Destination Planner: Permits, Gear Lists & Seasons

Full Algonquin — Highland Trail Loop guide

Allagash Wilderness WaterwayUnited StatesOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

Overnight campers register and pay per-person, per-night fees at North Maine Woods checkpoints or with Allagash Wilderness Waterway rangers. No advance lottery — but you must pass a checkpoint to reach the put-ins, and fees are collected there.

Maine DACF — Allagash rules & fees · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

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Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: Late May – September

Spring (May – mid-June)
Summer (Late June – August)
Autumn (September)
Winter (October – April)

Apostle Islands ArchipelagoUnited StatesOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

A wilderness camping permit is required for every overnight stay in the national lakeshore, reserved in advance through Recreation.gov. Day paddling the mainland caves needs no permit, but every island night does.

Recreation.gov — Apostle Islands wilderness permits · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: Late June – early September

Spring (April – May)
Summer (June – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – March)

Art Loeb TrailWorldwideOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

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Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: April – November

Full Art Loeb Trail guide

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: November – April

Full Ben Nevis (Scotland) guide

Berg Lake Trail (Mount Robson)CanadaOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

Backcountry camping on the Berg Lake Trail requires a BC Parks reservation in peak season, booked through the BC Parks reservation service, which includes the camping permit. Outside peak season some campgrounds are first come, first served. For the 2025 season, reservations opened 7 a.m. on April 2, 2025 and were required from June 26 to September 29. Opening dates and fees are set season by season — confirm the current dates and per-night fee on the BC Parks reservations page before planning around them.

Backcountry camping reservations — Berg Lake Trail · verified 2026-09-20
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Three-Season Backpacking

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: Late June – late September

Spring (May – mid-June)
Summer (Late June – August)
Autumn (September – late September)
Winter (October – April)

Full Big South Fork Backcountry (TN/KY) guide

Big Thicket National PreserveUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Big Thicket backcountry camping · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: November – March

Full Big Thicket National Preserve guide

Bighorn Crags (Frank Church)United StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: July – September

Full Bighorn Crags (Frank Church) guide

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: May – September

Full Boundary Waters — Frost River Loop guide

Boundary Waters Canoe AreaUnited StatesOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

A quota permit is required for every overnight trip from May 1 through September 30, reserved in advance through Recreation.gov — popular entry points sell out the day the season opens. Day use and off-season overnights use self-issued permits at the entry point.

Recreation.gov — BWCAW permits · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: Mid-May – September

Spring (Ice-out – mid-June)
Summer (Mid-June – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – April)

Full Canyon de Chelly Backcountry guide

Canyonlands — Needles DistrictUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Canyonlands overnight backcountry permits · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: March – May, September – October

Full Canyonlands — Needles District guide

Canyonlands — Needles District LoopUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: March – May, October

Full Canyonlands — Needles District Loop guide

Canyonlands — The MazeUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Canyonlands overnight backcountry permits · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: April – October

Full Colorado — Cataract Canyon guide

Congaree National ParkUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Congaree camping · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Best: March – May, September – November

Full Drakensberg Grand Traverse guide

Dry Tortugas National ParkUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Dry Tortugas camping · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

A wilderness permit is required for all overnight camping in Everglades National Park, with reservations available on a rolling 90-day window through Recreation.gov. Chickee and ground sites are site-specific — your permit names where you sleep each night.

Recreation.gov — Everglades wilderness permits · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

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Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: December – April

Spring (March – May)
Summer (June – September)
Autumn (October – November)
Winter (December – February)

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Great Smoky Mountains backcountry camping · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: April – May, September – November

Full Great Smoky Mountains Backcountry guide

Great Smoky Mountains National ParkUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: April – November

Full Great Smoky Mountains National Park guide

Green River — Desolation and Gray CanyonsUnited StatesOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

A BLM river permit is required year-round for Desolation and Gray Canyons. Peak-season launches (roughly May 1 – September 30) are allocated by lottery through Recreation.gov; off-season permits are available without the lottery.

Recreation.gov — Desolation Gray permit · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: May – September

Spring (May – June)
Summer (June – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – April)

Full Gros Ventre Wilderness guide

Guadalupe Mountains National ParkUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Guadalupe Mountains backpacking · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Every visitor needs a Gwaii Haanas reservation and must pay the visitor-use fee. Self-guided visitors book directly with Parks Canada at least five business days ahead; visitors with a licensed operator do it through the operator. Everyone 17 and older must complete the self-guided orientation and score at least 80% on the orientation quiz before entering, and carry both the booking receipt and the orientation certificate. Reservations for the 2026 season opened February 16, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. PST. Current fee amounts and any daily limits are set by Parks Canada — check the reservations and fees page for the figures that apply to your dates.

