Yellowstone Backcountry Permits Available Online In 2022

Definitely some kinks to be worked out of the new system - was quite a hassle getting my September trip booked since the system didn't like some of the campsites I wanted to link up. Shorter trips were easy enough though. Overall it wasn't too bad, I guess.

How was everyone else's luck/experience?
I was fortunate and drew April 3, so pretty much everything was available when I was booking. That was good for me since I was just going for spots in the Heart Lake area around Labor Day. Didn't have any technical issues, but I wasn't putting together a long trip covering a ton of ground. Just a 2-nighter to Heart Lake then south out the south entrance.

My friend set up another 4-night fall Bechler trip like we did last year, and I think his date was April 12 or something like that, and he got all the sites we wanted except for the one closest to Dunanda Falls. Not bad.
 
My lottery date was April 19th but still managed to get the sites we wanted at Wrangler Lake, Joseph's Coat, and Wapiti Lake in September.

It is a good thing no one else wanted to visit those areas as everywhere else I would have wanted to go in my time frame was already taken. . . but I'm sure I could have managed to come up with something.
 
Definitely some kinks to be worked out of the new system - was quite a hassle getting my September trip booked since the system didn't like some of the campsites I wanted to link up. Shorter trips were easy enough though. Overall it wasn't too bad, I guess.

How was everyone else's luck/experience?

So how did you get around having campsites in multiple areas/regions when you booked your campsites?
 
So how did you get around having campsites in multiple areas/regions when you booked your campsites?
I booked separate itineraries and then contacted the Backcountry Office to merge them. Still waiting to see if I get any of my duplicate fees back (doubtful), but it was worth it to me to lock in particular sites. The office was obviously very busy when we spoke, but I'm hoping to get some better info from them before next year.
 
I booked separate itineraries and then contacted the Backcountry Office to merge them. Still waiting to see if I get any of my duplicate fees back (doubtful), but it was worth it to me to lock in particular sites. The office was obviously very busy when we spoke, but I'm hoping to get some better info from them before next year.

So one of your itineraries was done in the lottery, and your second one was done on April 25th, or perhaps today?
 
So one of your itineraries was done in the lottery, and your second one was done on April 25th, or perhaps today?
Yeah, which was annoying, but wasn't too bad due to my dates/sites. Might not have been possible if I was up against higher demand; I did pick what I thought were the highest risk sites first though. Seemed like a really unnecessary restriction; just let me pick the sites I want - I'll worry about how to get there (and rangers can still admonish me if they think it's not realistic when I pick up the permit).
 
Yeah, which was annoying, but wasn't too bad due to my dates/sites. Might not have been possible if I was up against higher demand; I did pick what I thought were the highest risk sites first though. Seemed like a really unnecessary restriction; just let me pick the sites I want - I'll worry about how to get there (and rangers can still admonish me if they think it's not realistic when I pick up the permit).
It really is puzzling that they have those restrictions on the site. If you can't even trust people to read the map correctly and pick their sites to link a trip together, how can you trust them to actually go out and safely spend multiple nights in the backcountry?
 
Thanks for the info @TheMountainRabbit . I don't like it one bit. :( The rangers won't say anything to you. I've put together all kinds of quirky strings of campsites in order to do loops that the official trails don't lend to doing, and they have never said a word to me about reaching one campsite from a previous one. I guess if one campsite is 30 miles from the next one, then that might raise an eyebrow. :)

So what have you stung together for your trip?
 
they have never said a word to me about reaching one campsite from a previous one. I guess if one campsite is 30 miles from the next one, then that might raise an eyebrow. :)
When I told the ranger at Bechler that I was going from the trailhead to 9D2 in a day, she stopped to make sure I knew the mileage and that there were four river fords on the way. Haha. Kind of surprised me though because I'm sure people very routinely bust out tougher, far higher mileage days than that. Maybe I just looked clueless :geek:
 
we booked 4 sites in 8 nights on two-ocean and the snake river area, and didn't have any problems. like others said, ours wasnt really big mileage or different areas or anything, so probably a relatively simple itinerary.

maybe next year they will have some changes for those who are booking more complicated itineraries. it seems though that most people (81%) use the Yellowstone backcountry for three or fewer consecutive nights, from a 2016 study (source, p. 53). this number is up from a 1999 study which suggested about ~70% if I'm reading it right.

hopefully there is a comment period or something about it, so some of the kinks can be worked out for more complicated itineraries, but the system seems to be working for people doing short trips.

i hope everyone's itinerary works out!
 
