BackCountry Permits 2022

Are you a seasoned hiker, or just starting out? Let us know your questions or experience with the backcountry permit process.

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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by teapot57 »

FYI- on one of the Glacier FB pages this week, there was a post from a local that visited the backcountry office. According to his post, he was told that they would not begin processing permits until April 17!!! It has something to do with staffing issues. So you can take a break from checking your email box.

My hat is in the ring as well. Fingers crossed and good luck to everyone.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by Selkie »

Good luck, Tina and everyone trying for a permit this year!

I paid $10 on rec.gov to enter the lottery to get a chance at making a res for Yellowstone.
Have my eye on the Thorofare, an extended backpacking trip.
(Quite a few lotteries are running on rec.gov.)
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by sbosecker »

teapot57 wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 4:02 pm FYI- on one of the Glacier FB pages this week, there was a post from a local that visited the backcountry office. According to his post, he was told that they would not begin processing permits until April 17!!! It has something to do with staffing issues. So you can take a break from checking your email box.
teapot57,

I guess that might explain why the Backcountry Advance Reservation Availability webpage isn't working (again).

Trying to keep the riots from starting when, day after day, no campsites disappear from the availability list. HA!

Best regards,

Scott
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by orin »

I put in for a June trip into the Belly. I usually just do a walkup since in the past permits were not that hard to get then. But times have changed especially this year with the change to 70/30.

Selkie,

Good luck on the Thorofare. I did a couple of 9 day trips there a few years ago. Very wild country. The farthest point from any road in the lower 48 is back there.

Sue,

Unless rules have changed, more than 4 campers requires 2 sites which really reduces the chances of success. But good luck anyway.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by Selkie »

Thanks, Orin.
If I get some reasonable position in the lottery, may I ask you a few questions about the Thorofare?
(I may try to reactivate the PM function here; along with other indicia of declining site functionality, I can no longer delete old messages.)
The Thorofare has been "discovered," as it were.
And good luck to you too with the Belly River permit app.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by Sue Z »

orin wrote: Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:38 am
Sue,

Unless rules have changed, more than 4 campers requires 2 sites which really reduces the chances of success. But good luck anyway.
Yup. If they can't accommodate 6, I hope they'll consider my fallback position and grant a permit for 4. There are two people in my group who would be just fine with dayhiking for a few days while the rest of us backpack.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by orin »

Selkie wrote:
If I get some reasonable position in the lottery, may I ask you a few questions about the Thorofare?
Sure. Anytime.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

April 17th? Ouch. I’ll refrain from my automation gripes. I’d be curious as to the # of applications.

I’m hopeful most reasonably flexible permits will go fulfilled this year with the extra site(s) and international travel / indoor activities resuming. That said, walk-in adjustments may be a thing of the past.

2 sites isn’t impossible, especially with the extra advanced reservation availability. I was able to snag 2x GRN-MAN-REY-GUN-SPE several years ago. Hope you get what you want as walk-in adjustments likely will be impossible as most campgrounds only have 1 site non-reservable.

Curious as to what everyone put in for ?
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by paul »

So the past couple of years I haven't heard back from the permit office until at least May. This makes it difficult for people who need to make travel plans in advance such as fight/car reservations. Now with the processing of permits delayed a month, it will make it extra difficult and expensive for long distance traveling. I can't buy airline tickets without knowing my dates or evening knowing my chances of getting a permit.

I'm pretty much fed up with all of it. Why can't the start the reservations process early so there is more time for people to plan.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by teapot57 »

Unofficial word from the same source is that 4,000 applications were received.

You make a great point, Paul. I can see where quite a few people might give up on their permit and make other plans, and then not cancel the permit(s) they receive, leaving unused campsites that could have been used for walkups.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

3700 last year, I would have guessed a decrease.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by sbosecker »

Just clicked on the link to the Backcountry Availability map. To my surprise, after some grunting and straining, it appeared in my browser.

I clicked on a few of the usual choke points (Sperry, Stoney Indian, etc.) and, although they were slow to populate and looked a little weird initially as the page loaded, I was able to see availability for these campsites.

There has been some activity as, for example:

Sperry is showing only one campsite (out of 3) available on Aug 4, 7, 22 & 29 and only 2 available on September 12th.

Stoney Indian is showing no campsites (out of 2) available on Aug 29 & Sept 9 and only 1 available on Aug 25.

When I try Elizabeth Lake Foot I get a server error.... whoops... now it's working. Two campsites (out of 4) available on Jun 18, 19, 23, 26, Jul 3, 4, 10, 13, 20, 27, Aug 4, 15, Sep 8, 11. One Campsite available on Sept 10 and Three Campsites available on July 1, 12 & Sept 1.

Although some of these doesn't seem like enough campsites gone to support the following theory, I suppose most could be large parties getting advance reservations.

Anyway, at least something seems to be happening.

Scott
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by Sue Z »

zozeppelin wrote: Mon Mar 21, 2022 8:07 pm Curious as to what everyone put in for ?
I'm blessed to have stayed at many great BC campsites over the years. This year, I put in for a few that I've missed: FLA-FIF-FIF-FLA, COB-UPT, GUN-ELL-SPE or, last choice, REF-REF.

FIF has been on my bucket list for years.
As a second choice, I'd like to use COB as a jumping off point for a day hike up to Two Medicine Pass.
Although I've day-hiked from Jackson Overlook to Sperry Chalet, I would really like to spend a night at ELL, and maybe summit Lincoln.
As a last choice, REF-REF, though not a primo spot, would give me a chance to explore the Hudson Bay Creek valley on a day hike.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by mattB »

If they;re going to automate things with the Booz-Allen recreation.gov web-site, they should be able to add a feature that would give a priority to people who did NOT recieve a permit the prior year, kind of like how some places do hunting permits. And people who have failed to get a permit 2 years running, move ahead of those with just one year of no permit. It would be better than having to try and win a bad odds lottery every year, it would still be a lottery but if you lost last year you'd move ahead of all the people who won last year.

Also if its automated there's no reason there should be such a big delay in processing the applications.
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Re: BackCountry Permits 2022

Post by zozeppelin »

From the website:
Almost 4,000 advance reservations were submitted on March 15, 2022. Due to limited early season staffing, the wilderness permit office will not begin processing advance reservations until April 17, 2022. It will take several months to complete reservation processing. You will be notified about the status of your application as soon as it is complete. Please be patient and allow permit rangers to process applications without unnecessary interuptions(sic)
Several months?! Looks like walk-in availability is going to be a breeze. Clearly that can’t be correct, but what a joke of an organization and PR.

Can they at least ask for volunteers to help process the applications?
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