The 2026–2027 National Park Lottery Calendar: A Month-by-Month Guide
Permit lotteries do not run on your schedule — they run on theirs. A summer hike on Half Dome, a spring morning on Angels Landing, or a night below the Grand Canyon rim all depend on a small window that opens, and closes, weeks or months before you ever lace up. Miss the window and you wait a full season. This guide walks you through every month of the 2026–2027 cycle and tells you exactly what to apply for, when, and what to do while you wait for results.
Two lotteries run on a rolling monthly basis all year, so treat the calendar below as your repeating backdrop: The Wave advanced draw opens on the 1st of the month four months out and closes the last day of that month; and the Grand Canyon backcountry lottery opens on the 1st of each month, closes on the 5th, and delivers results by the 25th. Everything else is seasonal.
At a glance: the 2026–2027 key dates
| Month | What opens / closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Angels Landing WINTER lottery opens Oct 1, closes Oct 20; results ~Oct 25 | Covers Dec 1 2026 – Feb 28 2027 hikes. Easiest season to win. |
| Nov–Dec 2026 | Rolling monthly draws only (The Wave, Grand Canyon backcountry) | Use the lull to research winter trip plans. |
| Jan 2027 | Angels Landing SPRING lottery opens ~early-mid Jan, closes ~Jan 20 | Covers Mar 1 – May 31 2027. Demand peaks. |
| Feb 2027 | Mount Whitney Zone lottery opens Feb 1 | Runs through Mar 1; results Mar 15. |
| Mar 2027 | Half Dome preseason opens Mar 1 (closes Mar 31); Mt Whitney closes Mar 1; Rainier Wonderland lottery opens mid–late Mar | The busiest lottery month of the year. |
| Apr 2027 | Half Dome results mid-Apr; Rainier results early Apr; Whitney claim deadline Apr 21; unclaimed Whitney permits released Apr 22 | Mark all four dates now. |
| May–Sep 2027 | Season on the ground; daily/fallback draws run (Half Dome 2-days-out, Angels Landing day-before, The Wave daily) | Cancelation pools are your second chance. |
| Oct 2027 | Angels Landing WINTER lottery for Dec 2027 – Feb 2028 opens ~Oct 1 | The cycle repeats. |
October 2026: the winter window is open now
If you are reading this in October, the first real action item is already live: the Angels Landing winter lottery. It covers hikes from December 1, 2026 through the end of February 2027. Winter is the most forgiving season in Zion — far fewer applicants chase an exposed ridge in cold weather — so this is statistically the easiest Angels Landing permit of the year to win. The application is $6 and covers up to six people; winners pay $3 each. It closes October 20, so do not sit on it.
November–December 2026: rolling draws and planning season
No big seasonal lottery opens in these two months, but the two rolling systems keep running every single day. If you want to hike The Wave in February 2027, the advanced draw for those dates opens November 1 and closes November 30. If you want a Grand Canyon backcountry permit for a March 2027 start, apply January 1–5 for that March window. Use these quiet months to nail down your Sierra and Yosemite plans: train, pick your dates, and set calendar reminders for February and March.
January 2027: Angels Landing spring draw
Zion’s spring lottery — covering March through May hikes — typically opens in early-to-mid January. This is the most competitive Angels Landing window of the year, because spring is Zion’s best hiking weather. Enter even if your odds feel thin: the $6 fee is trivial, and if you lose, you still have the day-before draw to chase once you are on the ground in Springdale.
February 2027: Mount Whitney opens
On February 1, the Mount Whitney Zone lottery opens for the May 1 – November 1 quota season. It closes March 1, results post March 15, winners must claim by April 21, and unclaimed permits are released April 22. Decide in advance whether you want day-use or overnight permits, and pick several candidate dates — weekday overnight slots in May or October win far more often than July weekend slots.
March 2027: the busiest lottery month
March is when everything happens at once. The Half Dome preseason lottery opens March 1 and runs all month; the Rainier Wonderland Trail early-access lottery typically opens mid-to-late March; and Whitney closes at the start of the month. Budget about $16 in application fees across Half Dome ($10) and Whitney ($6) if you are chasing both Sierra icons. Spread your requested dates across weekdays in shoulder months rather than betting on a single July Saturday.
