Yellowstone Backcountry Lottery 2026

Did you get a YNP early access lottery spot this year?

  • Yes

    Votes: 5 45.5%

  • No

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Didn't enter

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • Total voters
    11
Never put in..... You can't fight bots
 
I got shut out, but someone else got a sort of early date.

The website says 75ish percent sucess rate, but there are an awful lot of rejections here (maybe an awful lot is an exaggeration)
 
I got the 7th and was mildly pleased - seeing this thread, I guess I should have been thrilled. Bringing a crew of friends w/ their kids up for their first ever Yellowstone trip, so I might actually be looking at competitive sites this year though.
 
I struck out, my son stuck out and my daughter also was unsuccessful, but my wife pulled an April 2nd slot, so I like our chances of getting what we want for our family trip at Shoshone Lake in August.

I have a hard time believing that there was a 75% success rate. :thinking: Since implementing this lottery on recreation.gov, I've whiffed three times, before the lottery I never had an issue getting what I wanted, and we're talking going on 30 years using the old system. It's Bullshit!
 
scatman said:
I struck out, my son stuck out and my daughter also was unsuccessful, but my wife pulled an April 2nd slot, so I like our chances of getting what we want for our family trip at Shoshone Lake in August.

I have a hard time believing that there was a 75% success rate. :thinking: Since implementing this lottery on recreation.gov, I've whiffed three times, before the lottery I never had an issue getting what I wanted, and we're talking going on 30 years using the old system. It's Bullshit!
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Yeah, 75% "success rate" is really dubious and I don't buy it. If it's that high, why the need to have a lottery in the first place?

If that figure is correct, then the odds of your three consecutive whiffs are 1.5%. My two consecutive whiffs are 6.25%, and the combined odds of us both whiffing 3 and 2 consecutive times is 1:1024, or 0.097%. Seems one of us should run to the nearest convenience store and buy a real lottery ticket!
 
It's a 75% success rate FOR THE BEARS to be left alone.

Those of you who got the first week of April better not steal my bear management area off-trail sites!
 
Jackson said:
Yeah aside from the most popular spots, you can still get permits in most areas with no problem.
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Good news on that. Just going for 1-2 nights now, taking the wife backpacking for the first time. Figured I would be ok. Maybe can get lucky and grab a Heart Lake permit :)
 
Now thought on entering but did not enter. Have contemplated doing a cross ecosystem hike from Bozeman to the Wind Rivers, with across Yellowstone. If one enters then are stuck with those dates, storm or not. Am retired now and just go with the flow. As for the summer, see what happens. Have thought of just going back to the Thorofare and live also this summer. Have never entered a lottery and maybe never will.
 
You can always call in as a CDT thru hiker. They pretty much give them sites as needed.
 
April 21.

It's our first time trying backcountry camping and we're hoping for an easy to get to in Lamar Valley area for one night in July. Not sure if we will have any luck. If not we have a cabin at Roosevelt reserved
 
Bob said:
You can always call in as a CDT thru hiker. They pretty much give them sites as needed.
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Or you can be like the CDT thru hiker that just rolled up to us at our Moose Creek Meadow site 2 years ago and made himself at home without asking!
 
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