Enchantments permits: dates & how to apply

Before you apply

• Decide everything up front. USFS says entry dates, alternates and zones "CANNOT be changed after the lottery application is submitted." You may submit ONE application per person with up to 2 alternate choices (USFS: Enchantments Overnight Permits).
• Set your Core Zone group size carefully. Core Zone entry is counted by people, not groups, and group size for the Core can't be increased later. Recreation.gov says to indicate the group size you'd be willing to accept (Recreation.gov: Advanced Lottery).
• Line up your alternate group leader. The alternate needs a Recreation.gov account and must accept within 72 hours of the application. A person may not both apply for a permit and be an alternate (Recreation.gov).
• One permit per season. If you hold an advanced lottery permit, you can't also get a daily permit: "You can only hold one permit each season" (USFS).
• Know the odds. USFS says the lottery "is highly competitive and typically less than 10% of applicants are successful in obtaining a permit" (USFS, page updated Apr 3, 2026).

Common mistakes

• Waiting for an email. You have to log in to Recreation.gov to find out whether you won. "Do not wait for an email to notify you if you were successful" (USFS).
• Missing the confirm-and-pay deadline. Winners must confirm and pay no later than the date and time shown in Recreation.gov. USFS says unconfirmed reservations go back into the system and there's no option to claim them after the deadline (USFS).
• Printing too early. You can print within 14 days of the start date. USFS says: "Once a permit is printed, no changes can be made to the permit. Do not print your permit until you are certain you do not want to add group members or extend the duration of your trip." (USFS: Enchantments Overnight Permits)
• Recreation.gov words it differently. Its Cancellation Policy says: "Once a permit is printed, changes can only be made at the Leavenworth Ranger Station." The same page's Remember section says: "Once you print your permit, you can no longer make changes." (Recreation.gov: Enchantment Permit Area Advanced Lottery)
• Need a change after printing? Because the two pages differ, check with the Wenatchee River Ranger District before you print or travel (USFS; Recreation.gov).
• Carrying it only on your phone. Permits must be printed, read and signed. USFS says "unsigned permits on a cell phone are not valid," and every group member must carry a copy (USFS).
• Cancelling late. There's no refund of the permit fee if you cancel within 21 days of the trip start date, and no refunds for adverse weather (USFS).

What changed this year

TBA. As of Oct 15, 2026, next season's lottery dates haven't been posted. USFS says to visit the Enchantments Advanced Lottery page on Recreation.gov in January for that year's timeframes (USFS).

Tips

• The Core Zone is for experienced hikers. Recreation.gov says visitors typically plan at least three or four days for a Core Enchantment Zone trip, and that "Aasgard Pass is not advised for hikers not prepared and equipped for steep snow travel" (Recreation.gov).
• Expect snow in the shoulder seasons. Recreation.gov says May, June, September and October are shoulder seasons, when visitors can expect snow and winter-like conditions (Recreation.gov).
• Plan on a stove, not a fire. No fires are allowed anywhere above 5,000 feet or within 1/2 mile of any lakes. Liquid-gas stoves (butane, propane, white gas) are allowed (USFS).
• Group rules: maximum group size is eight, including stock, and no dogs are allowed. All group members must camp together in one site (Recreation.gov; USFS).
• Day hiking instead? Day users need a free self-issue day-use permit, available at the trailheads, and a Northwest Forest Pass (Recreation.gov).