Angels Landing Permits: Lottery Dates and Day-Before Tips

You need a permit to hike the final half-mile of Angels Landing — the chains section from Scout Lookout to the summit — every day of the year. There is no walk-up line. You get one through Recreation.gov, either in a seasonal lottery a few months out or in a day-before lottery the afternoon before your hike. If you lose both, you can still hike the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout without a permit; you just cannot continue onto the chains.

Do you need a permit?

Yes, for any portion of the Angels Landing Trail beyond Scout Lookout. A permit is required at all times of day and all times of year. Hiking from The Grotto to Scout Lookout on the West Rim Trail does not require a permit. Rangers check permits on the chains section, so download your confirmation before you lose cell service in the canyon.

Seasonal lottery (plan this when you book the house)

The seasonal lottery is the best way to lock a date that matches a vacation-rental stay. You apply on Recreation.gov, rank up to seven preferred dates or date ranges, and pick a start-time window: before 9 a.m., 9 a.m. to noon, or after noon. Each application covers up to six people for a $6 non-refundable fee. If you are selected, Recreation.gov charges an additional $3 per person.

For 2026 hike windows, the National Park Service published these application periods (all times Mountain):

If you are reading this in early September 2026, the fall seasonal window has already closed. The next seasonal shot for winter hikes opens October 1. Until then, use the day-before lottery (below) or plan Scout Lookout as your backup summit day.

Vacation-rental tip: Apply for the seasonal lottery before you finalize which nights you book, or book flexible nights around your top-ranked hike dates. Groups larger than six need more than one application (and more than one person in the group who can be the permit holder on trail).

Day-before lottery (your second chance from the rental)

Missed the seasonal draw? Apply the day before you want to hike:

• Opens: 12:01 a.m. Mountain Time
• Closes: 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time
• Results: 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time

Same fees: $6 to apply (up to six people), then $3 per person if you win. Example: hike Tuesday → apply Monday between 12:01 a.m. and 3 p.m. MT, and you will know by 4 p.m. Monday whether tomorrow is a chains day.

That timing works well if you are based in Hurricane or La Verkin. You can spend the morning on a Sand Hollow or Quail Creek day, check results mid-afternoon from the house Wi‑Fi, and either pre-stage gear for an early Zion departure or pivot to Scout Lookout, Canyon Overlook, or the east side without wasting a paid Springdale parking scramble.

Start times, group size, and what to carry

Permits are issued for a start-time window. Your group should begin the hike in that window; rangers do check. Bring the confirmation email downloaded to your phone (and a screenshot backup). Carry water, sun protection, and sticky approach shoes — the sandstone gets slick with dust and heat.

If someone in your vacation group is uneasy with exposure, split the day: permit holders continue past Scout Lookout; everyone else turns around there and meets back at The Grotto shuttle stop. Scout Lookout itself is a real destination with big canyon views and no chains requirement.

Getting there from Hurricane (and why base outside Springdale)

From Hurricane, the usual drive is roughly 25–35 minutes east on UT-9 to Springdale and the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, depending on traffic and the south entrance line. La Verkin sits on the same corridor and is a similar gateway hop.

During shuttle season (in 2026 the canyon shuttle resumed March 7), personal vehicles are not allowed on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive north of Canyon Junction. You park at the visitor center or in Springdale and ride the free park shuttle to The Grotto (the Angels Landing / West Rim trailhead stop). Visitor-center parking often fills early; Springdale has paid lots and a town shuttle to the pedestrian entrance. Check the current NPS shuttle schedule the night before — last buses matter if your group finishes late.

Staying in Hurricane keeps you off Springdale’s overnight premium and puts Sand Hollow about 10 minutes the other direction for recovery days. Collection pages that match this base: Zion Village and Zion Skyline.

If you do not get a permit

You still have a full Zion day:

• West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout (same trailhead, no permit)
• Canyon Overlook on the east side after the Mount Carmel Tunnel (quieter, short, big payoff)
• Riverside Walk and, when conditions allow, the bottom-up Narrows (check flow and closures the morning of)
• Kolob Terrace Road viewpoints as a Hurricane-side alternative when the south entrance is slammed

Build one “permit day” and one “no-permit backup” into every Angels Landing trip plan. That is how vacation groups avoid a wasted prepaid night.

Where to stay

Base the group in Hurricane or La Verkin so an early shuttle run and a late day-before lottery refresh are both easy.

• Canyon Gateway Cottage in Hurricane — 5 bedrooms, sleeps 16 per the listing, private pool and hot tub, built for a permit-day crew that wants space to spread out gear.
• Adventure Skyline in Hurricane — 4 bedrooms, listed for 16 guests, private pool, a solid Zion Skyline–area base when you want balcony downtime after the chains.
• Slot Canyon Cottage in La Verkin — 4 bedrooms, sleeps 10, private pool and hot tub, about 30 minutes from Zion on the same UT-9 corridor.

Browse more homes in those gateway towns on Stay Utah, then apply for the lottery that matches your dates — seasonal if you can, day-before if you must.