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Zion National Park Technical Climbing Permits

Wilderness Permit

Overview

Itinerary-based overnight bivy permit for technical climbing in Zion National Park, Utah. Covers big wall and multi-pitch routes on Zion Canyon's 2,000-foot sandstone cliffs. You select a specific route (wall) and dates when reserving. 18 route zones are available on recreation.gov, including Moonlight Buttress, Spaceshot/Leaning Wall, Prodigal Sun, Sheer Lunacy, Lunar Ecstasy, Monkeyfinger, Desert Shield, Lowe Route, ACL Arete, Crack in the Cosmic Egg, Disco Inferno, Gatekeeper Wall, Streaked Wall, Touchstone, Tricks of the Trade, Swoop Gimp or Be Dust, Tatoween, and an All Other Climbs catch-all. Permit required year-round for any overnight bivy on a wall. Day climbs and "fix and fire" climbs (no sleeping on the wall) do not require a permit. Max stay 14 consecutive nights per permit. This permit is separate from Zion's wilderness backpacking, Narrows, Subway, and canyoneering permits.

Bottom Line

Over half of climbing bivy permits are reservable online; roughly one-third are held back as walk-up only (first-come, first-served at the Wilderness Desk). Online reservations open quarterly on the 5th of the month at 10:00 AM MT -- three months of dates release at once. The most popular routes -- Moonlight Buttress and Spaceshot -- sell out quickly for peak spring (Mar--May) and fall (Sep--Nov) weekends. Midweek dates and less iconic routes have better availability. Cancellations return to recreation.gov immediately, so alerts can catch returned permits. Seasonal raptor closures shut down many routes starting March 1 through mid-to-late summer each year -- always check the NPS climbing closures page before booking. Permits must be picked up in person at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk the day before or day of your entry date. The reservation confirmation email is not a permit. Summer is brutally hot (100+ F even on shaded walls) and monsoon-prone; winter is cold and wet. Do not climb on wet sandstone -- it takes 2+ days to dry and holds break easily when damp.

Reservation Schedule

Quarterly FCFS release, all at 10:00 AM MT on opening day:

Jan -- Mar: opens Dec 5
Apr -- Jun: opens Mar 5
Jul -- Sep: opens Jun 5
Oct -- Dec: opens Sep 5

Reservations can be made until 5:00 PM MT the day before the trip start date. After that, unreserved permits are available walk-up only at the Zion Canyon or Kolob Canyons Wilderness Desks. Allow at least 20 minutes for permit pickup. Bring vehicle info (make, model, license plate). Reservation holder must pick up in person.

Fees

$20 non-refundable permit fee per reservation
$7/person/night bivy fee
Cancel or reduce group size before 5:00 PM MT day of trip: per-person fees refunded, $20 permit fee kept
Entry date cannot be changed -- must cancel and rebook
Itinerary (route/dates) can be modified online or in person, subject to availability. Adding people incurs additional fees
Same fees apply to walk-up permits issued in person

Routes

Reservable online (8 routes listed by NPS): Desert Shield, Lunar Ecstasy, Monkeyfinger, Moonlight Buttress, Prodigal Sun, Spaceshot/Leaning Wall, Touchstone Wall, Tricks of the Trade.

Additional routes on recreation.gov (10 more): ACL Arete, Crack in the Cosmic Egg, Disco Inferno, Gatekeeper Wall, Lowe Route, Sheer Lunacy, Streaked Wall, Swoop Gimp or Be Dust, Tatoween, All Other Climbs.

All routes are on Navajo Sandstone in Zion Canyon. Most are big wall / multi-pitch aid or free routes requiring portaledge bivouacs. "All Other Climbs" covers any route not individually listed.

Key Rules