Yosemite Wilderness Permit — Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass)
Yosemite National Park · California
Wilderness permit for overnight camping starting from the Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) trailhead in Yosemite National Park.
Get an alert when Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) 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 Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) were gone within 10 minutes.
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) 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, 2026Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass)
Source: National Park Service, Yosemite wilderness permit reservation window, 2026 table, and the wilderness permit FAQ. Times are Pacific.
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) daily quota
15 people a day. 9 by lottery, 6 seven days out.
Counted in people, not permits
Lottery, 24 weeks out
60% of the day
9
7 days out, 7 am PDT
40% of the day
6
NPS trailheads table: Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) | 9 | 6 | Vault | Half Dome eligible.
- daily quota
- 15people
- max group size
- 15people
How to get a Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) permit
As of September 2026, Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) in Yosemite National Park, California requires a permit issued via reservation. Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The permit season for Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) 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.
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) pro tips
- Store toiletries in the canister too, not just food. NPS calls this area out for repeat bear success
- Clouds Rest at 7 miles makes a better objective than Half Dome at 13 if you only have two days
- Add the Half Dome permits when you book the wilderness permit, at $10 per person
- A one-way to Yosemite Valley is 17.3 miles and needs a car or the shuttle at both ends
- Six of the fifteen spots come out seven days ahead, which is the realistic route in
More on Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass): Live availability activityWhen Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) permits open upChance of an opening
How much a Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) permit costs
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) permit fee: Recreation.gov permit 445859: a $10 lottery application plus $5 per person if you win. A reservation made after the lottery costs a one-time $10 per permit plus $5 per person instead. Half Dome adds $10 per person, collected when the permit is issued.
The Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) hike
- Route Type
- Varies
- Duration
- 1-3 nights
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) landmarks
- 1Sunrise Lakes
NPS mileage from the Tenaya Lake trailhead.
- 2Sunrise High Sierra Camp
Backpacker sites near the camp.
- 3Clouds Rest
The summit ridge above Tenaya Canyon, higher than Half Dome.
- 4Half Dome
NPS mileage by this route. Available on this permit at $10 per person.
Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest in seven miles, on one of the few Tuolumne trailheads that keeps Half Dome on the permit.
About this permit
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) is a Tuolumne-area wilderness trailhead at the western end of Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park.
NPS sets the daily quota at 15 people: 9 reservable by lottery 24 weeks in advance and 6 released first-come, first-served one week in advance. The trailhead is Half Dome eligible, and NPS states all members of the permit are eligible to walk up Half Dome with an additional $10 per person due when the permit is issued.
The one thing this permit does not do is leave the park. NPS states that hiking over Donohue Pass and hiking the John Muir Trail is not available for this trailhead. Reservations for the Tuolumne area run June 18 to October 14, 2026.
The route
From the western end of Tenaya Lake the trail climbs to the Sunrise Lakes junction. NPS puts Sunrise Lakes at 3.3 miles, Sunrise High Sierra Camp at 5.8 and Clouds Rest at 7.0.
Beyond that the loop options open up. Half Dome is 13.0 miles by this route, Tuolumne Meadows is 14.0 and Yosemite Valley is 17.3, which makes a Tenaya-to-Valley one-way a very good three-day trip.
Bears are the practical concern. NPS says bears have successfully obtained food from backpackers in this area on a regular basis, and asks that all food and toiletries be stored in a bear canister. Camp at least 100 feet from any water source, and keep washing and waste 300 feet from water throughout the Tuolumne watershed.
Why it matters
NPS describes this very popular trail departing from western Tenaya Lake and following switchbacks up toward Sunrise Lakes or Clouds Rest, with loop options toward Merced Lake, Half Dome or Cathedral Lakes. It is the shortest backpacking approach to Clouds Rest, and NPS lists it as Half Dome eligible with every member of the permit able to walk up.
The feeling
The switchbacks out of Tenaya Lake are the only real work. Above them the country flattens into slabs and lakes, and then Clouds Rest arrives with a summit ridge that most people rate above Half Dome itself.
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) hike highlights
- A daily quota of 15 people: 9 by lottery 24 weeks out, 6 released one week out
- Vault toilets at the trailhead per the NPS trailhead table
- Clouds Rest at 7 miles and Half Dome at 13, per NPS mileages
- Half Dome available for every person on the permit at $10 per person
- No Donohue Pass and no John Muir Trail exit on this permit
How hard the Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) hike is
- Physical DemandFitness and endurance required3/5
- Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills2/5
- Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential3/5
- NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
- CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route3/5
Best for: Parties heading for Clouds Rest or a Tenaya-to-Valley traverse, and Half Dome hopefuls starting high.
