Overview
The Enchantments are a chain of granite basins and glacial lakes above Leavenworth, and the overnight permit for the Core Enchantments zone is one of the hardest to win in North America: 24 people a day, 16 through the advance lottery and 8 through the daily one.
The lottery, run through recreation.gov, covers overnight stays from May 15 to October 31 and splits the area into zones: Core Enchantments, Colchuck, Snow, Stuart and Eightmile/Caroline. You apply for one zone with ranked dates; outside the Core, the limits are counted in groups a day (3 for Colchuck, 4 for Stuart, 5 for Snow, 3 for Eightmile/Caroline). Day hikers need a free self-issued permit at the trailhead and a Northwest Forest Pass to park.
At a glance
| Do you need a permit or reservation? | Overnight wilderness permit (lottery) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $6 per application (non-refundable) + $5 per person per day if drawn |
| How to get it | Apply in the annual window on recreation.gov; in 2026 it ran from February 15 (7:00 AM PT) to March 1. |
| When it opens | Hard to get · February lottery · 2027 dates not published |
| All-inclusive alternative | None we can recommend: no tour we checked includes this access, so the official channel is the way in. |
| Official rules | recreation.gov |
How the permit works
- 1Apply in the annual window on recreation.gov; in 2026 it ran from February 15 (7:00 AM PT) to March 1.
- 2Choose a zone. Core Enchantments has 24 places a day; the other zones are counted in groups a day.
- 3Submit ranked date preferences; results come in March (March 17 in 2026).
- 4Winners confirm, give an exit date and pay US$5 per person per day by the deadline (March 31 in 2026).
- 5If you miss, try the Enchantment Permit Area Daily Lottery (May–October), which you enter on recreation.gov from a location-enabled phone inside the geofenced area.
Required documents
- recreation.gov account
- Photo ID for the permit holder, who must be on the trip
- Northwest Forest Pass or equivalent for trailhead parking
Insider tips
- Day hiking the Enchantments through-route needs only the free self-issued day permit and a Northwest Forest Pass — brutal, but it’s the reliable way in.
- Group size in the Core cannot be increased after the lottery, and the zone and entry date cannot be changed once reserved.
- Every visitor may obtain only one overnight permit per season.
Sold-out alternatives
If your dates are gone, these get you a comparable experience.
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds for the Core Enchantments?
We don’t quote a rate we couldn’t read. The recreation.gov page links a Forest Service PDF of historical lottery statistics; what we could confirm are the limits: 24 people a day in the Core.
Can I hike the Enchantments without a permit?
Not in season. From May 15 to October 31 day hikers also need a permit, a free one they fill in themselves at the trailhead, plus a Northwest Forest Pass. The lottery permit is only for overnight stays.
Is there a daily lottery?
Yes, from May to October, entered on recreation.gov from a location-enabled phone inside the geofenced area. In the Core it holds 8 of the 24 daily places.