April 2027: results and the April 22 release
April is payoff month. Half Dome results drop mid-month; Rainier results arrive early; Whitney winners must claim by April 21. The date most people forget is April 22, when unclaimed Whitney permits go back on sale first-come, first-served. Set an alarm. This release alone produces a meaningful share of successful Whitney trips each year.
May through September 2027: season on the ground
While you are hiking, the fallback pools keep turning. Half Dome’s two-day-out daily lottery runs every hiking day; Angels Landing’s next-day draw runs year-round; The Wave’s daily walk-up lottery runs every morning. If your seasonal draw failed, arrive with flexible days and enter these rolling draws — weekday mornings in June or September are far winnable.
How to build your personal lottery calendar
- List your target trips first. Write down the hike, desired month, and whether it is a seasonal draw or a rolling monthly draw.
- Back-calculate each window. Seasonal draws open weeks in advance; rolling draws open exactly four months out. Put every open date, close date, and result date into your phone calendar.
- Set two reminders per window — one a week before opening, one the night before closing. The closing reminder matters most; 90% of lost applications are people who simply forgot.
- Keep a recreation.gov account funded. Saved payment details and a completed profile let you submit in minutes, which matters when a window closes at midnight.
Key takeaways
- Two rolling draws run every month: The Wave (opens the 1st, closes last day, four months ahead) and Grand Canyon backcountry (1st–5th, results by the 25th).
- October is the Angels Landing winter window — the easiest permit of that year.
- February–March is the Sierra rush: Whitney opens Feb 1, Half Dome opens Mar 1, Rainier opens mid-March.
- Never forget April 21 (Whitney claim) and April 22 (unclaimed Whitney release).
Frequently asked questions
What if a seasonal window closes before I can decide?
Can I apply for several lotteries in the same month without conflict?
Are all these dates confirmed for 2027?
Sources: NPS Zion, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Denali, Mount Rainier permit pages; USFS Inyo National Forest; recreation.gov. Figures verified October 2026; 2027 windows marked TBD by the agencies — confirm before applying.
许可抽签不按你的时间表走——它按它自己的走。半圆顶的夏日、天使降临的春晨、大峡谷谷底的一夜，都取决于一个在你穿鞋出门前几周甚至几个月就开启又关闭的小窗口。错过窗口，就是再等一整个季节。本文按月走完 2026–2027 的完整周期，告诉你每个月该报什么、什么时候报、出结果之前该做什么。
