New reservation system for Yosemite wilderness permits starting Nov. 14

It's all part of a new system for how visitors can apply for reservations.

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Friday, September 17, 2021
New reservation system for Yosemite wilderness permits
Travelers looking to backpack in Yosemite National Park in 2022 will need to think ahead as park officials extend the requirement of wilderness permit reservations.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KFSN) -- Travelers looking to backpack in Yosemite National Park in 2022 will need to think ahead as park officials extend the requirement of wilderness permit reservations.

It's all part of a new system for how visitors can apply for reservations.

Officials say 60% of the available permits will be reservable while the other 40% will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis at the park wilderness centers.

Permit reservations are first made available through a lottery.

Visitors can pick any date between Saturday through Friday 24 weeks in advance. The lottery is held Sunday through Tuesday, with results coming in on Wednesdays.

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You'll have to pay for your permit by that Saturday, or you'll lose your reservation.

If there are any permits leftover from the lottery, they'll be put into the quota for people who do walk-ups and will be made available one day in advance.

Guests who want to hike up Half Dome will need to add on the excursion for members of their group for $10 per person. Your trips will need to begin from one of the following trailheads: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley, Happy Isles Pass-Through (Donohue pass eligible), Sunrise Lakes, Cathedral Lakes, Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang or Mono Meadow.

The new lottery system runs from November 14, 2021, through May 15, 2022. For more information, click here.