When I told the ranger at Bechler that I was going from the trailhead to 9D2 in a day, she stopped to make sure I knew the mileage and that there were four river fords on the way. Haha. Kind of surprised me though because I'm sure people very routinely bust out tougher, far higher mileage days than that. Maybe I just looked clueless :geek:
I had to do some 30's in Glacier on the CDT because of permit issues - which was fine, since I obviously had trail legs at that point. Shortly after I left camp one morning, a ranger asks me "so, are you headed to [whatever campsite 30 miles away] tonight?" I looked at him kinda startled, and he said "yeah, you thru-hikers all end up doing 30's through the park".
 
When I told the ranger at Bechler that I was going from the trailhead to 9D2 in a day, she stopped to make sure I knew the mileage and that there were four river fords on the way. Haha. Kind of surprised me though because I'm sure people very routinely bust out tougher, far higher mileage days than that. Maybe I just looked clueless :geek:

My theory is that the rangers that man the station on the Bechler are real backcountry rangers. In other words, they spend time (maybe a substantial amount of time) in the Yellowstone backcountry. Other permit pickup stations seem to be manned by what I would call customer service backcountry people for the most part. Not to say that a real backcountry ranger doesn't sometimes man the backcountry permit offices, like the ones at Old Faithful or Canyon. I used to have to deal with a real ranger at the south entrance ranger station, but the last couple of times that I picked up my official permit there, it wasn't a ranger issuing my permit. I could be totally off the mark here, but my scat senses tell me this is somewhat true. :)
 
Permits went smooth for me so I'm happy. Had one small issue with an assigned walk up site but they resolved it easy enough.

@Jackson and @scatman - It was so nice last year to get our permit emailed to us before the trips started to avoid stopping in the backcountry office!! Looks like we have to stop in in person again this year.
 
@Jackson and @scatman - It was so nice last year to get our permit emailed to us before the trips started to avoid stopping in the backcountry office!! Looks like we have to stop in in person again this year.
For what it's worth, I think you can stop early to get them, I talked to the backcountry office yesterday. We are planning on going in from fox park, so the ranger just said call sometime before the trip to let them know when you'll be stopping into your particular permit station.

I asked, well is like two weeks early ok lol? And he said yeah so long as we give them a heads up. So I think they will be flexible with your pickup if you call them up. But I was also bummed he didn't offer to email it to me! Oh well.
 
Permits went smooth for me so I'm happy. Had one small issue with an assigned walk up site but they resolved it easy enough.

@Jackson and @scatman - It was so nice last year to get our permit emailed to us before the trips started to avoid stopping in the backcountry office!! Looks like we have to stop in in person again this year.

It was nice to be able to have the official permit emailed to you after a phone conversation as opposed to going to a backcountry office to pick it up.
 
It was nice to be able to have the official permit emailed to you after a phone conversation as opposed to going to a backcountry office to pick it up.
Will we all need to sit down and watch th grizzly video this year?
 
