Several years ago, during a spring break road trip through southern Utah, I found myself sitting in the Bureau of Land Management office in Kanab with a couple of dozen other people waiting to see if our lucky numbers would be called, allowing us to hike the Wave.
The iconic 6-mile roundtrip hike is in a red-ribboned rock formation in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness (which are actually in Arizona, near the Utah border). But because of its delicate nature, would-be visitors have to enter a daily lottery to get a permit, helping limit the number of people tramping over the sandstone. The in-person lottery has since been replaced by a daily online lottery that is monitored by a “mobile geofence system,” meaning you have to be nearby to fill it out. There is also an advance lottery four months out.
It wasn’t my lucky day, though, and the trip is still a goal.
The Wave may be one of the oldest (since the 1980s) and most familiar examples of land managers instituting a system to protect special places from excessive use, but it’s not alone. Perhaps thanks in part to social media, some spots are just too popular for their own good.
Below is a list of some of the best and most famous lotteries. It’s by no means complete, and you can find more under the “permits” tag at recreation.gov.
UTAH/ARIZONA
The Wave in Coyote Buttes North
As mentioned above, if you want to hike the Wave, plan to spend some time in the BLM office in Kanab, Utah; that’s where you’ll go to pick up the permit and attend a safety lesson. Understand more about the process at blm.gov. If you strike out with The Wave, you can still have a pretty epic day of hiking in this area, though. We ended up at nearby White Pocket. You must have a high-clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead as it is on unimproved roads with sand drifts. Or, speak to the experts at the BLM about how to get to the trailhead or hire a local guide. Other hikes with groovy natural formations in the area include the Sand Caves and Red Canyon Slot.
Utah Office of Tourism, Wm. Floyd Holdman, The Associated Press
Angels Landing in Zion National Park in Utah. (Utah Office of Tourism)
Angels Landing in Zion National Park
As someone with a fear of heights, I can’t understand the appeal of Angels Landing, but lots of other people do, which is why it is so popular. This 5-mile hike includes narrow strips of rock with sheer drops on both sides. The payoffs are 360-degree views and bragging rights.
To obtain a permit, go to the National Park Service website, and pay a $6 non-refundable fee to enter the lottery up to seven days in advance for up to six people at a time. You will be redirected to recreation.gov, which manages all permits. If you score a permit, you’ll pay $3 per person to do the hike. Note that due to limited cell phone service, you need to print or download the permit before coming to the park. Hiking choices are limited to the next day (not the day of) or a week in advance. Getting to the trailhead requires taking a shuttle, so check the schedule or you’ll miss your time slot.
Morning sunlight cuts through haze and shines on the Colorado River as it runs through Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on April 16, 2023. The flight for aerial photography was provided by LightHawk.(Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park
In 2006, the National Park Service switched from a waitlist to a lottery for noncommercial rafting permits on the portion of the Colorado River that snakes through the Grand Canyon. In season, about 450 permits are awarded for 12 to 25-day raft trips. Before the lottery system, the waitlist was exceeding 25 years for some boaters!
This is a “weighted lottery” where a person’s previous experience — or lack thereof — is factored in. This is not a trip for novices, so the permitting process includes meeting park service standards for the skills to raft this river.
Once you get that permit, know that it can’t be traded, deferred, or changed. And bring your wallet — the lottery application fee is $25, a river permit costs $90 per person, and an entrance fee is $20 per person. There is also a trip deposit of $200 to $400.
Sara Grant, The Denver Post
Havasu Falls is seen from above after a 10-mile hike. (Sara Grant, The Denver Post)
Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon
The Havasupai Indian Reservation is in Havasu Canyon, which is part of the Grand Canyon. Supai Village is only accessible by foot or horseback (or mule), and no day hiking is allowed. Depending on your final destination, the village or campground, it’s an 8- to 10-mile hike down into the canyon and along the bottom. Temperatures can exceed 115 degrees in summer.
