This free app finds just-canceled permits for Yosemite, other California parks

Got a burning itch to hike Yosemite’s Half Dome but can’t get one of those permits, worth their weight in gold? You might try your luck with WildPermits, a free service that pings you the moment someone cancels a permit to Yosemite or other popular parks in California and the Pacific Northwest.

The service is the creation of Michael Feger, a recent San Francisco State University grad from Milpitas who enjoys backpacking in Yosemite National Park and Inyo National Forest. “Over the years, backpacking has gotten much more popular, especially after Covid,” he says. “It has gotten to the point where you have to pay to enter lotteries just for a small chance of getting your desired permit.”

Feger says he has nothing against this system, being a necessary measure for natural conservation. But like many outdoor enthusiasts, he finds the process of snagging a permit exhausting.

“For lower-traffic areas, there are systems in place where permits are released on Recreation.gov at 7 a.m. for permits that start six months from that day. So you are competing to secure the permit that you want with hundreds or thousands of other people refreshing the page,” he says.

For Half Dome specifically, a person might spend more than $50 in lottery fees just trying to get a permit for the weekend, Feger says. He applied every available week last year for a Half Dome permit with zero success. “I wanted to create a service that was fair to people that want to wake up early or enter lotteries for a chance at a first pick, and also fair to people who may not be able to plan trips months in advance.”