The best American hikes are gated by permit systems rather than by difficulty. Knowing which lottery to enter and when is more useful than any amount of training.
The systems
Most run through a central federal reservation platform.
Advance lottery — entries open months ahead, drawn on a fixed date, small non-refundable fee whether you win or not.
Daily lottery — for remaining and cancelled spots, entered two days before, and the realistic route in for many people.
Walk-up quotas — for wilderness permits, released the day before at ranger stations, and how a large share of backcountry trips actually happen.
Timed entry — a separate vehicle reservation for park access during peak periods, which is not the same as a trail permit and catches people out.
The hardest to get
The Wave, Arizona — a very small daily quota producing success rates of a few percent in the advance lottery. There is a daily lottery too, entered in person or online depending on season.
Half Dome, Yosemite — the cables section requires a permit, by preseason lottery and daily lottery.
Havasupai Falls — reservations on tribal land, released annually and selling out within hours.
Enchantments, Washington — an overnight lottery for one of the most oversubscribed wilderness zones in the country.
Mount Whitney — a lottery for both day and overnight use.
What needs no permit
A great deal, and this is the part people miss while fixating on the lotteries.
Most national park day hiking, subject to any timed entry for the park itself.
National forest land, which surrounds most parks and frequently holds comparable terrain with no system at all.
Most state parks.
Long trail sections — the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail outside specific zones, and the Continental Divide Trail are largely walk-on for day and section hikes.
The iconic ones, by system
| Hike | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Angels Landing, Zion | Lottery for the chains section |
| Half Dome, Yosemite | Lottery for the cables |
| The Narrows bottom-up, Zion | None |
| Grand Canyon day hikes | None; overnight needs a permit |
| Delicate Arch, Arches | None; park timed entry may apply |
| Observation Point, Zion | None |
| Mist Trail, Yosemite | None |
The regions
The Sierra Nevada — Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and the John Muir Trail through them.
The Colorado Plateau — Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and the slot canyons between.
The Pacific Northwest — Olympic, Rainier, North Cascades.
The Rockies — Glacier, Rocky Mountain, the Tetons.
Appalachia — the Smokies, the White Mountains, the Presidential Range.
Practical
An annual national parks pass pays for itself in three visits.
Check for timed entry at your specific park and dates — several introduced it recently and it changes year to year.
Enter the daily lotteries rather than treating an advance failure as final.
Water and heat are the actual hazards in the southwest. Carry more than feels necessary and hike outside the middle of the day.