Glacier National Park Wilderness Permits
- Part of Glacier National Park
Each year, Glacier National Park runs two early access lotteries on Recreation.gov for Wilderness camping advance reservations.
- Large group lottery (9-12 campers) – Application submission date March 1.
- Standard group lottery (1-8 campers) – Application submission date March 15.
With its towering mountains, pristine alpine lakes, abundant wildlife, over 700 miles of trails, and 65 wilderness campgrounds, Glacier is a backpacking paradise. A permit is required for backpacking in the park. For complete details on securing wilderness camping advance reservations, visit the Glacier National Park Wilderness Camping Advance Reservations page.
Due to individual differences in fitness, backpacking experience, and personal preference, we don’t offer specific trip recommendations. What we can tell you is that in the broadest sense, Glacier's wilderness comes in two flavors—east and west roughly split along the Continental Divide. Each trail on a respective side offers a similar "feel." West side trails start at around 3,200 feet (975 m) in elevation, are more heavily forested, and offer the greatest solitude. East of the divide, trails start at around 5,000 feet (1524 m) and the terrain is more sparsely vegetated, creating more open vistas.
NPS manages the wilderness in Glacier National Park to preserve it for future generations. Remaining undeveloped, with minimal mechanization and modern influence, wilderness lands provide outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive, unconfined recreation.
Permit & Season Information
In order to preserve the extraordinary wilderness character of Glacier National Park, a permit is required year-round for all overnight trips in the backcountry. A wilderness permit allows the permit holder and their group (up to 8 people for advance reservations) to camp in wilderness campsites and is valid only for the dates, locations, and party size indicated. Your permit must be in your possession while in the wilderness.
- For trips between June 15th and September 30th, 70% of wilderness campsites may be reserved in advance. See below for details.
- Remaining sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis in person at a Wilderness Permit office no more than one day before the trip begins.
- Campsites that melt out before June 15th will be made available for advance reservations on Recreation.gov
- Please see the Winter Wilderness Camping web page for information on how to obtain a wilderness permit between November 1st and April 30th.
Important Dates
| Dates | Information |
|---|---|
| March 1, 2025 - March 1, 2025 | Large group lottery (9-12 campers) 12:00 am - 11:59 pm MT - Lottery applications accepted for groups of 9 to 12 people open for trips between June 15th through September 30th. For complete details, check out the Glacier NP Wilderness Camping/Advance Reservations page |
| March 15, 2025 - March 15, 2025 | Standard group lottery (1-8 campers) 12:00 am - 11:59 pm MT - Lottery applications accepted for groups of 1 to 8 people open for trips between June 15th through September 30th. For complete details, check out the Glacier NP Wilderness Camping/Advance Reservations page |
| May 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025 | General on-sale period - Wilderness Permits available online or in person on a first come first served basis. |
| September 27, 2025 | Advance Reservations not available until next year. |
| October 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025 | Wilderness Permits only available in person on a first-come, first-served basis. |
| November 1, 2025 - April 30, 2025 | Winter Camping Permits/Regulations |
How Does the Quota Work for this Permit?
Within Glacier National Park, wilderness camping is managed with quotas for designated sites and camping zones. The park calculates and regulates party size, length of stay, and number of parties allowed in a campsite or camping zone per night to provide for resource protection and visitor enjoyment.
Wilderness campsites can accommodate a maximum of 4 campers per site. One group per permit. Groups of 5-8 campers require 2 campsites. Groups of 9-12 campers require 3 sites. The number of campsites varies by campground.
*Large group (9-12 campers) advance reservations are only available during the large group lottery on March 1. Large group walk-up permits (day before or day of intended trip start date) may be obtained based on campsite availability.
