Lotteries
Lottery & release calendar
The next 12 months of California permit lotteries and Yosemite release days, in date order. Expected dates are marked until the agency confirms them.
- Sun, November 15, 20267 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals March 15, 2027 to April 14, 2027 open Source
- Tue, December 15, 20267 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals April 15, 2027 to May 14, 2027 open Source
- Fri, January 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals May 15, 2027 to June 14, 2027 open Source
- Mon, February 1, 2027Mount Whitney permit: lottery opens (2027 season)Expected Source
- Mon, February 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals June 15, 2027 to July 14, 2027 open Source
- Mon, March 1, 2027Mount Whitney permit: lottery closes (2027 season)Expected Source
- Mon, March 1, 2027Half Dome permit: preseason lottery opens (2027 season)Expected Source
- Mon, March 15, 2027Mount Whitney permit: lottery results posted (2027 season)Expected Source
- Mon, March 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals July 15, 2027 to August 14, 2027 open Source
- Wed, March 31, 2027Half Dome permit: preseason lottery closes (2027 season)Expected Source
- Thu, April 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals August 15, 2027 to September 14, 2027 open Source
- Mid-April 2027Half Dome permit: preseason lottery results (2027 season)Expected Source
- Wed, April 21, 20279 p.m. PacificMount Whitney permit: winners must pay and claim by (2027 season)Expected Source
- Thu, April 22, 20277 a.m. PacificMount Whitney permit: leftover dates go on sale, first come, first served (2027 season)Expected Source
- Sat, May 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals September 15, 2027 to October 14, 2027 open Source
- Wed, May 26, 2027Half Dome permit: daily lottery starts (for hikes from May 28; apply two days ahead, midnight to 4 p.m.)Expected Source
- Tue, June 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals October 15, 2027 to November 14, 2027 open Source
- Thu, July 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals November 15, 2027 to December 14, 2027 open Source
- Sun, August 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals December 15, 2027 to January 14, 2028 open Source
- Wed, September 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals January 15, 2028 to February 14, 2028 open Source
- Fri, October 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals February 15, 2028 to March 14, 2028 open Source
- Mon, November 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals March 15, 2028 to April 14, 2028 open Source
- Wed, December 15, 20277 a.m. PacificYosemite campgrounds (Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon): arrivals April 15, 2028 to May 14, 2028 open Source
- Not announcedNorth Pines (Yosemite) early-access lottery for 2027. The 2026 one took applications November 24 to December 14, 2025 Source
- RollingCalifornia State Parks Reservation Drawings (Malibu Creek, Morro Bay, McArthur-Burney Falls, Steep Ravine Cabins): apply up to 8 months ahead; drawings run 7 months ahead Source
"Expected" means the agency publishes the same dates every year but hasn't confirmed them for that year. Check the source before you apply.
Get the reminder by email
One email the week before the big California dates (the Mount Whitney lottery in February, the Half Dome lottery in March, and North Pines' early-access lottery once NPS announces it). Nothing else.
Before any reminder, you'll get one email asking you to confirm. It comes from New England Reservations (hello@newenglandreservations.com), our sister site. Unsubscribe anytime. See the privacy policy.
Questions
When is the Mount Whitney lottery?
Applications run February 1 to March 1 on Recreation.gov, results post March 15, and winners must pay $15 a person by 9 p.m. Pacific on April 21. Leftover dates go on sale April 22 at 7 a.m. Pacific. The Forest Service lists the same dates every year; until it confirms a year, we mark that year's dates as expected.
When is the Half Dome lottery?
The preseason lottery takes applications from March 1 through March 31 (Eastern time), with results by email in mid-April. During cables season there's also a daily lottery: apply two days before your hike, midnight to 4 p.m. Pacific.
When do Yosemite campground reservations open?
On the 15th of every month at 7 a.m. Pacific, a month of arrivals opens at once for Upper, Lower and North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow. NPS calls it five months in advance; its own table shows, for example, that arrivals May 15 to June 14 open January 15.
Is there a lottery for California state park campsites?
For four places only: select campsites at Malibu Creek, Morro Bay and McArthur-Burney Falls, and the Steep Ravine Cabins at Mount Tamalpais. Applying is free, up to eight months ahead; the drawing runs seven months ahead. Everything else opens six months ahead at 8 a.m. Pacific, first come, first served.
Sources
- NPS Yosemite: Campground Reservations, checked November 2, 2026.
- Inyo National Forest: Mount Whitney, checked November 2, 2026.
- NPS Yosemite: Half Dome Permits for Day Hikers, checked November 2, 2026.
- NPS Yosemite: North Pines Campground Early Access Lottery, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Reservation Drawing FAQs, checked November 2, 2026.
Rules change. Always confirm on the official site before you rely on a date.