Wilderness Permit Information

[Wandering Daisy]

Well, I just reserved a 10-day Shepherd Pass to Cottonwood, Labor Day Monday.

The drop down menu is a pain! Way too many entries for a drop down. I finally realized that SEKI areas are alphabetized under SEKI, not included in the general list. I was half finished when it said "5 more minutes?". I then just put in the generic "anywhere in SEKI" to get done before I got kicked out. Is there a map showing the location of each choice so one could figure this out before starting the reservation process?

[robow8]

Well, I just reserved a 10-day Shepherd Pass to Cottonwood, Labor Day Monday.

The drop down menu is a pain! Way too many entries for a drop down. I finally realized that SEKI areas are alphabetized under SEKI, not included in the general list. I was half finished when it said "5 more minutes?". I then just put in the generic "anywhere in SEKI" to get done before I got kicked out. Is there a map showing the location of each choice so one could figure this out before starting the reservation process?

Somehow, you're supposed to be able to edit your campsites after you have secured your permit reservation. I haven't had to do it, so I'm not sure how.

[grampy]

Well, I just reserved a 10-day Shepherd Pass to Cottonwood
... I then just put in the generic "anywhere in SEKI" to get done before I got kicked out. Is there a map showing the location of each choice so one could figure this out before starting the reservation process?

Even though you are only allowed to use named camping locations that are listed on the pull-down list, you aren’t constrained to actually scroll through the pulldown to enter your choice. If you know the name of a location, you can type in the first few letters of the name and your choice should pop up (type “chick” and the entry for “chickenfoot lake” should pop up). Makes things a bit quicker.
You can speed the process even more if you have your campsite itinerary pre-typed out (electronically) so you can just copy each night’s campsite and paste it into the appropriate box while you are filling out the Recreation.gov form. Takes just a few seconds per entry, so you could fill in a 12-night itinerary in one to two minutes ... leaving enough of the 15- minute allotment remaining to fill out the rest of the form.

[Teresa Gergen]

It would make a lot more sense for Inyo to simply remove that whole itinerary section from the process. You aren't required to camp where you say you will. I routinely go farther in on the first day than the options that the first day pulldown menu include. I routinely camp in places no one else would camp high up at the base of a peak, sometimes where there's not even water (carry it from last source). People routinely change their plans en route even when they had intended to follow their itinerary. Can't count the number of times in the past where a ranger issuing my permit in person has just said, "just put down anything, it doesn't matter."

[Gazelle]

I am with Teresa, I fill in first night then leave rest blank, as there is almost never an option for where I am camping, and my plans change as I go depending on speed/ weather etc. I do track myself on my mini and have instructions left with my people on how to deal with most situations in case of mini failure or not returning as planned. My people also have my caltopo map of peaks/ areas I will be. So really no need to have forest service ask, and the guy at Mono knows me enough he just hands me the permit.

[Teresa Gergen]

Seriously, if they streamlined the procedure, they could do walk-in permits in hardly any time. As I suggested once here somewhere, I think the solution is to divide the permit system into 2 parts. The first would be an annual "Wilderness Camping Rules" permit that would work just like your CA Campfire permit - go online, watch a video, take a test, print out the permit with a permit number. Then remove the whole "spiel" business from the process of issuing a permit - you just give your Rules permit number and you don't need the lecture. The second part would be an actual Trail permit subject to the quotas, divorced from the Rules lecture.

The advance reserved permit system they used last year where they email you the permit is great. When you reserve an advance permit on recreation.gov, there would simply be one more box to fill in with your Rules permit number. You wouldn't be able to proceed without one. Get rid of time-consuming, unimportant, put-in-whatever-just-to-appease-the-system junk like your itinerary.

They clearly need to go back to an in-person, actual day-of/day-before walk-in permit system. If they took out nonsense like your itinerary, and didn't have the lecture, and you just had one person come in the building at a time with the line staying outdoors, when you got to the counter, you'd just give the entry and exit trails, entry and exit dates, your Rules permit number, and if a Trail permit is available, they print the thing out and sign it, and you're done. In-person stuff could be limited specifically to picking up walk-in permits, at least until covid is over. Questions can be answered on the phone. Advance reserved permits can be handled by email.

[mort]

I just got an email from the Sierra National Forest that my permit reservation for the end of May starting at Maxon has been canceled.

Many of our trailheads are still inaccessible due to snow and damage from the Creek Fire in the fall of 2020. We currently have a Forest Order in place, which closes not only the wilderness trails affected by the fire, but many of the access roads as well. Many of the trails will remained closed until further assessments have been conducted.

Darn.
-mort

[mkbgdns]

noticed today on YNP website, re this years treatment of walk-up permits:

Normally, the remaining 40 percent are available on a first-come, first-served basis no earlier than 11 am the day before your hike begins as long as permits are available. However, in 2021, these permits are available online two weeks in advance and up to four days in advance.

looking on Yosemite Conservancy website, it seems that they will have lottery two weeks in advance. their SOP is to have lottery entry the day before. I'd guess the "four days in advance" refers on permits left after lottery, or cancellations after lottery.

[Wandering Daisy]

I have actually made one reservation for Yosemite and submitted another today. I also made a reservation on Inyo. Two different systems. With Inyo's system (Also Sierra NF), you can actually look at available slots for the entire summer. It is easy to look a week before or a week after your date. So, when I put in my request, unless someone picked up the spot seconds before me, I got the temporary permit. It is only a real permit when you pay for it. You have a day or so to pay before you loose the permit. For a Yosemite permit, I can put in three trip options, but I have not found any way to figure out if my desired trailhead has any remaining spots, short of submitting the permit request and either getting it or being rejected. It is quite frustrating because I really do not care if I go in on any exact date. There seems to be no way I can indicate that I am willing to take any entry date a few days within my desired date. I do not understand why I can see available slots with Inyo, but not with Yosemite. Am I doing something wrong?

And for another entirely different system, Sanlislaus NF had NO trailhead quotas, and NO reservations. You just call the ranger station where you plan to pick up your permit two days ahead, you give your route information over the phone, and then you simply pick up your permit at the office, maybe even in a drop box. I like this system!

[grampy]

If I want an early-season (pre-quota) Inyo permit, how do I go about getting it ?
There seems to be no way to reserve “pre-quota” on Recreation.gov , and I assume the Inyo visitor’s centers will still be closed this summer. So, can I “self-register” by dropping a form into a box outside the visitor’s center in Lone Pine, or do I request a permit by e-mail ?