State Parks Backcountry Permits
Backpack, cart-in, canoe-in and boat-in sites in state park systems outside California and Utah. Small facilities (often one to six sites) that sell out on summer weekends and reopen only on a cancellation.
About State Parks Permits
Backpack, cart-in, canoe-in and boat-in sites in state park systems outside California and Utah. Small facilities (often one to six sites) that sell out on summer weekends and reopen only on a cancellation.
We check 31 of these permits for cancellations, including Kalalau Trail, Glendalough Yurts and Tettegouche Camp, and alert you the moment a spot opens.
Best Time to Visit
Check individual permit pages for specific seasonal recommendations.
Top State Parks permits
The most sought-after permits in this category.
- Glendalough Remote Yurt Camp (Canoe-In) permit· Glendalough
- Kalalau Trail permit· Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park (HI)
- Newport Wilderness Campsites permit· Newport
- Rock Island Backpack Campsites permit· Rock Island
- Tettegouche Camp Remote Cabins permit· Tettegouche
- Afton Hike In Campsite permit· Afton
- Chippewa Flowage Boat-In Campsites permit· Chippewa Flowage
- Copper Falls Backpack Campsite permit· Copper Falls
- Glendalough Canoe-In Campsites permit· Glendalough
- Whitewater Gooseberry Glen Cart-In Campground permit· Whitewater
- Kettle Moraine North Backpack Sites permit· Kettle Moraine N
- Kettle Moraine South Backpack Sites permit· Kettle Moraine S
Signature Experiences
The most sought-after permits in State Parks
Glendalough Yurts
9/10“Two canvas yurts with woodstoves on a motor-free lake, bookable in midwinter.”
Kalalau Trail
9/10“Eleven miles of exposed cliff trail along the Na Pali Coast, ending at a beach you cannot drive to.”
Newport Wilderness
9/10“Seventeen hike-in sites along eleven miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, in a park with no drive-up camping at all.”
Parks & Wilderness Areas
Browse permits by location (44 locations)
Afton permits
Hike-in camping in the St. Croix River bluffs 30 minutes from the Twin Cities. Every site is walked ...
Frontenac permits
Cart-in and backpack camping above Lake Pepin on the Mississippi, on the Mississippi Flyway migratio...
Glendalough permits
Canoe-in camping and a canoe-in yurt camp on Annie Battle Lake, a motor-free heritage fishery in the...
Great River Bluffs permits
Cart-in camping on the goat-prairie bluffs 500 feet above the Mississippi near Winona....
Maplewood permits
Backpack camping in the hardwood hills and lakes of west-central Minnesota, best known for its fall ...
Mille Lacs Kathio permits
Backpack camping in the Rum River headwaters at Mille Lacs Lake, a National Historic Landmark Distri...
Nerstrand permits
Walk-in and cart-in camping in one of the last remnants of the Big Woods, an hour south of the Twin ...
Split Rock Creek permits
Cart-in camping on the Sioux quartzite prairie of far southwestern Minnesota, around the park lake....
St. Croix permits
Minnesota's largest state park, with two backpack sites a long walk in between the St. Croix and Ket...
Thru-Hikes & Long Trails
Epic multi-day traverses in State Parks (14 trails)
Knobstone Trail
Knobstone Trail Thru-Hike (IN)
Indiana's longest continuous footpath: 58 miles of steep, narrow ridgeline through Clark and Jackson...
3-5 days
Midstate Trail
Midstate Trail (MA)
92 miles across central Massachusetts state forests and reservations, from the Rhode Island line to ...
Jordan River Pathway
Jordan River Valley (MI)
An 18-mile loop above Michigan's first designated Wild and Scenic River, linking the Deadman's Hill ...
1-2 nights
Long Path
Long Path Thru-Hike (NY)
358 miles from the George Washington Bridge north through the Palisades, Harriman State Park, the Sh...
