A Guide to the Angels Landing Permit
Many people have been asking me about the Angels Landing permit system that you need to apply for before visiting Zion National Park as it is quite confusing and it is not clear. Here you will find all the information that you need to apply including all links.
The Angels Landing permit was first introduced on 1st April 2022 in response to the overcrowding at the chains section of the hike and to make it safer for hikers to complete the hike.
There are 2 different types of lotteries that you can apply for with your Angels Landing permit at Zion National Park Utah. You can apply for either the seasonal lottery, which opens up 2 months before and you have 20 days to apply for it. The results will then be released 5 after the lottery closes.
The second lottery is the daily lottery, which opens up at 12.01am to 3pm Mountain time / 5pm EST for the next day. Permits are then issued at 4pm Mountain time/6pm EST.
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How to apply for an Angels Landing Permit
When you apply for the seasonal lottery you can pick up to 7 days and times or ranges of days and times when you would like to hike. Your 1st choice is looked at first and if there is no availability then it moves down your choices until it finds one or you are unsuccessful.
The seasonal lottery is open for applications 2 months before for a block of 3 months. Eg March 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025. You can apply from the 1st of the month until the 20th of the month and then permits will be issued on the 25th of the month. Eg. For applications for March 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025 you will need to apply between January 1, 2025 and January 20, 2025 with permits issued on January 25, 2025.
If you are not successful with the seasonal lottery then you can apply for the daily lottery.
For permits between December 18, 2024 to February 28, 2025 you will need to enter the daily lottery.
Daily Lottery for: December 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025
Seasonal Lottery for: March 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025
Permits are open to everyone in the world, you just need to set up an account. If you have issues with adding your phone number, then google a number in the US and insert that, once the account is set up, go back and update your number under account details.
The permits are issued with a start time based on you starting from The Grotto at that time (Shuttle stop number 6), the stop before The Weeping Rock Trail (Shuttle stop 7). You do not need to start at the Grotto, if you are planning on doing the Emerald Pool hike, then you can just walk along the Kayenta Trail until you get to Scout Lookout where you will need to show your permit.
The permits are issued with start times of Before 9am, between 9am and 12pm, and after 12pm.
If you are not successful with the seasonal and daily lottery, then you can ask at the visitors center if there are any permits for that day or you can walk to scout lookout and ask people who are going up, if they have any free permits as people from their group may have dropped out.
Click here between 12.01am to 3pm Mountain time to apply for the daily lottery.
You might get lucky on the day and be able to still hike it, though there is no guarantee. (Though on the National Park website it does says that permits are not transferrable from one person to another. The person who reserved the permit must be there, but additional people on the permit can change).
Why is Zion National Park doing a Permit system for Angels Landing?
The permit system has been introduced due to the number of people who were hiking to Angels Landing. The permit system only applies from Scout Lookout, where the chains section starts, which is the final 0.5km section.
It was becoming quite dangerous and there was a lot of congestion on the chains section with many people queuing for a long time waiting to go up and down certain parts especially in summer, on weekends and on holidays when the park is at its busiest.
Zion National Park is currently trialing this system and it may change depending on how well the trial goes. Additional permits could be issued or fewer depending how they feel it is going.
Personally now they have this system, I do not think that they will remove it, because of the sheer volume of people who want to do this hike.
How many permits do I need for Angels Landing?
Every single person that intends to hike further than Scout’s Outlook will need to be carrying a permit. A ranger may check your permit and ID at either The Grotto, Scout’s Outlook or elsewhere on the trail, day and night.
Make sure to either print your permit or take a screenshot of it, as cell phone signal in the area may not be great and if you are unable to show your permit then you will not be allowed to do the hike.
You will need to hike as a group or pass through the checkpoint as a group as the rangers can ask to see the ID and permit or the applicant or alternate with applied for the permit.
Can I cancel my permit or change my permit?
If you got your permit through the seasonal lottery then you are able to cancel up to two days before and get back the $3 fee for each person, you are not able to get back your $6 application fee as this is non refundable.
Zion National Park have confirmed on their website, that permits are not transferrable and if a member of your party is no longer able to make it then you can cancel their permit and this will then be included in the daily lottery allowance.
Once you have your permit it is not possible to increase the number of people in your party, change the date that you would like to hike, change the name on the permit or change the leader of the group.
If you got the daily lottery and are no longer able to hike the next day then there are no refunds and no name changes available.
How far can you hike without a permit?
You can hike as far as Scout’s Lookout which is where the chains section starts. It is the last 0.5km that you need a permit.
How Hard is it to get an Angels Landing Permit?
Many people are now visiting Utah and the number of permits issued each day differs from between a few hundred permits to 1,000 permits due to day light hours, shuttle operational hours, parking capacity in winter and the trail conditions due to the weather or if maintenance is needed.
It can be harder to get a permit on a weekend or holidays as more people are wanting to visit on a weekend or holidays and are applying for these slots. The summer months are generally the busiest months too, so you will be competing with more people in the lottery meaning you have less chances of winning a permit.
To increase your chances of getting a permit, try and apply for a permit outside of summer, not on a holiday and during the week.
Hiking Angels Landing during winter.
