Which national parks have lotteries
4 national parks in this catalog run a sourced lottery. A lottery is not a reservation to drive in.
Only facilities with a sourced lottery cadence, or a Recreation.gov name that says lottery, appear here. A wilderness permit is not a draw unless the source says so.
Lotteries in this catalog
| Lottery | Park | How it is won |
|---|---|---|
| Congaree National Park Firefly Viewing Lottery | Congaree National Park | Congaree National Park Firefly Viewing Lottery is listed as a seasonal lottery on Recreation.gov. |
| The Great Smoky Mountains Firefly Viewing Lottery | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | The Great Smoky Mountains Firefly Viewing Lottery is listed as a seasonal lottery on Recreation.gov. |
| Half Dome | Yosemite National Park | Half Dome day-hiker permits is drawn once a year: applications open 1 March and close 31 March, Eastern time, covering hikes from 22 May to 15 October. Results follow in mid-April. |
| Half Dome daily lottery | Yosemite National Park | Half Dome daily lottery runs a same-day draw: apply 2 days before you want to go, between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Pacific time. |
| Angels Landing | Zion National Park | Angels Landing is drawn in more than one seasonal round each year. Each hike season has its own application window. |
| Zion canyoneering daily lottery | Zion National Park | Zion canyoneering daily lottery runs a same-day draw: apply the day before you want to go, between 12:01 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Mountain time. |
| Zion Left Fork North Creek | Zion National Park | Zion Left Fork North Creek is listed as a seasonal lottery on Recreation.gov. |
| Zion Mystery Canyon Seasonal Lottery | Zion National Park | Zion Mystery Canyon Seasonal Lottery is listed as a seasonal lottery on Recreation.gov. |
| Zion National Park Canyoneering Daily Lottery | Zion National Park | Zion National Park Canyoneering Daily Lottery is listed as a seasonal lottery on Recreation.gov. |
Related lists
Common questions
Which national parks have a permit lottery?
Congaree National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Zion National Park run a sourced lottery.
Do you need to win a lottery to enter a national park?
No. A lottery covers one hike, canyon, or viewing. Driving into the park is a separate system.