If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
They are now going AWAY from providing walk-up permits for 2022:
Normally, forty percent of wilderness permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis at park wilderness centers. Instead, this portion of wilderness permit reservations will be available online. Details will be available soon.
Further down the page we find:
For the 2022 season, the remaining 40% of trailhead quotas will be released on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov seven days in advance at 7 am PDT. Popular trailheads will fill very quickly; be logged on and ready to reserve promptly at 7 am PDT seven days in advance of your desired start date. The latest you can make a reservation is three days before a trip (although, few reservations will be available at that point). For example, to start a trip on a Saturday, the earliest you could make a reservation would be the prior Saturday, and you would be able to make a reservation until Wednesday at 11:59 pm. The first on-sale date will be April 22, 2022 (for an April 29 start date) and the last will be October 16, 2022 (for an October 23 start date).
The trip leader or alternate must pick up the wilderness permit in person at a wilderness center one day in advance (8 am to 5 pm) or on the same day (8 am to 10 am, unless held on Recreation.gov for a late arrival up to 5 pm). A reservation confirmation letter is not a valid permit.
Any unreserved permits will be available in person at wilderness centers only on the start date of the trip. Few, if any, unused permits will be available on any given day. You must arrive at a wilderness center during business hours to get a permit. All wilderness centers operate from 8 am to 5 pm. After-hours permits will not be available. In order to get a same-day permit, you must be in the park either by reservation or by entering during non-peak hours.
In-person permits are only available for same-day starts due to reduced capacity in backpackers campgrounds (as a result of the Tuolumne Meadows Campground closure).
As an addendum, I spoke with the wilderness office regarding issuing permits in advance for "back to back" trips-in the past, he said they would issue a permit for the second trip in advance to eliminate the need to drive back to an office and pick up the second permit, but the person I spoke with wasn't sure the new system wold still give them that option. The reservations person was emphatic that it was not possible to obtain a permit more than the day before a trip, so it is not clear which will be the case for Yosemite. Since the first permits to be issued for Yosemite under the quotas don't start until late April, I plan to call back then and see if they can still do this or not. My need is due to back to back permits for the GCoT and Ten Lakes-the first trip is on another person's permit (which starts at TM and ends at White Wolf), so I got a second one for Ten Lakes (departing from White Wolf, ending at TM) and was planning to leave a food cache at the WW campground so I could continue onward. Driving out to pick up the second permit is a non-starter for me since my car will be at TM, not WW, so I may have to hope the first permit is sufficient for me to continue and do the full loop, or just end the trip at WW.
There is something to be said, regarding "local" knowledge, as in where are the unregulated and open quota trails. But don't ask me, I hold that information tighter than HST anglers, regarding their secret fishing holes. Hmm, maybe I can trade some of my secrets spots for theirs...
Seems like if the dentist can cancel on me if I don't confirm my appointment by text message or clicking an email link a week to 2 days beforehand, federal agencies should be able to do the same. A system like that would take care of a lot of the "not bothering to cancel" people.
I swear I experienced recreation.gov not letting me add a permit to my cart because I already had another permit from the same district (Inyo) on the same day (was experiencing analysis paralysis for a Labor Day trip), but I just tried to re-create that error and it didn't happen. Weird.
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Does anyone know if recreation.gov is allowing you to print wilderness permits for Yosemite like they are doing for Inyo and some other places, instead of picking up in person.
No, you have to pick up your permit. If you cannot reach the pick-up office by about 11AM, call and let them know and your permit will be held for later pick-up. I always do this, even if I think I can meet the deadline- never know what traffic will be like.
The Big Oak Flat wilderness office is now open. I picked up my permit from a Valley trailhead at the Big Oak Flat entrance because getting your permit in the Valley is a parking pain. I think the Hetch Hetchy entrance opens an hour earlier (7AM), if your permit is for there.
With the permit you get an overnight parking permit. Overnight parking is allowed at: Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge (far parking lot across from Camp 4), Trailhead Parking (up the road from Curry Village). You must put the parking permit in your window, visible to the outside. When Tioga Road opens you can also get a permit at Tuolumne Kiosk.
You need to have your wilderness reservation/confirmation (permit number) to get into the park. So be sure to print that out and have with you.
