Zion National Park is piloting a permit program to hike Angels Landing. The program provides a fair process that will improve visitor experience and protect park resources along Angels Landing. Permits are required at all times of the year and times of day. Hikers must have a permit when accessing any portion of Angels Landing. Visitors are able to hike the West Rim Trail from the trailhead at the Grotto to Scout Lookout without a permit.
Permits to hike are issued by lottery in two ways: seasonally (1-3 months prior) and day-before (1 day prior). Permits are issued for different time slots each day. Each time slot represents a time range during which a hike should begin from the Grotto in Zion Canyon (for example, someone with a ‘Before 9 AM’ permit may begin their hike any time prior to 9 AM at the Grotto).
For both seasonal and day-before lotteries, applicants may enter each lottery once and apply for a permit for up to six people (including the applicant). When applying, up to seven dates or date ranges along with preferred start times may be selected in preference order. There is a $6 non-refundable application fee. Applicants issued permits will be charged a $3 per-person fee. The confirmation email will need to be shown (printed or downloaded/screenshotted) to park staff on the day of your hike.
Permit & Season Information
You must have a permit to hike any portion of Angels Landing from the start of the permitted area at Scout Lookout to the summit. Permits are needed every day and at all times. Permits (issued in specific time slots) are available by two lottery processes. The seasonal lottery application periods occur quarterly (see important dates below). Additional permits are issued in day-before lotteries.
Throughout the pilot, the effectiveness of the program will be monitored and adjustments may be made. Commercial Use Authorization holders must refer to the FAQs on the Zion Commercial Services website.
The NPS trail crew performs proactive inspections of the posts and chains between Scout Lookout and Angels Landing. The aim is to reduce the need for reactive closures due to unexpected trail, post, or chain damage. However, trail closures may occur at any time.
Important Dates
| Dates | Information |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 - April 20, 2025 | Seasonal lottery for summer dates (hikes on June 1- August 31, 2025) |
| April 25, 2025 | Notification of results of summer seasonal lottery |
| May 31, 2025 - August 30, 2025 | Summer Day-before Lotteries (apply one day in advance of desired hiking date) |
| July 1, 2025 - July 20, 2025 | Seasonal lottery for Fall dates (hikes on September 1 – November 30, 2025) |
| July 25, 2025 | Notification of results of fall seasonal lottery |
Lottery Information
The NPS manages the number of hikers at Angels Landing by issuing permits ahead of time. The permits are divided between the Seasonal and Day-before lotteries. During the summer season (June 1- August 31) those issued lotteries will get permits to start their hike from the Grotto Trailhead (Shuttle Stop 6):
- Before 9 AM
- After 9 AM
This is a pilot program, and the park is continuously monitoring how hikers affect the trail and each other's experiences to decide how many permits to issue. Adjustments to the number of permits issued is expected based on how the pilot program goes. No matter when you plan to hike Angels Landing, you will need a permit. Be sure to check the park shuttle schedule to arrive on time if you have a permit.
How Does the Quota Work for this Permit?
Permits are issued through Seasonal and Day-Before lotteries. Around half of any given day’s permits are available in the Seasonal lottery. The remaining amount is available in our Day-Before lottery, and any cancelled Seasonal Lottery permits are added into the amount available in the Day-Before lottery.
The total number of permits available can change throughout the year depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: the duration of daylight, seasonal shuttle hours, parking capacity, and trail conditions.
Each year, we issue about 200,000 permits– with the daily allocation ranging from a few hundred to close to 1,000 permits. Holidays and weekends typically see a higher number of applicants, and the odds of receiving a permit may be lower. Park rangers regularly analyze permitting data to ensure that the number of Angels Landing hikers is as great as possible while still preventing the conditions that hikers used to report made them feel crowded, rushed, or unsafe.