Recommended experience: A previous overnight at altitude, plus a head for exposure if Clouds Rest or the cables are on the plan.
Not recommended for: John Muir Trail hikers, since this permit does not allow the Donohue Pass exit.
When to hike Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass)
Best time to visit
Reservations run June 18 to October 14 in 2026. July through September is the reliable window for Clouds Rest and the Half Dome cables. September is the best of it, with cold nights and thin crowds.
- Peak
- July and August
- Shoulder
- Late June and late September
Summer
Warm days on the slabs, storms most afternoons, cables up on Half Dome.
Crowd level · high
- Advantage: Half Dome available on the permit
- Advantage: Clouds Rest at 7 miles
- Advantage: Loop options to the Valley or Tuolumne
- Challenge: Heavy bear pressure
- Challenge: Storms on exposed ridges
- Challenge: Only 15 permits a day
Fall
Cold and dry, reservations to October 14.
Crowd level · moderate
- Advantage: Quiet camps
- Advantage: Best light on Clouds Rest
- Advantage: Easier walk-up permits
- Challenge: Cables come down at the end of the season
- Challenge: Hard freezes
- Challenge: Short days for a one-way to the Valley
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°
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) photography guide
Golden Hour
Sunrise from the Clouds Rest ridge, with Half Dome in silhouette and Tenaya Canyon below.
Best Light
Late afternoon at Sunrise Lakes, when the granite goes warm.
Beat the Crowds
Day hikers own Clouds Rest from mid-morning. Camp near Sunrise and go up at dawn.
Classic Shots
- Tenaya Lake from the top of the switchbacks
- The Clouds Rest summit ridge
- Half Dome's north face from Clouds Rest
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) rules, gear and safety
Gear checklist
Required- An allowed bear-resistant food canister, for food and toiletries both
- Gloves for the Half Dome cables if that is part of the plan
- Water treatment
- A stove, since fires are prohibited above 9,600 feet
Rules & regulations
- 01Hiking over Donohue Pass and hiking the John Muir Trail is not available for this trailhead
- 02Store all food and toiletries in a bear canister. NPS reports regular bear success here
- 03Camp at least 100 feet from any water source
- 04Along the Tuolumne watershed, do all washing and waste disposal 300 feet from water
- 05Maximum group size is 15 people, or 8 for cross-country hiking more than a quarter mile off trail
- 06Half Dome is available with this trailhead for every person on the permit, at $10 per person
- 07If Tioga Road is closed on your date the permit is not valid and there is no refund
Hazards & considerations
- Persistent bear activity, which NPS calls out for this trailhead specifically
- Clouds Rest's summit ridge, which is narrow and exposed
- Afternoon storms on open slabs with a long way to shelter
- Snow on the initial switchbacks into early summer
Safety & planning
Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass).
Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides
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Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) FAQ
Can I hike Half Dome on a Sunrise Lakes permit?
Yes. NPS lists this trailhead as Half Dome eligible and states all members of the permit are eligible to walk up Half Dome, with an additional $10 per person due when the permit is issued.
How far is Clouds Rest from the Sunrise Lakes trailhead?
NPS puts Clouds Rest at 7.0 miles, with Sunrise Lakes at 3.3 and Sunrise High Sierra Camp at 5.8.
How many people per day get a Sunrise Lakes permit?
NPS sets the quota at 15 people per day: 9 by lottery 24 weeks in advance and 6 first-come, first-served one week in advance.
Can I hike the John Muir Trail on a Sunrise Lakes permit?
No. NPS states that hiking over Donohue Pass and hiking the JMT is not available for this trailhead.
Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) trail conditions and trip reports
Trail Conditions
No active conditions reported
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Trip Reports
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Write the First ReportAlternatives to a Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass) permit
- Same AreaPermit required
Murphy Creek
The trailhead across the road at Tenaya Lake, heading north to Polly Dome Lakes and Glen Aulin.
Tradeoffs
Quieter and gentler, without Clouds Rest or Half Dome.
- Similar ExperiencePermit required
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang
A Tuolumne start that is also Half Dome eligible, climbing to the Vogelsang basin.
Tradeoffs
A larger quota at 20 people a day, in a completely different basin.
- Easier AlternativePermit required
May Lake
A short Tioga Road walk to a lake below Mount Hoffmann.
Tradeoffs
Much easier and much shorter, with no summit objective.
Where to stay near Sunrise Lakes (no Donohue Pass)
- Yosemite Creek CampgroundYosemite National Park
- Porcupine Flat CampgroundYosemite National Park
- White Wolf CampgroundYosemite National Park
- All California campgrounds
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