Gwaii Haanas reservations and fees · verified 2026-09-20
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

Best: Spring – autumn, while Watchmen sites are staffed

Spring (April – June)
Summer (July – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – March)

Icelandic Highlands (Laugavegur)IcelandOpen

Permits

No permit required

No hiking permit is required for the Laugavegur. Mountain huts are run by Ferðafélag Íslands and must be booked well in advance — they sell out for summer. Camping is allowed only at the designated hut campsites along the trail, for a per-night fee paid at the hut warden.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

Best: Summer

Summer (Late Jun – early Sep)
Shoulder (Sep – Oct)
Winter (Nov – May)

Permits

No permit required

No permit is needed. Access and wild camping run under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: lightweight tents, small groups, no more than two or three nights in one place, and camp responsibly away from enclosed fields and water. Open fires and barbecues, including disposables but not gas stoves, are prohibited park-wide from 1 April to 30 September under the Cairngorms National Park fire management byelaws. Campervan and motorhome overnighting is not covered by access rights.

Camping — Scottish Outdoor Access Code · verified 2026-09-20
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

Best: Late spring – early autumn for a non-winter crossing

Spring (April – May)
Summer (June – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – March)

Full Lairig Ghru (Cairngorms) guide

Lake CachumaWorldwideOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Full Michigan Shore-to-Shore guide

Middle Fork of the SalmonUnited StatesOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

A float permit is required year-round for every boater on the Middle Fork. During the control season (May 28 – September 3) permits are allocated by competitive lottery through Recreation.gov; outside those dates you self-issue. Confirm the current season dates before applying.

Recreation.gov — Middle Fork of the Salmon permit · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: Late June – early September

Spring (May – mid-June)
Summer (Late June – August)
Autumn (September)
Winter (October – April)

Full Mogollon Rim guide

Mojave National PreserveUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Mojave National Preserve camping · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Full Samaria Gorge (Crete) guide

San Juan Islands KayakUnited StatesOpen

Permits

No permit required

No permit is needed to paddle the Salish Sea itself, but overnight camping is almost entirely at Washington State Parks marine-trail sites (per-night fee, first-come) or BLM sites in the San Juan Islands National Monument with their own capacity rules. Cascadia Marine Trail sites are reserved for non-motorized, beachable craft.

WA State Parks — marine state parks · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Start from the Gear Lists by season or trip type.

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: June – September

Spring (April – May)
Summer (June – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – March)

Full Swiss National Park — Ofenpass to S-Chanf guide

Sylvania Wilderness (MI)United StatesOpen

Permits

Permit or reservation required

Overnight trips into the Sylvania Wilderness require a camping permit for a specific designated campsite, reserved through Recreation.gov. Sites are individually numbered on named lakes, so you book the lake you actually intend to sleep on. Day use is also fee-managed at the recreation area. Fees change season to season — confirm the current amount on the Recreation.gov listing before you drive up.

Sylvania Wilderness campsite permits · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: May – October

Spring (Ice-out (typically late April) – early June)
Summer (Mid-June – August)
Autumn (September – mid-October)
Winter (December – March)

The Enchantments TraverseUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Recreation.gov — Enchantment Permit Area lottery · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

No fee or lottery for private groups under 20, but self-registration at the launch point is mandatory for all river users — it is the BLM's only safety record that you are on the river.

BLM — Upper Missouri River Breaks FAQ · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: May – September

Spring (May – June)
Summer (July – August)
Autumn (September – October)
Winter (November – April)

Full Upper Missouri Breaks guide

Upper Mustang TrekSouth & Southeast AsiaOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: May – October

Full Upper Mustang Trek guide

Upper Pines (Yosemite Valley)WorldwideOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Full Wind Cave National Park guide

Wind River High RouteUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: August – early September

Full Wind River High Route guide

Wonderland TrailUnited StatesOpen

Permits

We don't have verified permit details on file yet.

NPS — Mount Rainier wilderness permits · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

NPS — Yosemite wilderness permits · verified 2026-09-29
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: March – October

Full Yosemite Valley Floor guide

Yukon River: Eagle to CircleUnited StatesOpen

Permits

No permit required

The National Park Service does not require a permit to float the Yukon through the preserve or to camp on it. Commercial and guided operations do need authorization, and public-use cabins have their own rules. Confirm the current posting before you go.

Yukon-Charley Rivers permits and reservations · verified 2026-09-15
Full permits & access page

Gear lists

Matched by trip type

Destination packing checklist

Season calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best: Late June – August

Spring (Ice-out (typically May) – mid-June)
Summer (Late June – August)
Autumn (September)
Winter (October – April)

Full Zanskar Traverse (Padum to Darcha) guide