Inyo National Forest trailhead map (Recreation.gov)
With the increasing popularity of the classic John Muir Trail (JMT), which goes from Happy Isles in Yosemite National Park to Mt. Whitney, more people are utilizing alternate routes. Many of these routes originate in Inyo National Forest and permits are obtained through Recreation.gov. This web-based system is relatively easy to use and has the benefit of being instantaneous, unlike the cumbersome fax-based process at Yosemite. However, the Recreation.gov site has its own idiosyncrasies. Before you request a permit, READ the information provided by Inyo National Forest.
UPDATED 2021
RECREATION.GOV WEBSITE
To apply for a permit, go to Recreation.gov, Inyo National Forest – Wilderness Permits.
DATE, TIME, LOCATION
- You can apply for a permit six months before your start date. A Whitney Portal exit is subject to a Trail Crest Exit Quota and will require an exit permit.
- A number (e.g. 10) in the box under the date indicates the number of permits available.
- A “W” in the box means only “walkup” permits are available (either all the reservable permits have been taken or it’s a non-quota period [winter]).
- An empty box means that it’s too far out and is beyond the 6 month window.
- Click on the box with the number of permits listed for the date you desire, then click “Book Now” and follow the directions on the form. Note that if you selected a “Overnight Exiting Mt. Whitney” permit, you’ll need to select your exit date on the second tab.
- Dates open up 6 months in advance, by date, e.g. July 4 opens on January 4.
- Permits are reservable from the last Friday in June to September 15. From September 15 to the last Friday in June is a non-quota time but walkup permits are still required.
- Two hard and fast rules: you must start hiking on the exact date and trailhead noted on your permit.
- Applications open at 7 am Pacific Time each day.
- You are not allowed to stay in one location longer than 14 days. This does not mean that there is a 14-day limit to camp in Inyo NF; it simply means you can’t stay in one single location for 14 days. You may stay in the wilderness as long as you wish based on the last date you indicate on your permit.
- Note that the Trail Crest (Whitney Portal) exit quota applies to permits obtained through Inyo NF only. There is no exit quota for permits obtained through Yosemite NP (e.g. for a YNP permit, you may exit Whitney Portal without restriction) or other jurisdictions.
APPLYING FOR THE PERMIT
- Know your entry point, at least the first night’s camping area and your entry and exit dates.
- Select your entry point (such as Cottonwood Pass or Cottonwood Lakes) from a list.
- For the first night from Cottonwood Pass, many people will choose Chicken Spring Lake or SEKI – Rock Creek (84) for a Cottonwood Pass entry and SEKI – Army Pass or #1 Lake (Cottonwood Lakes) for a Cottonwood Lakes entry. You can type any word such as “Chicken” or “Rock” to pull up locations with that word.
- Plan your itinerary on a spreadsheet before you start the application. You are only required to enter the first night to reserve the permit but you will need to edit it later to fill in the rest of your itinerary to be able to receive the permit. It’s helpful to have the map in front of you as you may not be able to find the campsite as they may have different names. See the Sample Itinerary below for “Inyo Friendly” camp names and click on the map image above.
- There are three “Other” options for camping locations: Other/Don’t Know, SEKI-Other, and Yosemite-Other. For long trips, it will not accept “Other” options for more than 14 days. You will bump up against the rule about not being allowed to stay in one location longer than 14 days and they can’t interpret where you’ll be (the computer will interpret 14 “Other” entries as the same location). It’s best to try to identify the names of campsites where you plan to stay and use “Other/Don’t Know” for the ones where you can’t find a name.
- You are not required to adhere to this schedule but it is useful in case of emergency so Search and Rescue can locate you or at least know your general route.
- You can revise the itinerary at any time online and when you pick up the permit or when they email it to you.
