Wilderness Permits Online Only Inyo/Mono

Just a heads up.  

Wilderness Permits for the Sierra Nevada are still only available via online reservation (regardless of what the site says) .  THERE ARE NO “WALK-UP PERMITS” .  Staffing at the Visitors Centers, for the time-being,  will be retail employees (non-federal) .  They will be unable to facilitate permitting.  They also will not be able to print pre-paid permits for you.

If you need a permit , plan ahead , reserve it online and be sure to pre-print a paper copy at home.  This will likely be the system for the next couple months, and possibly the entire season.

Edit to add - yes- to clarify- this is for Inyo and Mono county.  I would call ahead to any place you plan to go.  Find out the details before planning a trip.  There is no guarantee any particular station will be open. 

Just a heads up.  

Wilderness Permits for the Sierra Nevada are still only available via online reservation (regardless of what the site says) .  THERE ARE NO “WALK-UP PERMITS” .  Staffing at the Visitors Centers, for the time-being,  will be retail employees (non-federal) .  They will be unable to facilitate permitting.  They also will not be able to print pre-paid permits for you.

If you need a permit , plan ahead , reserve it online and be sure to pre-print a paper copy at home.  This will likely be the system for the next couple months, and possibly the entire season.

I believe you are correct for Inyo NF, but not the whole Sierra.

SEKI states that they will be issuing in-person, walk-up permits this year:

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/wilderness_permits.htm

Wanted to get a permit for Shadow Creek/ Lake Ediza online.  It gave me no option.  Said walk-up only.  Permit was for mid-June. 

BAd wrote:

Wanted to get a permit for Shadow Creek/ Lake Ediza online.  It gave me no option.  Said walk-up only.  Permit was for mid-June. 

Even so-called "walk-up" is online, this year, for the Inyo National Forest. Shadow Lake and Ediza Lake are part of the Inyo NF. 

If you really want a walk-up permit, read the Inyo NF webpage for how to obtain one.

Edit: This is from the Inyo NF website:

*If you see a W displayed reservations are currently fully booked. Additional space will be added for short term reservations 14 days before the trip at 7am Pacific time. Please contact the Wilderness Permit Office for further information.*

I get the lots of permits were issued online, but I noticed that trying to get a permit for a popular place like N. Fork Big Pine Creek were blacked out, seemingly before they even became available.  My only to score a permit was to drive up the night before and see what's available.  Guess that's a no go?

Fat Dad wrote:

I get the lots of permits were issued online, but I noticed that trying to get a permit for a popular place like N. Fork Big Pine Creek were blacked out, seemingly before they even became available.  My only to score a permit was to drive up the night before and see what's available.  Guess that's a no go?

Not this year.  You can try the online walk-up method, but you need to get the reservation the minute they become available. Depends on how badly you want it.

Fat Dad wrote:

I get the lots of permits were issued online, but I noticed that trying to get a permit for a popular place like N. Fork Big Pine Creek were blacked out, seemingly before they even became available.  My only to score a permit was to drive up the night before and see what's available.  Guess that's a no go?

No, they were available for like 10 seconds when they were released in like February. They are popular so people are online and ready to get those permits the second they are available. I did that and still didn't get the date I wanted, but did get one of the last permits available online for that trailhead. 

You can reserve a permit 6 months in advance. So every day, new permits are made available online for six months in advance.

The reservations for the entire season aren't released on one day, then gone for the season

Frank is right, but it is nevertheless challenging doing everything online.  I've gone up midweek summers before and I could have gotten a permit to pretty any place on the Eastside:  Whitney, Bishop Pass.  I just wanted to snag an overnight to take my kids on an easy trip to Little Lakes Valley.  I'll just have to check in regularly I guess.  

Just an update for holiday travelers in Inyo/Mono county.

The Bishop Ranger Station ( White Mountain Ranger Station) will be closing for the season tomorrow.  A limited # of staff will be answering phones, but they will no longer have anyone you can speak to face to face.   Mammoth Lakes also has zero(0) federal staffing right now, but the bookstore is open for retail purchases.  Lone Pine remains open 7 days.  Mono is open 5 days a week.  Schulman Grove also remains open but cannot facilitate permitting. 

Again: 

Permits only available via online reservation (regardless of what the site says) .  THERE ARE NO “WALK-UP PERMITS” .  

If you need a permit , plan ahead , reserve it online and be sure to pre-print a paper copy at home.  Don't rely on an in- person visit to obtain a permit you have reserved.

Just call up any one of the permit offices. *if* somebody answers the phone, they can email it to you. This will work even the day before the permit date. I’ve done this recently 

sDawg wrote:

I assume you still need to email 3+ days in advance to have the permit emailed to you to print? If you miss this deadline, is the wilderness permit line staffed and you can call and have them email it to you immediately? That worked for July 4th weekend when I forgot to email until Thursday morning and needed to leave work by 4 on Friday.

Last year, we were on the east side for 2 weeks, so we called ranger stations and had them print permits and leave them in boxes. Earlier this season, I could not get anyone at any of those three ranger stations on the phone, so I wouldn't plan on that again.

Edited: Emailing to request the printable permit was needed in Inyo National Forest. I just checked my Humboldt-Toiyabe reservation for next week and it will automatically become available for printing 7 days before the entry date.

You can now pick up your permits in person, the day before, at least for the Inyo NF. But you must have a permit reservation.

The visitor center and ranger offices are open. You can also do the e-mail request.

Edit: You cannot get the "walk-up" permits without a reservation. Those are also reserved online, even though they are called "Walk-up."