Yosemite Wilderness Permit — Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang
Yosemite National Park · California
Wilderness permit for overnight camping starting from the Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang trailhead in Yosemite National Park.
Get an alert when Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang opens on your dates.
When it opens
- 24 weeks
- Lottery opens 24 weeks before your entry date, at 12:01 am Pacific60% of the quotaYou apply on Recreation.gov.
- 1 week
- First come, first served from seven days before your entry date, at 7 am Pacific, until three days before40% of the quotaYou book on Recreation.gov.
Source: recreation.gov
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang were gone within 10 minutes.
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang reservation dates
We alert you to cancellations and the 7 am release. Your start day also sets your lottery week.
October 2026
- Your start date
- Same lottery week: one application covers all 7 days
- Outside the Tuolumne Meadows reservation season (Jun 18 to Oct 14)
YOUR START
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Your lottery week is the October 4 to 10 lottery. It opens 178 days before you start.
1 · APPLY
Sun, Apr 12, 2026 to Sat, Apr 18
Opens Sunday 12:01 am, closes Saturday 11:59 pm Pacific. Up to eight options on one application.
Passed for this start
2 · RESULTS, THEN ACCEPT
Mon, Apr 20
Results by 5 pm. Accept by Thu, Apr 23, 11:59 pm.
Passed for this start
3 · YOUR 7-DAY RELEASE
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 7:00 am PDT
The other 40% of the day's quota, first-come, first-served on Recreation.gov. Be logged in before 7.
Opens within a day
YOUR TIMELINE · LOTTERY WEEK, THEN THE LAST WEEK BEFORE YOU START
- SUN 12:01 AM · OPENSSun, Apr 12, 2026Applications open
- SAT 11:59 PM · CLOSESSat, Apr 18Applications close
- MON BY 5 PMMon, Apr 20Results
- THU 11:59 PMThu, Apr 23Accept by
- FRI 9 AMFri, Apr 24Leftovers go first-come
- 23 WEEKSCancellations any day. We alert you.
- 7 DAYS OUT · 7 AM PDTWed, Sep 30, 2026The other 40% open
- LAST DAY TO RESERVESun, Oct 4Three days before you start
- YOU STARTWed, Oct 7, 2026Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang
Source: National Park Service, Yosemite wilderness permit reservation window, 2026 table, and the wilderness permit FAQ. Times are Pacific.
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang daily quota
20 people a day. 12 by lottery, 8 seven days out.
Counted in people, not permits
Lottery, 24 weeks out
60% of the day
12
7 days out, 7 am PDT
40% of the day
8
NPS trailheads table: Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang | 12 | 8 | Flush | Park at wilderness center or Dog Lake parking. Half Dome eligible.
- daily quota
- 20people
- max group size
- 15people
How to get a Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permit
As of September 2026, Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang in Yosemite National Park, California requires a permit issued via reservation. Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The permit season for Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang runs June 18 through October 14.
- Type
- Overnight
- Location
- Sierra Nevada, CA
Step 1: Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Step 2: Know the release schedule
Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.
Step 3: Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Step 4: Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang pro tips
- Park at the wilderness center or the Dog Lake lot. NPS names both, and the trailhead itself has no parking
- Set your alarm for the seven-day release: 8 of the 20 daily spots never go through the lottery at all
- Carry a stove. Fires are out at Vogelsang, at Boothe Lake, and above 9,600 feet, which is most of this trip
- If your dates are before mid-June, check Tioga Road first. A closed road voids the permit with no refund
- Book the Half Dome add-on with the permit if you want it, since it is issued with the permit and costs $10 per person
More on Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang: Live availability activityWhen Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permits open up
How much a Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permit costs
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permit fee: Recreation.gov permit 445859 lists a $10 reservation fee and a $5 per-person use fee, plus a $10 lottery registration fee to enter a weekly lottery. Half Dome adds $10 per person, collected when the permit is issued.
The Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang hike
- Route Type
- Varies
- Duration
- 2-4 nights
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang landmarks
- 1Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center
Trailhead and permit pickup. Park here or at the Dog Lake parking lot.
- 2Vogelsang High Sierra Camp
NPS mileage from the trailhead. Backpacker sites nearby, but no toilet at them any more.
- 3Merced Lake via Fletcher Creek
The shorter of the two ways down to Merced Lake.
- 4Merced Lake via Lewis Creek
The other branch out of the Vogelsang basin.
- 5Isberg Pass
Deep in the park's southeast corner, for parties with a week.
The Tuolumne trailhead that puts you at Vogelsang, the highest of the High Sierra Camps, in a single day, and one of the few Tuolumne permits that lets your whole party walk up Half Dome.
