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How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 10:25 am
by markley
Hey all..Just curious how difficult it is to get the first come/first serve wilderness permits in YNP. My wife and I will be there in mid-August and it appears most of the permits are reserved. We will likely be attempting to try to get a permit out of Tuolumne. Also, how difficult will it be to grab a camp spot at Tuolumne without reservations?

Thanks!

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 10:44 am
by maverick
You will have to get there at least 30 min's (or earlier) before the wilderness office opens, especially if your not starting in the middle of the week. Here is a link of where you can see the quota's (first-come, first-served) for the trailheads out of TM. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/trailheads.htm
If you can secure a permit the day before, you can stay the night at the backpackers camp at TM. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bpcamp.htm

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 10:55 am
by markley
Thanks! So if I'm reading the quota's correctly, there a number of spots that are only for first come? I was thinking that in order to get a first-come/ first-serve, someone who made a reservation was a no show.

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 11:13 am
by maverick
Thanks! So if I'm reading the quota's correctly, there a number of spots that are only for first come?
Correct.

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 11:30 am
by AlmostThere
to be clear - there are two opportunities to get walk ins. the day before you want to start at 11 am you can try for the spots held for walk ins. the formerly reserved but unclaimed permits for a same day start are released at 10 am. so show up at 10 to see if you can start that day with a recycled permit, stay til 11 for a next day walk in if unsuccessful. they may have changed times again, but this was the last arrangement i recall.


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Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 11:53 am
by markley
Great! Thanks!

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 3:08 pm
by markskor
Actually 3 types of permits still available -
1) - Where the reservations made did not fill up the reserved 60% quota space - IE, Snow Creek TH, seldom ever fills. You can ask if any of these are still open, starting when the Permit office opens, and be hiking immediately.
2) - Where the reserved party made a reservation up to 6 months in advance for a party of 6...only 4 showed up - (thus 2 added to the now-open category, but not in the "next day" only category)...these go out at 10:00 AM...also allows hiking immediately.
3) - "Next day only" - 40% of all wilderness permits are held back/ designated strictly "next day" only. These are not reserve-able but still figure in as part of the quota system. These start being issued at 11:00 AM...First come/first served, and the closest permit office to the TH takes precedence. Thus if looking for a "next day" permit, for a trailhead starting out from Tuolumne and you are actually in line in the Valley Permit Office, the Valley Rangers will call up to TM first, ask if anybody is in-line Tuolumne for the same TH, and give them (any and all those in the Tuolumne line) any open "next day" permits before anyone gets one from the Valley line, even if you were seemingly there/ asked first from the Valley. BTW, On these "next day" type, you start your hike - the next day.

Just to add, when you call up or look on-line, usually it shows everything is "full" but this "fullness" is only for those 60% reservable permits - ones made months in advance - (BTW, always a good idea for larger groups). However, if you add in all those in category 1) and 2) above, and the 40% "next day"...over 1/2 of all the quota permits are available still, and are wide open.
So if you are a one or a two, get in line early on a week day start (8:30 - 9:00 AM?)...Plan to stay over in a BP campground...You most probably will be starting tomorrow.

edit to add more - There is always room for another party - nobody ever has been turned away from the TM (or Valley) BP camp, if/provided that you -
1) walked in - have valid permit in hand after a trip just finished - one night after,
2) Came in by bus - YARTS, or biked in - also good for one night, or
3) have a valid permit - (next day or reserved) for tomorrow...one night before .
Technically, if you just walked or biked in, or YARTS, (one night legal), and then got another permit the next day for another "next day", you could legally stay 2 nights...one night after and one night before. Rangers do check, look at the permits.

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 10:32 am
by Dave_Ayers
The Yosemite TH quotas (both reservable and first-come, first-served) along with the priority permit issuing station are listed at http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/trailheads.htm .

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:18 am
by AlmostThere
markskor wrote: Technically, if you just walked or biked in, or YARTS, (one night legal), and then got another permit the next day for another "next day", you could legally stay 2 nights...one night after and one night before. Rangers do check, look at the permits.
RE: this rule about biking/bussing into the park and being allowed to stay in the backpacker camps is not known by all the rangers. You can find the Yosemite Compendium on the official Yosemite website and print the pertinent page to take with you. A friend was tossed out by a ranger who would not believe him on this point.

With the YARTS coming to Fresno, I may be taking advantage of this myself.

Re: How difficult to get wilderness permits in YNP

Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 10:22 pm
by Harlen
Great information Mark , that is a very clear view at the ways into the Sierra. Thanks a lot. Ian and Lizzie