2027 permit and lottery calendar: when the big releases open
There is no single calendar that covers every hard-to-get permit, because the systems behind them don’t coordinate with each other. Broadly, a cluster of preseason and annual releases lands in the first weeks of the year — historically around February for Havasu Falls, Mount Whitney and The Enchantments — while Half Dome, The Wave and Angels Landing run daily or near-daily lotteries throughout their operating seasons rather than opening once. Planning 2027 around these means knowing which category each permit falls into, not marking one date on a calendar and waiting.
The February cluster: Havasu Falls, Whitney, The Enchantments
These three have historically landed close together, generally in the first half of February, though the exact day varies year to year and between them — treat any specific date as provisional until you check the current permit page. They are also run by entirely different systems: Havasu Falls is booked directly through the Havasupai Tribe’s own reservation site, while Mount Whitney and The Enchantments run as preseason lotteries through recreation.gov. Overlapping timing does not mean shared mechanics, so plan separate accounts and separate calendar reminders for each.
The mechanics differ in a way worth remembering: Havasu Falls is a straight queue where the whole year’s calendar opens and gets claimed the same day, while Whitney and The Enchantments are lotteries — you submit an application during the window and find out weeks later whether you were drawn. Missing the Havasu release generally means waiting for a transfer; missing the lottery window for Whitney or The Enchantments generally means waiting for the following year’s preseason draw, though both permits also run smaller daily lotteries later in their seasons.
The rest of the year: daily and near-daily draws
Half Dome, The Wave and Angels Landing don’t have one release date to mark down. Each runs a lottery cadence — daily, next-day or day-before, depending on the permit — that operates continuously through its hiking season, which for these three broadly runs from spring through autumn. Planning a 2027 trip around any of them is less about circling a date and more about knowing your target month, then entering the applicable short-notice draw once your travel dates are firm.
The exact months these seasonal lotteries begin and end shift slightly year to year with conditions on the ground — snow at Half Dome, road access at The Wave — so a date remembered from a previous year’s trip is a rough guide at best. Check the specific permit’s recreation.gov page as your travel window approaches rather than assuming last season’s calendar repeats exactly.
How far ahead to start planning
For the February preseason lotteries — Whitney and The Enchantments — start paying attention six to twelve months out, since the application window is brief, results take weeks, and a missed year means waiting for the next one. For Havasu Falls, the useful preparation window is the weeks immediately before the February release: creating and verifying your account, and deciding which dates you’d accept.
For the daily and near-daily lotteries, the planning horizon is much shorter — days to a couple of weeks ahead of your actual hiking date is usually enough, since that is how those systems are designed to work. In every case, the one universal rule is the same: confirm the current year’s exact opening date and time on the permit’s own official page as it approaches, since small shifts from one year to the next are normal.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Half Dome lottery in 2027?
Half Dome doesn’t use a single annual date — it runs a preseason lottery for the summer, followed by daily lotteries throughout the hiking season once cables are up. The preseason window has historically opened in spring; confirm the exact 2027 dates on the permit’s recreation.gov page as the season approaches.
When do Havasu Falls permits go on sale for 2027?
Historically, Havasupai reservations for the entire coming year open on a single morning in early February. The precise date shifts slightly year to year, so confirm it on the official havasupaireservations.com site as February 2027 approaches rather than relying on a previous year’s date.