Skip to content
Canyonlands Needles — Wooden Shoe Canyon permit area in Canyonlands National Park - backcountry hiking destination
Booked one camp per night, in order

Canyonlands Needles — Wooden Shoe Canyon Permit

Canyonlands National Park · Utah

Backpacking permit for Wooden Shoe Canyon in the Needles District of Canyonlands. 2 designated campsite(s).

Get an alert when a night opens on your Wooden Shoe Canyon dates.

Get alerts for your Wooden Shoe Canyon nights

A Wooden Shoe Canyon reservation is a sequence of nights, and each night books a camp.

Give us your trip window and we check every night of it across all camps on this permit, then tell you the moment nights open.

Cover the whole trip, plus any spare days you could shift onto. A wider window catches more openings.

The window above is how much time you have to work with. This is how many nights the trip itself takes. Leave it blank and we'll check every night in the window. We alert you when 2 or more nights in a row open.

Party

70% of the openings our scanner caught on Wooden Shoe Canyon were gone within 10 minutes.

Wooden Shoe Canyon reservation dates

max group size
7people

Canyonlands Needles backcountry campsites and zones

The Needles backpacking district books two ways: 20 numbered campsites in 7 areas, and 4 at-large zones where you camp anywhere inside. Every party is 7 people at most.

  • 20designated campsites
  • 7site areas, each on its own page
  • 4at-large zones
  • 7people per party, district-wide

Designated campsites · a numbered site each night

At-large zones · camp anywhere inside

Designated campsites

Wooden Shoe Canyon

WS1WS2
Sites
WS1, WS2
Nightly cap
2 numbered sites
Group size
7 people per party
Trailhead
Needles Campground Loop A Trailhead

How to get a Wooden Shoe Canyon permit

As of September 2026, Wooden Shoe Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, Utah requires a permit issued via reservation. Wooden Shoe Canyon rates 6/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Wooden Shoe Canyon permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens.

Type
Backpacking
Location
UT

  1. Step 1: Create a Recreation.gov account

    Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.

  2. Step 2: Know the release schedule

    Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.

  3. Step 3: Be ready when permits drop

    Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.

  4. Step 4: Monitor for cancellations

    If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.

Book at Recreation.gov
Learn more:
Best booking timesCancellation huntingRecreation.gov tips

More on Wooden Shoe Canyon: Live availability activityWhen Wooden Shoe Canyon permits open upChance of an opening

The Wooden Shoe Canyon hike

Wooden Shoe Canyon landmarks

  1. 1Needles Campground Loop A Trailhead
  2. 2Wooden Shoe 1 (WS1)
  3. 3Wooden Shoe 2 (WS2)

When to hike Wooden Shoe Canyon

Weather Forecast

Trailhead (5,000 ft)

Today

🌧️

70°

57°

35%

Wed

☁️

80°

59°

Thu

☀️

82°

56°

Fri

☀️

85°

63°

Sat

☁️

86°

65°

Sun

☁️

86°

65°

Mon

🌧️

83°

64°

View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.

Wooden Shoe Canyon rules, gear and safety

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Wooden Shoe Canyon.

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Wooden Shoe Canyon · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

Some links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.

Wooden Shoe Canyon FAQ

How do I get a Wooden Shoe Canyon permit?

PermitSnag alerts you the moment a Wooden Shoe Canyon cancellation opens, so you can book it before anyone else. Wooden Shoe Canyon permits use a reservation system.

When is the best time to visit Wooden Shoe Canyon?

Season dates are on the agency's page. Weekdays have better availability than weekends.

How competitive is the Wooden Shoe Canyon permit?

This permit has a demand score of 6/10, making it moderately competitive.

What if I can't get a Wooden Shoe Canyon permit?

Cancellations happen daily. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to get notified the moment a spot opens up. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.

Wooden Shoe Canyon trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

No active conditions reported

Sign in to report trail conditions.

Questions

No questions yet

Be the first to ask about Wooden Shoe Canyon.

Trip Reports

Write Report

No trip reports yet

Be the first to share your experience at Wooden Shoe Canyon.

Write the First Report

Alternatives to a Wooden Shoe Canyon permit

Where to stay near Wooden Shoe Canyon

Plan the full trip, not just the permit

Build your full itinerary start to finish

Add your dates and get a day-by-day plan: what needs a permit, what gear to bring, and one link to share with your whole group to coordinate every step.

Plan a trip here

No permit needed to start

One tick helps us more than you’d think

Google lets you pick the sites it highlights for you. Add PermitSnag and our permit pages get marked as one of yours in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Add PermitSnag in Google

Takes less than a minute.