- Campsites for your first night are presented in a limited list of sites close to the entry trailhead on the Recreation.gov website. Campsites for subsequent nights are listed alphabetically in a vastly longer list. One quirk is that all locations in Sequoia National Park/Kings Canyon NP (known as SEKI) are grouped together with a prefix of “SEKI.” Other useful names are “SEKI-Other,” “Inyo NF,” “Yosemite-Other” and locations with the prefix “Yosemite.” See below for a partial list of potential northbound sites starting from Horseshoe Meadows. A list of all JMT campsites (called “JMT Campsites along the Trail) can be found in the files of the John Muir Trail Facebook Group, though they aren’t necessarily names you’ll see on the Inyo list. A list of all Inyo campsite locations can be found below, under MAPS AND LISTS.
- Permits
- As of 2019, there are two type of default permits, “Overnight” and “Overnight Exiting Whitney”. Other permit types have been replaced by specific questions on the form.
- Overnight– Most people accessing the JMT from Inyo trailheads can choose this one unless they are EXITING through Whitney Portal. You can use this if you are summiting Whitney from the JMT and are returning to the JMT going either direction. If you summit Whitney from the west and return the JMT, you will not get cited or fined with this permit. This has been checked and verified multiple times by multiple people, including myself, in 2017 and 2018. To be clear, you DO NOT NEED a specific permit to summit Whitney.
- Overnight Exiting Mt. Whitney-this is the permit you need if you plan to exit via Whitney Portal (east side) and is only necessary for permits issued by Inyo. The entry and exit permit can be obtained at the same time if you are starting at an Inyo NF Trailhead. These can be hard to get and are subject to the Trail Crest Exit Quota. You do not need a separate permit to summit Whitney but you do need this Trail Crest Exit Permit to descend via the east side to Whitney Portal.
- First step: Complete the process for the entry permit with the date and trailhead entry you desire.
- Next step: the screen for exit permit will appear when you proceed through the required fields.
- More information about the Trail Crest Exit Quota can be found on the Inyo NF Forest Service site.
- Remember that the Exit Permit is only required for permits issued by Inyo (needed for permits issued by Yosemite or other jurisdictions).
- There are 25 permits per day for Whitney Trail Crest exit, 15 of which are reservable in advance while the other 10 are held for walk-ins.
- Mt. Whitney Lottery-This is beyond the scope of this article and is only for people entering from Whitney Portal to climb Mt. Whitney (either as a day-hike, overnight hike or extending to the JMT/PCT). Lottery applications are accepted between February 1 and March 15.
- Inyo NF Wilderness Regulations
- Call Inyo NF to speak to helpful people who can answer questions: (760) 873-2483. International: 606-515-6777.
Half Dome (Yosemite National Park): As a side-note, if you want to climb Half Dome in Yosemite you’ll need a separate permit from Yosemite. As of 2019, there are no exceptions.
International Travelers: If the automated system won’t accept entries such as your phone number or zip code, enter all 9s but make sure your email is correct as that’s how they’ll communicate with you. Phone format: 999-999-9999. Zip code format: 99999.
ALTERNATE LEADERS
You may list up to three alternate leaders. This cannot be edited after you complete the application! It is strongly recommended to enter one or more names. If the leader is unable to participate, the permit cannot be issued to other members of the party unless they are listed as an alternate leader.
PICKING UP THE PERMIT (and Walkup Info)
Check this Permit Pickup Instructions link for the latest information from Inyo NF. In 2020, the ranger stations were not open for permit pickup due to Covid so permits were sent via email. It appears that this will be the case for 2021. This is not an automatic process! You must call or email them within 2-14 days before your start date and answer specific questions that are outlined on the web page.
Scroll down on the Inyo page to find information on how walkup permits are being handled.
FOREST SERVICE INFO
Here are some direct links to some popular Inyo National Forest trailheads (Forest Service sites are listed). These are just examples; there are other trailheads that access the JMT. These are in order from south to north.