If you plan to hike Angels Landing during winter then your permit will not have a time allocated and you are able to start the hike at any time during the day. This is due to the shuttles not running and parking being limited. You may need to return to the parking lot if it is full.
If you are staying in one of the towns near Zion National Park then if possible it would be good to get to the parking lot early to guarantee you can do the hike at the time you want, as if the parking lot is busy you may need to either find parking further away and way further or have to return later in the day.
The permit does not guarantee that weather conditions will allow you to do the hike and at times the trail may need to be closed for Health and Safety reasons.
If you are planning to visit Zion National Park in January and hike at a time that there could be ice or snow on the trail then it is best to be prepared with traction devices for your shoes/boots. If you do not want to buy these, then you can rent them in Springdale.
Can I hike early in the morning without a permit?
You must have a permit to hike 24 hours a day, seven days a week as a ranger could be there at any time checking for permits.
A permit will be allocated for either “Before 9am” “9am – 12pm” “After 12pm”.
If you are caught hiking Angels Landing without a permit then it is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and/or 6 months in jail.
What is the best time to hike Angels Landing?
The best time of the year to hike Angels Landing is Spring and Fall as the temperatures are more pleasant during the day, though early morning and before sunset it can be cooler.
August is actually the wettest month of the year and July the hottest month of the year.
The best time of day to hike Angels Landing is early morning, before the temperatures rise, though if you were to hike it in Spring or Fall then the temperatures would be low enough to enjoy in the late afternoon too.
Can the Narrows and Angels Landing at Zion National Park be hiked in one day?
Yes it is possible to hike both Angels Landing and The Narrows in one day, but you would need to consider these things:
- You will need to catch the first shuttle at 6am to have time to hike both
- Both hikes are the most strenuous in the park, are you fit enough to be hiking for 10+ hours.
- What time permit do you have for Angels Landing? To do both you would need either before 9am or after 12pm.
- To hike the Narrows, first you need to do the Riverside Walk Zion National Park and then you will probably have water shoes, sticks, waterproof bags and clothing. Will you want to carry all this up to Angels Landing with you? Do you have a friend you can leave it with?
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Zion National Park Tours
If you don’t manage to get your permit or you would like to do something a little different during your trip to Zion National Park then consider doing an organised Zion Narrows Hike from Springdale or even a Zion National Park Helicopter Tour.
If you have succeeded in hiking Angels Landing then make sure to get yourself a “I hiked Angels Landing” tshirt to remember your hike, or you could get an Angels Landing poster to hang on your wall at home.
If you want something that stands out more, then how about a 3 frame piece of wall art showing Angels Landing.
If you have any further questions about the Angels Landing permit system, please drop me a message below.
Still planning your trip to Zion National Park, you might find these guides useful:
- Zion National Park Itinerary
- What to pack for Zion National Park
- Unique places to stay near Zion National Park
- Places to stay near Zion National Park
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hi there, I plan to visit and hike Zions Angel’s Landing on August 11th, do I only have the option of enrolling a day before for a permit for my wife and I ? Or could I enroll for the permit with seasonal lottery. I think with window for summer seasonal permit is closed, just wanted confirmation.
The seasonal lottery for 1st June to 31st August was the 1st April to the 20th April. The daily lottery you will need to apply the day before, before 3pm mountain time and you will find out a few hours later if you were successful. Here is the link. https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675324
Thanks, here is hoping I get the permit, going to apply around 12:30 a.m. as soon as my flight lands into Las Vegas.
Good luck, I hope you get the permit.
Can more then one member of a household apply for angels landing seasonal lottery permit with same dates? Is there a limit of how many times you can apply for the seasonal lottery?
Each person who applies for the seasonal lottery, can only apply once per seasonal lottery and can apply for up to another 5 people. You pay a $6 application fee and if you are successful your account is automatically charged $3 for each person you listed when applying. Yes another member of the same household can apply, but remember that whoever wins the permit has to show the permit to the rangers in the park, so they do need to be doing the hike.
Hi, I’m traveling to Zion from the uk later this year and wish to get permits to hike angels landing – the website doesn’t seem to let me make an account so I can purchase a permit. Do you know if this is only available for American citizens or am I just being stupid somewhere haha
Thanks.
Hi Alex, it looks like there is an issue with the site accepting UK phone numbers when you create it. Just google a US phone number and use that to set it up, then once done, you can go into your account and change it. I just tested it and that worked for me. The lottery is open for anyone in the world to enter. Fingers crossed with getting tickets.
Hello! We only have one day to hike AL. May I use all 7 lottery options for the same time and date? Thank you
When you are inputting your 1st choice, if there is no availability then the system will move to your next choice. Adding in the same time and date won’t give you 7 chances of getting that time. It is isn’t available when it looks at your 1st choice, then it won’t be available for any of the others. I would apply for the 3 different times on the same date. Remember that half the allocation of tickets is also available the day before if you don’t get in through the seasonal lottery.
This guide to the Angels Landing permit process is incredibly helpful! The detailed steps and tips for securing a permit make it much less intimidating. I appreciate how you explained the timing and different options for getting permits, as well as the safety precautions to keep in mind. Angels Landing has always been on my bucket list, and now I feel much more prepared for the adventure. Thanks for sharing such an informative and practical resource!