The first step for visitors is to go to recreation.gov to make a wilderness permit reservation. For the Inyo National Forest, https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233262 is the direct link to the permit reservation site. There is also a website for learning more about the reservation process at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/inyo/passes-permits/recreation. Once you have your wilderness permit reservation, please plan to pick up your reserved permits in person at one of three visitor centers:
- Lone Pine: Interagency Visitor Center, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
- Bishop: White Mountain Ranger Station, open Thursday through Monday 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., closed for lunch from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
- Lee Vining: Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
If you are unable to stop by one of the three visitor centers listed above, then email issuance is an option. Email instructions can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/inyo/wildernesspermitpickup. Your permit will be emailed 1-2 days before your trip. Please do not send multiple emails to the Wilderness Permit Office. Follow the instructions, including the trip start date, starting trailhead, and reservation number in the subject line. Staff will process emails based on trip start date.