COMPLETE LIST OF CAMPSITE NAMES
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd606696.pdf
Map of Inyo NF Trails on Recreation.gov
List of JMT entry points within Inyo NF
List of Inyo JMT Campsites from Inyo NF
Alternate List of Inyo JMT Campsites
Inyo Location Names-Complete List (Google Drive PDF: list by Yoshihiro Murakami)
Map of Inyo Trailheads (PDF) – see p. 9. Or click on the Wilderness Planning Guide from this Inyo page.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Here is a list of “Inyo friendly” campsite names to get you started, going South-to-North (NOBO or northbound). This assumes a starting point at Horseshoe Meadow Campground (a good place to acclimate to altitude as it is located at 10,000 feet) via the Cottonwood Pass trailhead. An alternate route from Horseshoe Meadow starts at the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead and goes over New Army Pass (at a higher elevation). You can use the same location, even “Other/don’t know,” more than once if needed in this itinerary.*
- Chicken Spring Lake
- SEKI-Rock Creek
- SEKI-Crabtree (you may want to enter this two nights in a row if you’re going to summit Whitney)
- SEKI-Tyndall Creek
- SEKI-Center Basin
- SEKI-Charlotte Lake
- SEKI-Twin Lakes
- SEKI-Upper Basin
- SEKI-Palisade Basin
- SEKI-LeConte Canyon
- SEKI-Evolution Basin
- SEKI-McClure Meadow
- Senger Creek JMT-Sallie Keys near Florence Lake
- Bear Creek Meadows, Upper JMT-Lake Edison
- Quail Meadows JMT-Lake Edison
- Virginia Lake JMT-Duck Pass
- Crater Meadow JMT-South of Devils Postpile
- Garnet Lake JMT-Thousand Island Lake
- Yosemite-Tuolumne Meadows/Lyell Canyon
- Yosemite-Cathedral Lakes
- Yosemite-John Muir Trail-Little Yosemite
*Adapted with permission from Tim Seymour’s itinerary.
It is mandatory to start on the correct date and trailhead as specified on your Inyo NF permit, but after that you have the freedom to camp wherever you want and exit when you want (with the exception of the Whitney Portal trail quota). You are not required to adhere to your itinerary but it can help in finding you if something happens and you’re reported overdue or missing.
This page was reviewed for accuracy by an Inyo NF Ranger in 2018 and updated by the author in 2019 & 2020 to reflect the changes in the permit form.
RELATED ARTICLES
OTHER RESOURCES
- Northbound (NOBO) Route and Permit, HikingtheJMT.com by Heather Goudreau. This blog post has an excellent visual guide to completing the permit using the Inyo website.
- John Muir Trail: The Essential Guide to Hiking America’s Most Famous Trail by Elizabeth Wenk. Many JMT hikers have this guidebook. In the back is a chapter called “JMT Lateral Trails and Nearby Towns.” There is a description of “PCT South, from Crabtree to Cottonwood Lakes” and “PCT South, from Crabtree to Cottonwood Pass.”
- Elizabeth Wenk’s supplemental printable maps from Horseshoe Meadow to Crabtree Meadows (find Wenk Cottonwood Map and Wenk Rock Creek Map).
- Halfmile’s PCT Maps. Halfmile has free downloadable topo maps for the entire PCT. The section from Whitney to Horseshoe Meadows/ Cottonwood Pass or Cottonwood Lakes, which isn’t depicted fully on most regular JMT maps, is contained in Section G.
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Recreation Map, Tom Harrison Maps. Covers Cottonwood Pass north to Muir Trail Ranch. It also contains the entire High Sierra Trail, an east-west trail that goes from Crescent Meadow at Sequoia National Park to Mt. Whitney.
- Tim Seymour’s excellent video, The John Muir Trail—One Man’s Walk, of his NOBO JMT trek starting at Cottonwood Pass. He does a nice job blending Google earth images, video and stills.
Horseshoe Meadow campground
Previous Post
buzibu says:
Thanks, but: is it 180 days or 168 days before? that part isn’t clear. Also, perhaps a section on applying 180 days before the exit date for WP exit should be added?