About this permit
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang is a Tuolumne Meadows wilderness trailhead in Yosemite National Park. The permit reserves your entry point and your start date, and after that you travel where you like inside the wilderness rules.
NPS sets the daily quota at 20 people. Twelve of those are reservable by lottery 24 weeks in advance, and the other eight open first-come, first-served one week in advance. Across the park, 60 percent of each trailhead quota goes to the 24-week lottery and 40 percent is released seven days out.
This is one of the Tuolumne trailheads where Half Dome is available. NPS says all members of the permit are eligible to walk up Half Dome, with an additional $10 per person due when the permit is issued. Reservations for the Tuolumne Meadows area run June 18 to October 14, 2026, and the trailhead is first-come, first-served outside that window.
The route
The trailhead is at the Tuolumne Meadows wilderness center, and NPS asks you to park either there or at the Dog Lake parking lot. The first stretch follows the Lyell Fork through sub-alpine meadow before the Rafferty Creek trail branches south and starts climbing.
NPS lists Vogelsang High Sierra Camp at 6.9 miles from the trailhead, which makes it a long but very doable first day for a fit party. Past Vogelsang the trail forks: Merced Lake is 14.9 miles out via Fletcher Creek or 15.7 via Lewis Creek, and Isberg Pass is 25.4 miles.
Camping rules bite early here. You must travel at least four miles from Tuolumne Meadows before you can camp, so there is no bailing out after two miles. Fires are prohibited in the Vogelsang area, at Boothe Lake, and anywhere above 9,600 feet, which covers most of what you will walk through.
One detail that catches people out: NPS says there is no longer a toilet at the backpacker sites at Vogelsang. If you stay near Fletcher Lake, the park asks you to walk several hundred feet out from the campground boundary to go to the bathroom.
Why it matters
Rafferty Creek is the short way into the Cathedral Range's south side. NPS describes the route as following the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River through sub-alpine meadows and then climbing along Rafferty Creek to Tuolumne Pass, Vogelsang, and destinations beyond. From Tuolumne Pass the whole Fletcher and Lewis Creek country opens up, and the trail keeps going all the way to Merced Lake and out to Yosemite Valley.
The feeling
The first two miles are flat river meadow at 8,600 feet, and then the trail turns uphill and does not stop until Tuolumne Pass. You climb out of lodgepole into open granite benches, and the Cathedral Range lines up behind you the whole way. Vogelsang sits on a bare shoulder with almost no tree cover, so the wind is real and the stars are absurd.
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang hike highlights
- A daily quota of 20 people: 12 by lottery 24 weeks out, 8 released one week out
- Flush toilets at the trailhead, per the NPS trailhead table
- Parking at the Tuolumne Meadows wilderness center or the Dog Lake parking lot
- Vogelsang High Sierra Camp at 6.9 trail miles, per NPS mileages
- No toilet at the Vogelsang backpacker sites
- Tioga Road closed in winter, typically opening in late May, which is why reservations start in June
How hard the Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang hike is
- Physical DemandFitness and endurance required3/5
- Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
- Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential2/5
- NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
- CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route3/5
Best for: Backpackers who want High Sierra scenery on maintained trail, and parties who want a Tuolumne start that keeps Half Dome on the table.
Recommended experience: One prior overnight at altitude and comfort with a 7-mile day carrying a full pack.
Not recommended for: Anyone who has not camped above 9,000 feet, or who needs a short first day. The four-mile camping restriction means you commit on day one.
When to hike Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang
Best time to visit
Reservations for the Tuolumne area run June 18 to October 14 in 2026, and that window is the season. Mid-July through August is when the basin is reliably snow-free and the meadows are at their best. September brings cold nights and thin crowds, and there is no overnight parking on Tioga Road after October 15.
- Peak
- July and August
- Shoulder
- Late June and late September
Summer
Snow-free trail to Tuolumne Pass by mid-July most years. Afternoon thunderstorms are common.
Crowd level · high
- Advantage: Whole route open, including the Merced Lake connections
- Advantage: Long daylight for the 6.9-mile push to Vogelsang
- Advantage: Half Dome cables are up, and this trailhead is Half Dome eligible
- Challenge: The busiest stretch of the reservation window
- Challenge: Storms over exposed ground above Tuolumne Pass
- Challenge: Mosquitoes in the Lyell Fork meadows early in the season
Fall
Cold, clear and dry. Reservations run to October 14 and overnight parking on Tioga Road ends October 15.
