Wilderness Permit Information

[SNOOOOW]

Does anyone know if the High Sierra office (Prather) will leave your permit outside to pick up after hours? They did this last year but have they changed procedures?

Why don't you just call the office?

[Gazelle]

I was going to pick one up and they told me they would leave it in drop box. But I would call no matter what.

[RocketDoc]

Don’t know if this is the place to ask, apologies if not. Anyone understand the difference between a “0” and a “W” are for Inyo wilderness permits that are more than 14 days away? I understand the W means some number of permits go up 14 days in advance at 7 am. But…does the zero mean that all the permits are already taken for that date and no more are going to be released at 14 days?
Thanks in advance
-RD

[SirBC]

I think someone asked a similar question recently and if I'm remembering correctly the '0' were for trailheads where there are closures and no permits are being allocated. For example, for Inyo on Recreation.gov when I try and an book a permit, right at the top it shows this:

Screenshot 2024-02-24 at 19-39-36 Inyo National Forest - Wilderness Permits Inyo National Forest - Recreation.gov.png

So if you are trying to book a permit from one of those trailhead on the days they are closed, you will see a '0'

[RocketDoc]

Thanks - makes sense. I’ll start keeping an eye on some that show as zeros and see if any pop up. Many months before I need to know as I spaced permits completely this year and will be counting on 14 day offerings!

[Wandering Daisy]

I have been reading information on permits and trying to figure out if cancellation fees are applied. I am confused about what they call a "$10 cancellation fee" that is "sometimes" applied. Apparently, there is an $8 reserve.gov fee when you apply, which is not refundable. Is there an additional $10 fee if you cancel too close to the entry date? That seems counterproductive if you want to encourage people to cancel when they do not plan to use the permit. Perhaps that only applies to front-country campgrounds? If you change the number in your group, say got a permit for 6 and only 3 are actually going, if you release the three unused permits, does that COST you a change fee?

I guess the real question is: Does doing the right thing by cancelling if not using your permit, cost you extra? If so, why are they punishing people who do the right thing.

[SirBC]

I cancelled a 4 person $26 September LLV permit earlier this month and there was a $6 cancellation fee that doesn't seem to factor in how close to the date I cancelled as I cancelled it a few days after getting it.

[dave54]

I have been reading information on permits and trying to figure out if cancellation fees are applied. I am confused about what they call a "$10 cancellation fee" that is "sometimes" applied. Apparently, there is an $8 reserve.gov fee when you apply, which is not refundable. Is there an additional $10 fee if you cancel too close to the entry date? That seems counterproductive if you want to encourage people to cancel when they do not plan to use the permit. Perhaps that only applies to front-country campgrounds? If you change the number in your group, say got a permit for 6 and only 3 are actually going, if you release the three unused permits, does that COST you a change fee?

I guess the real question is: Does doing the right thing by cancelling if not using your permit, cost you extra? If so, why are they punishing people who do the right thing.

That's a Booz Allen thing.
Since they got the contract to run Recreation.gov, they keep jacking up the fees. It has become a sizable source of revenue for the company. Plus, Sec of interior Deb Halaand has been pushing more and more business onto that site.
I don't mind paying booz allen for the cost of administering the site, but excessive earnings are another thing ($9.3 billion on 2023, for all company operations, with a projected revenue growth of 7-11% per year). The last year information is available for Booz Allen profits solely from the site is 2011, and that value was estimated at $130 million per year. They have since not disclosed their revenue from the site. Their annual report is filled with weasel words that are hard to decipher.

[Wandering Daisy]

SirBC, was the $6 a cancellation fee the same fee you paid to get the permit? I recall it is a per person FS fee PLUS a permit administrative cost to reserve.gov. I am trying to figure out if you pay both to get the permit and then additional fee to cancel. So was it: $24 paid, $18 refunded, $6 lost to cancellation. Is the refunded fee put back on your credit card? Or does it become a credit for a future reservation?

[LMBSGV]

My experience has been that I get the $5.00 per person back, but I lose the $6.00 "reservation fee" except when I cancel less than a week from the date. In those cases I lose both fees. In other words, there is very little incentive to cancel backpacking reservations except one's conscience to behave responsibly unless one is part of a large group.