Inga says:
Thanks! I just caught the 168 day error and corrected it. I wasn’t sure of the details on the WP exit. Do you have a link? Or maybe it’s in one of the links I have. I’ll check that out. Thanks for the suggestions.
laurie meade says:
Hi Inga. It’s still stating 180 days. One thing you might add in the second paragraph under “key things to know” is that campsites generally fall under an area basin. That’s what a woman in the Bishop office told me yesterday. It helped tremendously in filling out the boxes from the selection they offer. You might also explain SEKI.
Inga says:
Thanks, Laurie.
It’s 180 days for Inyo (168 for Yosemite). I posted a map of the basins so that might aid in locating campsites and added a complete sample itinerary. I explained SEKI (Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks, which are operated jointly). Appreciate the comments!
Suzanne says:
Hi Inga! Thanks so much for the helpful information. I have one additional question. Is it at 12:01am pacific time that you can started applying 180 days before a Whitney exit? Thanks for all of your help.
Suzanne
Inga says:
Hi Suzanne, I’m not sure of the exact time but a Facebook poll indicates that it’s 7 a.m.. I tried to call but they are closed weekends during winter. I’ll call later but if you need the info soon call the office at (760) 873-2483
Jim says:
The post about when the reservations would open for a specific day is from Feb 2016? Was there ever a definitive answer as to whether one should apply in the reservations website at 12:01 am or 7:00 am PCT six months in advance to have the best chance at a NOBO permit? Thanks, Jim
Suzanne says:
Thank you, Inga! Last question, I promise :). So if we choose Overnight- visiting Mt. Whitney, does that mean we can still summit Mt. Whitney, but instead of using the crest trail, we’d exit through another trail like cottonwood pass? But we can still summit Whitney? Thank you for all of your help and advice!
Inga says:
It’s very confusing and I had to call the permit office to clarify. If you are going to summit Whitney from the WEST (from the JMT/Guitar Lake) and are going to return to the JMT you only need “Overnight”. “Overnight Visiting Whitney is for those who are perhaps bagging other peaks that fall inside the Whitney Zone, which is administered by Inyo NF. The summit of Whitney is in Sequoia NP.
buzibu says:
I just went through the Whitney Portal exit application today at 7 am PST (did snag permits, but what a weird setup, searching by exit date and then scrambling to pick available entry dates, many were already filled since those opened up several days ago)) and it was for Aug 15. So I think it is not actually 180 days as per the calculator (which is giving me Aug 13 for 180 days from today) but the calendar date, 6 months.
Inga says:
Yes, someone mentioned that so I changed it to 6 months. Sorry, I hope that didn’t hang you up. This document is slowly getting better as I collect more info so thank you for the update.
Roleigh Martin says:
Great writeup, Inga! I just discovered this writeup today. I’m adding a link to this in the JMT Permit FAQ.
Inga says:
Thanks, Roleigh.
Nathan says:
Thanks for your help. When I did this it told me to wait for a response in March. I’m hesitant to stop applying in case I’m denied. Did you mention that it should be an immediate response?
Inga says:
Hi Nathan, are you applying for a Whitney Portal exit? Those are subject to lottery and I’m not an expert in that area as I’ve never applied for one of those. Those are processed in March and you should know by April 1. http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5150055. If it’s NOT a Whitney Portal exit you should have instant confirmation.
Richard Russell says:
Thanks for making this excellent web page Inga. After getting lots of rejections for a SOBO permit, I found your web page and used it to book a NOBO from Cottonwood Lakes-JM39. No faxes, no lottery! And there were 30 other permits available that day. So easy!
Inga says:
Richard, I’m so glad the article was helpful. Have fun on your NOBO adventure!
Stephen says:
What trailhead entrances can overnight permits be reserved from the Mammoth Lakes area for Northbound JMT travel, if we wanted to spend a couple weeks northbound JMT through to Tuolumne Meadows or Happy Isles? (i.e. Could one use a “Fish Lake” trailhead overnight permit to enter the JMT, even though that trail doesn’t connect to the JMT?