Crowd level · moderate
- Advantage: Quiet basin and easy first-come, first-served walk-ups late in the window
- Advantage: No mosquitoes
- Advantage: Best light on the Cathedral Range
- Challenge: Hard freezes at Vogelsang
- Challenge: Early storms can close Tioga Road with little warning
- Challenge: Short days for a long first-day push
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Today
51°
34°
Tue
63°
41°
Wed
66°
48°
Thu
72°
45°
Fri
70°
46°
Sat
72°
47°
Sun
68°
46°
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang photography guide
Golden Hour
Late light on Fletcher Peak and the Vogelsang basin, shot from the open granite above the camp.
Best Light
Early morning on the Lyell Fork meadows before the wind picks up, when the river goes glassy.
Beat the Crowds
Everyone stops at Vogelsang. Push over Tuolumne Pass toward Boothe Lake or down Fletcher Creek and the traffic drops off fast.
Classic Shots
- The Cathedral Range lined up behind you from the Rafferty Creek climb
- Fletcher Lake with Vogelsang Peak behind it
- Tuolumne Pass looking back down the Rafferty drainage
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang rules, gear and safety
Gear checklist
Required- An allowed bear-resistant food canister: hanging or counterbalancing is not legal anywhere in Yosemite Wilderness
- A stove, because you will be camping above the 9,600-foot fire line most nights
- Wind shell and a warm layer for the exposed Vogelsang basin
- Water treatment
- Trowel and bags to pack out toilet paper, which Yosemite requires
Rules & regulations
- 01Travel at least four miles from Tuolumne Meadows before camping
- 02Maximum group size is 15 people, or 8 for any cross-country hiking more than a quarter mile off trail
- 03Allowed bear-resistant food canisters are required for food storage in all areas of Yosemite Wilderness
- 04Fires are prohibited in the Vogelsang area, at Boothe Lake, and above 9,600 feet
- 05Camp at least 100 feet from any water source and from any trail
- 06Along the Tuolumne watershed, do all washing and waste disposal 300 feet from water
- 07Half Dome is available with this trailhead for every person on the permit, at $10 per person
- 08If Tioga Road is closed on your date the permit is not valid and there is no refund
Hazards & considerations
- Afternoon thunderstorms, which NPS notes the Sierra are known for in summer, on a route that spends hours above treeline
- Bears working the Tuolumne corridor, including at the trailhead parking
- Cold nights at Vogelsang even in midsummer, since the basin sits high and open
- Snow lingering on the climb to Tuolumne Pass in early season
Safety & planning
Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang.
Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides
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Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang FAQ
How many people per day get a Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang wilderness permit?
NPS sets the quota at 20 people per day. Twelve are reservable by lottery 24 weeks in advance and eight are released first-come, first-served one week in advance.
Can I hike Half Dome on a Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permit?
Yes. NPS lists this trailhead as Half Dome eligible, and says all members of the permit are eligible to walk up Half Dome. There is an additional $10 per person due when the permit is issued.
How far do I have to hike before I can camp on a Rafferty Creek permit?
At least four miles from Tuolumne Meadows. That rule is on the permit itself, and it means Vogelsang or the upper Rafferty drainage is realistically your first night.
Is there a toilet at the Vogelsang backpacker sites?
No. NPS states there is no longer a toilet at the backpacker sites at Vogelsang, and asks anyone camping near Fletcher Lake to disperse several hundred feet from the campground boundary.
When can I reserve a Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permit?
Reservations for the Tuolumne Meadows area cover June 18 to October 14, 2026. Sixty percent of the quota goes into a weekly lottery 24 weeks ahead, and the remaining 40 percent is released seven days in advance.
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang trail conditions and trip reports
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Write the First ReportAlternatives to a Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang permit
- Same AreaPermit required
Lyell Canyon (no Donohue Pass)
The other Tuolumne Meadows river start, following the Lyell Fork south through the canyon.
Tradeoffs
Much flatter walking and a smaller daily quota of 10 people, and it is not eligible for Half Dome or for exiting Yosemite on the John Muir Trail.
- Same AreaPermit required
Glen Aulin
Downstream from Tuolumne Meadows along the Tuolumne River to the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.
Tradeoffs
A bigger daily quota of 25 people so it is easier to land, but you must camp the first night at Glen Aulin and Half Dome is not available.
- Easier AlternativePermit required
Young Lakes via Dog Lake
A shorter Tuolumne trip north into the Ragged Peak country, with Young Lakes 6 miles from the trailhead.
Tradeoffs
Less mileage and less climbing, but it does not connect onward to Merced Lake or the Vogelsang basin.
Where to stay near Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang
- Yosemite Creek CampgroundYosemite National Park
- Porcupine Flat CampgroundYosemite National Park
- White Wolf CampgroundYosemite National Park
- All California campgrounds
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