3-4 weeks
Devil's Path
Catskill Park (NY)
A notoriously steep 25.2-mile ridge route across six Catskill summits, run by NYS DEC. Almost no swi...
2-4 days
Escarpment Trail
Catskill Park (NY)
23.9 miles along the rim of the Catskill front range, from North-South Lake north to Windham, with s...
2-3 days
Northville-Placid Trail
Adirondack Park (NY)
The Northville-Placid Trail runs about 138 miles through the Adirondack Park's Forest Preserve, from...
8-10 days
Oregon Coast Trail
Oregon Coast State Parks (OR)
The Oregon Coast Trail runs about 362 miles along the Oregon coastline through dozens of state parks...
varies by section, 2-10 days per section; a full thru-hike takes several weeks
Susquehannock Trail System
Susquehannock Trail System Thru-Hike (PA)
The STS: an 82-mile loop through Susquehannock State Forest on old CCC fire trails, marked with oran...
5-7 days
Quehanna Trail
Quehanna Trail Thru-Hike (PA)
A 70-plus-mile orange-blazed loop across Moshannon and Elk State Forests, starting and ending at Par...
4-6 days
Chuck Keiper Trail
Chuck Keiper Trail (PA)
A 50.6-mile loop in Sproul State Forest, split into a 22-mile East Loop and a 34-mile West Loop join...
Mid State Trail
Rothrock State Forest (PA)
The Mid State Trail is Pennsylvania's longest trail, running from the Maryland border to New York ac...
typically 3-4 weeks for a full thru-hike
North-South Trail
North-South Trail (RI)
78 miles from the Atlantic coast near Ninigret north to the Massachusetts border, crossing Rhode Isl...
4-6 days
Cumberland Trail
Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park (TN)
The Cumberland Trail is a linear Tennessee state park stretching across the Cumberland Plateau, buil...
3-4 weeks for the ~210 completed miles; the full corridor is not yet continuously hikeable
Search State Parks Permits
Find specific permits or browse all 51 permits
Glendalough Yurts
ReservationGlendalough · State Parks
Kalalau Trail
ReservationPopularNa Pali Coast State Wilderness Park (HI) · State Parks
Newport Wilderness
ReservationNewport · State Parks
Rock Island
ReservationRock Island · State Parks
Tettegouche Camp
ReservationTettegouche · State Parks
Afton Hike In
ReservationAfton · State Parks
Chippewa Flowage
ReservationChippewa Flowage · State Parks
Copper Falls
ReservationCopper Falls · State Parks
Glendalough Canoe
ReservationGlendalough · State Parks
Gooseberry Glen
ReservationWhitewater · State Parks
Kettle Moraine N
ReservationKettle Moraine N · State Parks
Kettle Moraine S
ReservationKettle Moraine S · State Parks
Maplewood Boat-In
ReservationMaplewood · State Parks
Buckhorn South
ReservationBuckhorn · State Parks
Buckhorn West
ReservationBuckhorn · State Parks
Chippewa Moraine
ReservationChippewa Moraine · State Parks
Frontenac Backpack
ReservationFrontenac · State Parks
Frontenac Cart-In
ReservationFrontenac · State Parks
Governor Dodge
ReservationGovernor Dodge · State Parks
Great River Bluffs
ReservationGreat River Bluffs · State Parks
Explore Other Regions
Planning a bigger trip? Check out permits in other areas.
State Parks Permit FAQ
How many backcountry permits does PermitSnag track in State Parks?
PermitSnag tracks over 51 backcountry permits across State Parks, including day-use permits, overnight permits, thru-hike entries, and specialized permits like canyoneering and river access.
What are the most popular permits in State Parks?
The most popular State Parks permits include Glendalough Yurts, Kalalau Trail, Newport Wilderness. The most competitive of those sell out immediately when released.
How do I get notified about State Parks permit cancellations?
Sign up for PermitSnag to receive instant alerts when State Parks permits become available due to cancellations. Our system monitors availability 24/7 and notifies you immediately.