Inga says:
Hi Stephen, I’m not an expert on every trail around Mammoth and I’m not familiar with Fish Lake Trail. Do you mean Fish Creek Trail? The ones I’m familiar with around Mammoth that would get you north on the JMT are Rush Creek (north of Mammoth-on the bus line), Agnew Meadow, Devil’s Postpile North, Red’s Meadow, Duck Pass. Your best bet might be to call the Ranger at the number I provided in the article. Good Luck!
Stephen says:
Thanks, Inga, I had a momentary senior moment and so I guess I had meant Fish Creek. But thanks to your excellent enumeration of those trailheads, we have successfully made reservations for Duck Pass, and it appears that connects into the JMT and we can head north from there and meander our way north for a couple weeks, taking various day trips (I’m assuming that’s OK, right? Once you’re “on the JMT” you’re not restricted to any itinerary?)
When we did that JMT segment south from Red’s Meadow in 2012, it was the summer right after a devastating 100 MPH wind storm had flattened miles of trees! JMT sections north of Mammoth were closed until mid-summer, due to impassable downed trees. It was also the first year of the drought, with only 50% of normal snowfall — many marked streams were DRY! One hopes this year will be a little wetter…
Do you find there’s any essential difference hiking NOBO vs SOBO?
Inga says:
Hi Stephen, That’s great that you got your permit. You’re correct, once you enter the correct trailhead on the correct date listed on your permit you are free to wander like John Muir did. Duck Pass does connect to the JMT and you’ll see some of that tree devastation–it still reflects the amazing power of Mother Nature. This year has had normal rain/snow so the streams should be replenished. The section you’re doing is beautiful–one of my favorites. I haven’t hiked NOBO (I have a 6 day NOBO section planned for this summer) so I can’t offer any advice there. Have fun!
Rob says:
Hi Inga, I’ve been emailing (out of country so can’t call) with a ranger from Inyo National Forest, and he is telling me that with my current permit (plain overnight, leaving from cottonwood pass trailhead) I will not be allowed to summit Mt. Whitney. He is saying that I would need the “visiting Mt. Whitney” permit type, and that the Whitney zone extends to the west of guitar lake so it is not possible to summit without the “visiting” permit. It seems a little strange considering all of the maps I’ve seen of the Whitney Zone do not include this area to the west of the summit. Thanks for all of your great info about the trail!
Inga says:
Hi Rob, there is a lot of mis-information out there and some of it comes from well-meaning rangers or volunteers manning info lines. When you get back, call again to (maybe a couple of times) and see if you get another story. I believed what you were told for a long time, but after researching it extensively, I believe that it is legal to summit Whitney from Cottonwood as long as you don’t exit to Whitney Portal. The wording is unfortunate and leads to confusion.
Inga says:
Rob, Yikes, sorry for the ridiculous delay but I was having some issues with my website and I guess I wasn’t getting notified of comments. Anyway, for others reading later, you were getting incorrect information from the ranger you were emailing with, provided that you were NOT exiting at Whitney Portal. If you enter from the west, e.g. Guitar Lake, summit, and return to the west, you are fine with the Overnight permit. See my later comment with a quote from a ranger.
Bor says:
Hi Inga! First of all thanks fort the excellent write-up! I now at least have an inkling of an idea on hot to get my permit. But I have some additional questions. I’m planning to hike the JMT NOBO next June/July, but a little bit extended. I want to start at Walker pass and finish in Yosemite. If I understand correctly, the Inyo National Forest is the first protected area the PCT crosses northbound from Walker Pass. If so, I need to get an »Overnight« pass from recreation.gov starting at Kennedy Meadows TH? Is that right? Is that the most southerly TH? In addition I then only need a California fire permit form my gas stove and I’ll be good to go? If this is the case I only have one follow up question. Permits for the Kennedy Meadows TH are designated as “w” as in “Available at the Facility”. What Facility is it referring to? Thank you for your replies and have nice day! Bor from Slovenia
Inga says:
Hi Bor, Thank you for your post. I am not as familiar with the permit requirements south of Whitney and I looked around on the Inyo site but couldn’t determine the answers to your questions. I’d recommend calling the Inyo Ranger Station (phone # is in my original post) if you can. They usually answer their phones are are quite helpful. Or, if you have found some PCT forums they may be able to help more. If you really get stuck, write back and I can call for you. However, I’m just getting ready for two big trips and will be out of town for the next month. But since we have plenty of time I can help do more research in the fall. Good luck!