While you guys are gallivanting around Yellowstone, I'll be sitting by the shores of Kintla Lake. I scored a one-day driving permit for the North Fork. It took several tries and I can't believe how fast they go each day, like in seconds. I've been up there various times but never had to get a permit.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Keith Waiting for Yellowstone backcountry permits General Discussion 3
F Hat Recovered-Yellowstone Backcountry General Discussion 0
Jackson Yellowstone Backcountry Lottery Results General Discussion 45
Georgia Yankee Where to see/hear wolves Yellowstone NP backcountry in September? Trip Planning 16
forest dweller Grizzly Bear Kills Backcountry Guide Near Yellowstone, Investigators shot and killed the bear after it charged. General Discussion 13
Yvonne Yellowstone 2020 backcountry hike questions Trip Planning 21
SKLund Yellowstone Backcountry Campsite Waypoints Resource Discussions 1
J Yellowstone Backcountry Hiking/Camping Trip Planning 0
T Backcountry Trip May Yellowstone 3/4 Days Trip Planning 2
kjforrest88 Yellowstone Backcountry Hiking Trip Trip Planning 3
Bob Yellowstone NP Backcountry Planner Resource Discussions 0
Joey Yellowstone now charging backcountry fee's General Discussion 8
isaac Yellowstone NP Campsite Reccs Trip Planning 3
Bob Island Park / Yellowstone Private Airport Development General Discussion 8
TheMountainRabbit News Release: Yellowstone National Park increases protection for bears and visitor safety by implementing changes to two bear management areas General Discussion 14
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Gallatin River -- September 7-9th 2023 Backpacking 12
wsp_scott Yellowstone Lake to Brooks Lake (Aug 2023) Backpacking 16
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Nine / Day Nine + Ten! Backpacking 20
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Eight / Day Eight Backpacking 14
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Seven / Day Seven Backpacking 13
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Six / Day Six Backpacking 28
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Five / Day Five Backpacking 16
LarryBoy Select Peaks of the Greater Yellowstone - Second Edition (coupon code for pre-order) General Discussion 12
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Four / Day Four Backpacking 15
scatman The Gallatin River, Bighorn and Fawn Passes, Yellowstone National Park - September 7, 2023 Backpacking 14
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 Part Three / Day Three Backpacking 10
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 -- Part Two / Day Two Backpacking 6
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Thorofare and the Teton Wilderness 08/09/2023 - 08/18/2023 --Part One / Day One Backpacking 10
scatman Yellowstone's Thorofare, Headwaters of Thorofare Creek, Majo Pass, Younts Peak, Bob's Canyon, and Cub Creek - August 9, 2023 - Days 7 through 10 Backpacking 34
scatman Yellowstone's Thorofare, Headwaters of Thorofare Creek, Majo Pass, Younts Peak, Bob's Canyon, and Cub Creek - August 9, 2023 - Days 1 through 6 Backpacking 56
J South Crandall Creek and the Hoodoos Wyoming and Yellowstone? Trip Planning 3
RockyMntCol Trip Planning Younts Peak / South Fork Yellowstone Trip Planning 12
F Shakedown - Yellowstone Thorofare Trip Planning 13
Rockskipper @Bob or anyone know why they closed down part of the forest near W. Yellowstone? General Discussion 6
I Rescue Creek - Yellowstone National Park - June 3, 2023 Backpacking 15
Bob Bear charge - Yellowstone General Discussion 1
scatman Rescue Creek - Yellowstone National Park - June 3, 2023 Backpacking 56
I Slough Creek - Yellowstone June 5 & 6 Meet Up (Members Only) 19
Bob Yellowstone 5/8/23 - UPDATE General Discussion 9
Parashakti Late July in Yellowstone Trip Planning 9
scatman Rescue Creek - Yellowstone National Park Meet Up (Members Only) 19
E Weeklong+ backpacking recs in Yellowstone NP? Trip Planning 11
BobFink Yellowstone South Entrance to Fox Creek via Basin Creek Cutoff - Labor Day 2022 Trip Reports 4
Bob Snakes in Yellowstone General Discussion 11
shredhiker Yellowstone Heart Lake September 2022 Backpacking 9
Janice Yellowstone Yurt Camp - Feb. 19-23, 2023 Trip Reports 15
TheMountainRabbit Northern Yellowstone NP - January 2023 Winter Sports 6
Ymyr Suggestions in a Yellowstone and a Beartooth trip Trip Planning 29
scatman A Yellowstone Love Story (Bog Creek Euphoria) - September 12, 2022 Backpacking 28
TractorDoc Yellowstone's Wrangler Lake, Bog Creek, Joseph's Coat Springs, Broad Creek, Wapiti Lake, Hot Springs Basin, and Pelican Valley. The Second Half. Backpacking 15

Similar threads

Back
Top