America's most famous trails now have a paperwork problem. Before you can walk the Pacific Crest Trail or stand on Mount Whitney, you have to beat a lottery system thousands of other hikers are also entering — and the 2027 application calendar is already taking shape.
The big confirmed date is the Pacific Crest Trail. Registration for the long-distance permit (for hikers covering 500 or more consecutive miles of the 2,650-mile route) opens October 15 and closes October 22, 2026. The first Permit Release Day follows on November 4, 2026, with a second round on January 13, 2027. It's free to apply, but the system is strict: registered hikers get a randomized appointment time, and if you draw a late slot, your ideal start date may already be gone. For most northbound thru-hikes, 35 permits per start date drop in November and 15 more in January. Couples can link accounts, but only 24 hours or more before release day.
Other marquee routes follow in early 2027. The Mount Whitney lottery runs February 1 to March 1, with a $6 reservation fee plus $15 per person. The Enchantments advanced lottery in Washington is expected February 15 to March 1 ($6 to apply, $5 per person per day), the same window as Colorado's Four Pass Loop, whose two main releases are expected on February 15 and June 15 at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. The Wave in Arizona/Utah runs a four-months-out advance lottery plus daily walk-up drawings. Yosemite's weekly John Muir Trail lottery opens 24 weeks before your start date, with the first 2027 windows expected to open in mid-November 2026.
Two changes worth flagging. Mount Rainier's Wonderland Trail now charges per person — $12 per night, plus a $6 lottery or reservation fee — so a two-week circuit for two costs real money on top of logistics. And the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim route is effectively off the table: flooding on August 29, 2026 damaged trails and footbridges, and inner-canyon closures have no announced reopening date.
There's also a new cost for international visitors. Since 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 per-person surcharge at 11 national parks, including Yosemite and Grand Canyon, on top of entrance fees. A $250 nonresident annual pass covers that for a carload, which makes sense if you're hitting several parks.
The strategy across the board is similar: apply in the first window, stay flexible on dates and direction, and keep watching for cancellations. Lottery systems like the Wonderland's stagger winners into early-access booking windows, so earlier wins mean better campsite picks. Miss out entirely? Walk-up permits still exist for the Wonderland (about 300 per season) and Teton Crest Trail has a day-before walk-up option. Getting a permit here genuinely is part of the adventure — set calendar reminders now, because several windows close before the end of 2026.
Who's this for? Anyone eyeing a bucket-list US backpacking trip in 2027, especially non-Americans who need to budget for the new surcharges.
Via The Trek.