Lisa says:
That permit application process was just painful. Since I’m going NOBO from Cottonwood Pass, I was able to use your sample itinerary as a guide, however I could not find out how to locate the sites listed in the drop downs anywhere! I tried various maps, guide books, and apps; however, there was nothing anywhere that had the same names as the recreation.gov reservation system had in their itinerary item drop downs. That was just awful! They really should put the items in order by location, not alphabetical; it would be so much easier!
Inga says:
I agree that it’s challenging to correlate the campsite names they use with other maps. Once we hiked it and I became more familiar with the terrain it got easier but that’s hardly helpful when you’re planning your first hike.
Inga Aksamit says:
A reader, Jennifer Swann, was given info from an Inyo NF representative that didn’t sound right so she kept pursuing it, finally getting a call back from a ranger who provided a lengthy explanation. I’m not sure it’s that satisfying but Jennifer and I thought this should be shared. Bottom line, either Overnight or Overnight Visiting Whitney permits are OK.
“Had a great conversation with Cindy Gervasoni at Inyo NF today. She explained everything beautifully. She said that there are actually two different Whitney zones. There is a Whitney Waste Management Zone and a Whitney Permit Management Zone. The Whitney Permit Management Zone does not include the summit when accessed from the west. The Whitney Waste Management Zone includes the summit and all of the mountain, plus adjacent areas (including Guitar Lake, but not Crabtree). So, if you summit from the West, you could legitimately argue that you are not in the Whitney Permit Management Zone…but you are in the the Whitney Waste Management Zone. The whole purpose of the extra $10 is waste management, therefore, the ethical thing to do would be to select Overnight Visiting Whitney for your permit, since you are indeed visiting the Whitney Waste Management Zone. Also, (as you and I already know) they provide the waste disposal kits and suggest you carry one (regardless of how you get to the top), since you may need to use it between Guitar Lake and the summit. She also made it clear that you do not have to select Overnight Visiting Whitney, as they cannot, by law, force you to pack out your waste. She compared the concept to LNT practices. Not enforceable, but hopefully practiced. She also said that by selecting Overnight Visiting Whitney, it is a method of education and outreach. When a person picks up an Overnight Visiting Whitney permit, they are issued a different set of rules and recommendations regarding waste management procedures in the Whitney Zone. You do not receive this if you do not select Visiting Whitney, as a different set of rules/recommendations apply. So, if an uninformed JMT hiker does not select Visiting Whitney, and summits Whitney, they may be unaware of the waste management expectations/recommendations should they need to “go” between Guitar Lake and the Summit. Cindy was clear that ultimately, either permit option is acceptable, however, they encourage Overnight Visiting Whitney, as it allows them to continue to educate, manage, and enhance the waste management program. So, this simply means that it is up to each of us as an individual to select the option that feels right to us.”
Lori L Ritter says:
Hi Inga
Thank you for the information it has been very helpful. I have noticed on recreation.gov that it looks like permits may not be offered for overnight Mount Whitney beyond the 22 of July. There is no longer the number 15 below the X. I tried calling Inyo in Bishop but no luck. Maybe it is some kind of glitch in their system. Any help suggestions much appreciated.
Inga says:
Hi Lori, You are probably getting past the 6 month window. You can only apply for a permit 6 months in advance.