有两个抽签全年滚动运行，可以当作下面日历的常驻背景：The Wave 提前抽签在目标徒步日的前 4 个月、当月 1 日开放、当月最后一日关闭；大峡谷荒野抽签每月 1 日开放、5 日截止、25 日前出结果。其余都是季节性的。
一览：2026–2027 关键日期
| 月份 | 开放/截止事项 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 年 10 月 | 天使降临冬季抽签 10 月 1 日开放、10 月 20 日截止，约 10 月 25 日出结果 | 覆盖 2026/12/1–2027/2/28 的徒步。全年最容易中。 |
| 2026 年 11–12 月 | 仅滚动月抽（The Wave、大峡谷荒野） | 用这段空档研究冬季行程。 |
| 2027 年 1 月 | 天使降临春季抽签约 1 月上中旬开放、1 月 20 日前后截止 | 覆盖 3/1–5/31 徒步，竞争最激烈。 |
| 2027 年 2 月 | 惠特尼峰区抽签 2 月 1 日开放 | 持续到 3 月 1 日，3 月 15 日出结果。 |
| 2027 年 3 月 | 半圆顶季前抽 3/1 开放（3/31 截止）；惠特尼 3/1 截止；Rainier 仙境步道抽约 3 月中下旬开放 | 全年最忙的抽签月。 |
| 2027 年 4 月 | 半圆顶 4 月中旬出结果；Rainier 4 月初出结果；惠特尼认领截止 4/21；无人认领名额 4/22 放出 | 四个日期现在就标好。 |
| 2027 年 5–9 月 | 徒步季开始；每日/兜底抽签运转（半圆顶提前 2 天、天使降临前一天、The Wave 每日） | 取消回流池是你的第二次机会。 |
| 2027 年 10 月 | 覆盖 2027/12–2028/2 的天使降临冬季抽约 10/1 开放 | 周期重演。 |
2026 年 10 月：冬季窗口此刻正开
如果你是 10 月在读这篇，第一个真正要动手的事已经上线：天使降临冬季抽签，覆盖 2026 年 12 月 1 日到 2027 年 2 月底的徒步。冬季是锡安最宽容的季节——大冷天里没几个人愿意去挤暴露的山脊——从统计上看，这是一年中最容易中的天使降临许可。申请费 $6、最多带 6 人，中签后每人 $3。10 月 20 日截止，别拖。
2026 年 11–12 月：滚动月抽与规划季
这两个月没有大的季节性抽签开放，但两套滚动系统每天都在跑。想 2027 年 2 月走 The Wave，对应提前抽 11 月 1 日开放、11 月 30 日截止。想 2027 年 3 月开始 大峡谷荒野徒步，就在 1 月 1–5 日申请那个 3 月窗口。用这两个安静的月份把塞拉利昂和优胜美地的计划敲定：训练、定日期、给 2 月和 3 月设好提醒。
2027 年 1 月：天使降临春季抽
锡安春季抽签（覆盖 3–5 月徒步）通常在 1 月上中旬开放。这是一年中竞争最激烈的天使降临窗口，因为春天正是锡安徒步最好的天气。就算觉得中签率低也报——$6 申请费微不足道；万一没中，人到 Springdale 之后还能刷"前一天"场。
2027 年 2 月：惠特尼峰开放
2 月 1 日，惠特尼峰区抽签为 5 月 1 日至 11 月 1 日配额季开放。3 月 1 日截止、3 月 15 日出结果、中签者须在 4 月 21 日前认领、无人认领的 4 月 22 日放出。提前想清楚要日归还是过夜，并多填几个候选日期——5 月或 10 月的工作日过夜名额，远比 7 月周末好中。
2027 年 3 月：最忙的抽签月
3 月所有事情一起发生。半圆顶季前抽 3 月 1 日开放、整月运行；Rainier 仙境步道早期抽签通常 3 月中下旬开放；惠特尼在月初截止。如果你两座塞拉利昂地标都想追，预留约 $16 申请费（半圆顶 $10 + 惠特尼 $6）。把申请日期分散到过渡季的工作日，而不是只押某个 7 月周六。
2027 年 4 月：出结果与 4 月 22 日放票
4 月是收获月。半圆顶结果月中出；Rainier 结果月初出；惠特尼中签者须在 4 月 21 日前认领。大多数人会忘的日期是 4 月 22 日——无人认领的惠特尼名额当天先到先得重新放出。设个闹钟。每年相当一部分成功的惠特尼行程，就来自这一次放票。
2027 年 5–9 月：徒步季落地
当你人在山里时，兜底池一直在转。半圆顶提前两天的每日抽每个徒步日都在跑；天使降临次日场全年都在跑；The Wave 每日抽签每天早上都在跑。如果季节大抽落空，就带着灵活的日期到达当地，去刷这些滚动抽签——6 月或 9 月的工作日早上，中签率相当可观。
如何搭建你自己的个人抽签日历
- 先列出目标行程。写下徒步名、期望月份，以及它属于季节抽还是滚动月抽。
- 反向推算每个窗口。季节抽提前数周开放；滚动抽恰好提前 4 个月开放。把每个开放日、截止日、出结果日都写进手机日历。
- 每个窗口设两个提醒——开放前一周一次，截止前一晚一次。截止提醒最重要；90% 的漏报只是忘了。
- 让 recreation.gov 账户保持有钱、资料填好。保存好支付方式、填完资料，几分钟就能提交——窗口午夜关闭时这很关键。
要点速记
- 两个月滚动抽签全年运行：The Wave（当月 1 日开、最后一天关、提前 4 个月）和大峡谷荒野（1–5 日开放，25 日前出结果）。
- 10 月是天使降临冬季窗口——一年中最容易的那张许可。
- 2–3 月是塞拉利昂冲刺：惠特尼 2/1 开、半圆顶 3/1 开、Rainier 3 月中开。
- 永远别忘了 4/21（惠特尼认领）和 4/22（无人认领名额放出）。
常见问题
季节窗口在我拿定主意前就关了怎么办？
同一个月报好几个抽签会冲突吗？
这些 2027 年日期都确定了吗？
资料来源：锡安、优胜美地、大峡谷、Denali、Rainier 国家公园管理局许可页面；美国林务局因约国家森林；recreation.gov。数据核实于 2026 年 10 月；各机构标注 TBD 的 2027 窗口申请前请复核。
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