Just found out the John Muir Trail has a lottery system for permits now

I was looking at the official park website to plan a trip for next summer, and it said you have to enter a lottery 6 months in advance. I always thought you could just show up and get a walk-up permit, but apparently that changed a few years back. It's a 210-mile trail, so I guess it makes sense to control the crowds, but it really threw a wrench in my plans. Has anyone here actually gone through the lottery process and gotten a spot?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_davis19d ago

I got my permit by applying the second the lottery opened, so that "6 months in advance" tip is key.

calebh7919d ago

Yeah my buddy missed that @sean_davis tip and got shut out.