The attraction here is the icy blue waters that tumble across red rocks, including Havasu Falls. Devastating floods wrecked the area in 2024, but it has since reopened and is still a stunning locale that attracts many more requests to visit than it can handle.
Which is why there is a lottery system; reservation requests are made through the Havasupai tribe’s website and aren’t managed by the National Park Service.
If you aren’t going to set up your own camp, you can make a reservation at the lodge in Supai Village. There are detailed rules for when you can hike in and back out based on your reservation dates, along with a need to have a group leader and to bring your paperwork. Another option, which I used with success, was to go with a commercial guide who secures the permits so you don’t leave it up to chance. You will be camping with your group, and not staying in the lodge, which means carrying more gear on your hike.
For the lucky ones who score a permit for a non-commercial excursion, don’t expect to buy any supplies in Supai Village. Pack in everything you need, and pack everything back out with you.
COLORADO
Maroon Bells
Hikers relax along Crater Lake on Thursday. (Kelsey Brunner, The Aspen Times)
The most photographed destination in Colorado, the twin peaks of the Maroon Bells, outside of Aspen attract 300,000 visitors every year, according to tourism officials in the area.
Once you’re here, there are many hiking options, from easier ones like the one-mile loop around Maroon Lake to harder trails, like the 11-mile one-way trek across 12,500-foot West Maroon Pass to Crested Butte.
Unless you are riding your bicycle here, you’ll more than likely need a reservation to take the shuttle bus from Aspen Highlands during peak months. Reservation costs range from $10 to $20, depending on whether you’re parking your own vehicle or taking the shuttle. Note that there is a fee between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get picked up by a friend, and all commercial ride services are not allowed for drop off or pick-up.
Much harder to get are backcountry permits for the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, which go on sale each year and allow access to the famed Conundrum Hot Springs, as well as Capitol Lake, Crater Lake and the Four Pass Loop.
Hanging Lake in 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Hanging Lake
Tucked inside the White River National Forest in Glenwood Canyon is Hanging Lake, a National Natural Landmark thanks to its exquisite beauty.
The trail is only a little over a mile long, but it is steep and rocky. The reward for your efforts is a waterfall pouring gently into clear, bluish-green lake. A wooden walkway hugs the side of the lake and provides a clear place to remain on land, not in the tempting cool waters.
What could be called a series of unfortunate events — overuse, wildfire, debris runoff — culminated in multiple closures of the trail in the past few years for repair and restoration. It’s now scheduled to reopen as of July 1, 2025. And reservations are required. There is a $12 per person permit cost; no dogs are allowed. Permits are available with rolling availability through visitglenwood.com.
CALIFORNIA
Half Dome in Yosemite National Park
Tourists walk out to Glacier Point with a background view of Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Half Dome is one of the most recognized places in Yosemite National Park for its unique shape: one sheer face and three rounded sides, making it look like a dome cut in half.
The 400-foot climb to the top is one of the more sought-after experiences in the park, so there is a seasonal permit lottery system. The fixed cables that make this climb possible are put in each spring and removed in the fall, so access is limited.
There is a preseason lottery and then the daily lottery for two days in advance with six permits per application. Only 225 hikers are permitted per day through recreation.gov. The cost is $10 for each lottery application and each award hiker pays $10 for their permit.
A climbing harness is recommended, but not provided. This is not a guided experience so each hiker is responsible for their own safety.
TENNESSEE
Synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky National Park
Surprisingly, one of the most limited and dicey lotteries is the one to view the synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky National Park during eight days in June. Everything about this is limited, and then there are no guarantees that the wildlife will perform on cue.
The lottery for a vehicle reservation opens on April 28 at 10 a.m. EDT and closes by 8 p.m. on May 1. Less than 1,000 vehicles are allowed during the entire event, predicted to peak June 4-11. There is a $1 nonrefundable application fee and a $24 registration fee if you win a permit.
For those who do get a permit, there are strict guidelines about the lighting you bring with you, such as using a red flashlight rather than a bright cell phone light.
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