Core Zone lottery dates
Winners cancel all season. Set a cancellation alert and we tell you the moment a Core Zone spot opens.
We check the agency's schedule every day for Core Zone's next application dates, and this page updates the moment they post.
Published odds
What the agency publishes about Core Zone odds
<10% (Advance lottery — all zones, 2026).
“The majority (75%) of available permits are issued through an advanced permit lottery. The lottery is highly competitive and typically less than 10% of applicants are successful in obtaining a permit.”
How the Core Zone draw works
- Cost
- $6 lottery application + $5 per person, per day
- Daily quota
- 24 permits
- Max group size
- 8 people
Applications are filed through Recreation.gov. Open the official Core Zone page
Apply as a crew
Most lotteries let every member of a party apply, and only one entry has to win. A pool keeps the applications, the dates and the result in one place so nobody in the crew misses the deadline.
Start a pool for Core ZoneCore Zone lottery questions
What if I miss the Core Zone lottery?
Set a cancellation alert. Winners cancel all season, and PermitSnag tells you the moment a Core Zone spot opens. We remind you about the lottery dates too.
When does the Core Zone lottery open?
PermitSnag reads the official schedule every day and posts the next Core Zone window here the day it is announced.
What are the odds of winning the Core Zone lottery?
<10% (Advance lottery — all zones, 2026), published by Okanogan-Wenatchee NF — Enchantments Overnight Permits.