Inga Aksamit says:
Additional nuances regarding the starting dates for quotas for Cottonwood Pass vs Cottonwood Lakes: Cottonwood Pass is in the Golden Trout Wilderness (quota starts last Friday in June) and Cottonwood Lakes is John Muir Wilderness (quota starts May 1).
James Smith says:
Thank you so much for this write-up. By far one of the best for NOBO information. The sample itinerary is really a lifesaver for first-timers.
Matt Schick says:
Thanks for the amazing walkthrough. After getting turned down left and right from the Yosemite lottery, it was so satisfying to just go and book a permit through Inyo
Michael L. says:
Thank you Inga for the great write-up, it’s been very informative and helpful.
Inga says:
More on the question of the “Overnight” vs “Overnight Visiting Whitney” permit. This is from an Inyo Ranger to Heather Goudreau.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Gervasoni, Cindy -FS
Date: Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 2:11 AM
Subject: RE: WWW Mail: Permit
To: “[email protected]”
You are allowed to summit from the Crabtree side with either permit. Both will work correctly for our quota system.
With the visiting Mt Whitney permit type, Inyo National Forest uses the funds for higher costs of servicing the Whitney area.
This includes staffing trail rangers, who are trained in emergency first aid and search and rescue, operating the visitor center where you will pick up your permit, and funding the wag bag program. We even pay for the wag bags provided at the trail junction near Crabtree Meadows Ranger Station!
Cheers, Cindy
Cindy Gervasoni
Wilderness Permit Office and Web Team
Supervisory Visitor Services Information
Forest Service
Inyo National Forest, Supervisor’s Office
p: 760-873-2483
[email protected]
351 Pacu Lane
Bishop, CA 93514
http://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo
http://www.fs.fed.us
Caring for the land and serving people
Greg says:
Thanks for all your hard work and making it easier for us!
Glenn Ray says:
Hi Inga, Your site has been invaluable and I appreciate all the effort to keep us informed. It looks like nights 11 and 12 are swapped; you have McClure Meadow before Evolution Basin.
Inga says:
Thanks!
HikerBuddy says:
Thank you for such great information. It’s pathetic that a lot of this information just isn’t to be found on the SEKI and Recreation.gov (Inyo NF) sites. One has to phone (not toll free) to get this info and often get incorrect information. I haven’t dealt with Yosemite (yet) but Inyo NF and SEKI application process leaves a lot to be desired. A lot of room for improvement.
John says:
Hi Inga
The itinerary portion( camp selection)of the permit application…I was losing my mind over… I am so thankful I found your website… I put down the exact 21 days…it will very… my main concern was taking advantage of the bear boxes at the start… I think I have pulled that off…
Thank you so much… John
mo says:
why is the list of campsites for the first night limited to few places close to the trailhead? Does that mean you are not allowed to go further on the first day? Thanks
Inga says:
These are the most likely places to camp. You are not required to stay there. Just pick one and plan your itinerary as you wish. You can change it when you pick up your permit.
Peter says:
Inga: I don’t know if the following is new, or if it is just new to me, but in pursuing one of our discussions recently I cam across something I have been looking for for quite a while: a geographical listing of JMT campsites all the way down to Kennedy Meadows that I believe corresponds to that infuriating alphabetical list you get at the Inyo reservation site. I have spot-checked a couple of obvious locations, and it seems to match. Inyo has actually hidden this list in plain site at a page you quoted from recently, but here is the direct link to the PDF: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd606695.pdf I have no idea why Inyo couldn’t just do this on their map, but there it is.
Inga says:
If you are reading through the comments, please refer back to the article if you see a comment from a prior year. Procedures change every year so something you see in the comments may not be relevant any more.
Inga
David says:
When someone cancels a permit on the Inyo National Forest page…does it repost the same day….or is released the next AM when all the other permits are released?
I guess I had assumed it was instant…but I just canceled a permit an it never showed up as “available” on the Inyo page….
Aron Ray says:
It may be relatively instant or within a few hours (not held until 7am the next day).