speed limit already and see that you're impeding traffic. Pretty much I now come in from the East side of Yose. 50/395/120.. faster.

[rgliebe]

My experiences in the past decade:

Bridgeport - at most one party in front of me, often no one, up to 10 min
Lee Vining - usually one party in front of me, up to 15 min
Yosemite Big Oak Flat - usually 2-3 parties in front of me, up to 20 min
Yosemite Tuolumne Meadows - long line first hour of the day, up to 45 min; usually 2-4 parties after first hour has passed, up to 20 min
Yosemite Valley Floor - long line first hour of the day, up to 40 min; usually 2-5 parties after first hour has passed, up to 20 min
Yosemite Wawona - usually one party in front of me, up to 15 min
Sierra National Forest (any station) - at most one party in front of me, often no one, up to 10 min

Most of the delays in Yosemite are caused by backpackers who either did not plan an alternate trip in case their preferred trailhead is full, or backpackers who didn't do any planning and are trying to get the ranger to do it for them. Both of them are the equivalent of the slow RV that won't pull over on the highway. At Big Oak Flat you do have the non hiking tourists asking questions as well, but usually not at the other locations in Yosemite. In Yosemite, irregardless of the wait time, you should go to the station that is zoned for the area you hike in because if you don't, they call the station that is zoned for it and ask if anyone in line there wants your trailhead, and if they do that party gets priority over you. Being first in line at Tuolumne Meadows doesn't always help, since sometimes the ranger will ask everyone who was there at the opening if they are interested in your trailhead, and they try to mediate among the interested parties over a trailhead that is doesn't have enough quota left.

[Ska-T]

In Yosemite, irregardless of the wait time, you should go to the station that is zoned for the area you hike in because if you don't, they call the station that is zoned for it and ask if anyone in line there wants your trailhead ...

Good tip! They typically don't do that for NFS eastside starts.

[SSSdave]

The wilderness permit at ranger station line length and wait times is not much an issue at most locations as most have related, at least for them. The problem is, by far the most people visiting are California m-f 8-5 working people that visit these places on Saturday morning. And that is when obtaining a permit is difficult and NOT Wednesday morning some of you are obviously relating. At Whitney, Yosemite Valley, or Tuolumne Meadows the story is different because many are distant visitors on vacations.

Accordingly for years I have complained about this situation to deaf ears that is hugely aggravated by the policy of allowing obtaining Saturday morning permits at these stations at 11am Friday. working people do not want to burn any of their precious limited PTO personal time off days simply to get in line late morning on a Friday. What a wasted day!

The solution is simply to make a one day exception to the policy for Saturday starting trips only available on Saturday morning and not Friday. If people want to start out on their route at dawn Saturday, they would have to reserve a permit. Anyone with a reserved permit for the following day including Saturday ought to still be allowed (sans night box) to pick up their actual permit the day before.

Anyone out their listening?

David

[acvdmlac]

Great question, useful topic! If I read everyone's responses, it sounds like getting next-day permits at the 11:00 time isn't much of a problem? I'm going to try snagging a next-day permit for a party of 5 in mid-August from Mono Lakes Visitors Center, for either Lake Sabrina or Big Pine North Fork, the Ranger said arriving at 10:30 for the 11:00 release should be fine, whadya think?

I usually reserve in advance, my only same-day attempt on a weekend was years ago at Mammoth Lakes station and was successful, walked in about 2:00 and got a same-day permit for 2 for Agnew Meadows trailhead, and I don't recall much of a line. Got a next-day permit without trouble at Mammoth in Sept. 2015 for Bloody Canyon trailhead (not a popular route, we didn't see a soul until we got to the summit lake and ran into dayhikers coming up from Tioga).

[JeffH]

I usually go to Lone Pine, which as noted before works via daily lottery. Nice thing about that is I don't have to show up at 2am to sleep on the sidewalk. I drive up and spend the night in the Alabama Hills, get up and have breakfast before going to the Visitor Center. Since there are so many places to visit I am willing to take whatever permit is available. I've drawn number 47 and managed to get a solo permit out of Onion Valley, got number 1 so I could go up N Fork Big Pine Creek, somewhere in the 20's for a Bishop Pass, etc etc. I went to Mammoth last year on July 4, was 3rd in line and it took about 20 minutes to get the last permit out of Agnew Meadows. You just never know.....