WD3 Sportsman Lake (Backpacker)

Permit required

WD3 Sportsman Lake (Backpacker) is a designated backcountry camp. You cannot reserve it directly — you must name it on a wilderness permit, and camping here without one is not permitted.

Apply for the permit on Recreation.gov

Located at Sportsman Lake.

Accessible by: Backpacker

Maximum group size: 10 people

Maximum stock: 0

Stay limit: 3 nights

Trails to the campsite may be snow covered prior to July. Electric Pass may have deep snow and be uncrossable prior to mid-July.

Campfires Allowed: Yes. Extinguish Fires before leaving site - DROWN, STIR, FEEL.

Pit Toilet: No. Trowel required - bury waste 6-8 inches deep.

Food Pole minimum 30 feet of rope required.

No off-trail travel within Gallatin Bear Management Area (May 1-Nov 10).

Glen Creek and Snow Pass Trailheads are CLOSED in 2025. Refer to a map for alternate entry/exit point.

Fees

Early Access Lottery Application/Reservation Fee: $10 (non-refundable). The application fee is charged for all applications to the early access lottery (regardless of success) and for all other permit reservations. Recreation Fee: $5 per person, per night plus the $10 non-refundable reservation fee (if the reservation is booked through the lottery, the $10 non-refundable reservation fee will not apply since you have already paid the $10 non-refundable lottery application fee). The recreation fee is charged year-round for permits secured through this website or in-person at a backcountry office. Entrance Fee: Yellowstone charges an entrance fee separate from permit fees. You may pay the fee upon arrival or purchase in advance. The park honors valid America the Beautiful-the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes (also known as an interagency passes, e.g., Senior, 4th Grade, Military, etc.). Visit the park's Fees & Passes web page.

Rules

This website provides access to view availability and to secure reservations for permits. Pre-plan your trip using the park's Camping in the Backcountry web page and other resources and guidebooks. We encourage you to participate in the early access reservation lottery if you plan to camp in high-demand areas (e.g. Slough Creek, Bechler area, Heart Lake, and Shoshone Lake) during peak season. You may not reserve non-standard itineraries (including long mileage, undesignated campsites, switching travel methods, or more than 14 nights) through Recreation.gov. Contact the Central Backcountry Office for help reserving a permit in these situations. During the early access lottery period, Central Backcountry Office staff are available to help Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. From May through early October, staff is available daily. When planning your trip, please keep the following in mind: Your reservation is not a permit. You must pick up permits in-person at a park Backcountry Permit Office within two days of the trip start date. Not all campsites are reservable in advance. Sites designated as "In-Station" and are only available in-person within two days of the trip start date. You may need more than one permit if your trip is non-contiguous. A separate backcountry permit is required anytime you return to your vehicle and travel to a new trailhead. You may stay up to 3 consecutive nights at any one campsite unless otherwise noted in the campsite description. Some campsites have 1- and 2-night limits. Obtaining multiple permits to bypass site restrictions (i.e night limit, travel method, etc.) is not permitted. Obtaining multiple permits with overlapping dates for the same individuals using different accounts is not permitted. Each campsite has a limit on the number of people, stock, and boats. If your group exceeds the number of people permitted at a campsite, you will need to split into separate groups and obtain separate permits with different trip leaders. Groups must cook, eat, and sleep separately. Affiliated groups may not congregate in a campsite if the total amount of people exceeds the campsite capacity. Camping in designated sites is required (except during the winter and in certain circumstances where designated sites do not exist, with approval from park staff). Pay attention to the allowable travel method(s) for each campsite as listed in the campsite name: e.g., Backpacker, Stock, Llama, Non-Motorized Boat, Boat You may not stay at a campsite that does not correspond to your method of travel. Backpackers are not allowed to reserve campsites which show "Stock", "Non-Motorized Boat", or "Boat" as the only category of user in the campsite name. You must be travelling with stock in order to stay at a campsite with "Stock" as the only travel category. You must be travelling by non-motorized boat in order to stay at a campsite with "Non-Motorized Boat" as the only travel category. You must be travelling by boat (either motorized or non-motorized) in order to stay at a campsite with "Boat" as the only travel category. You must be travelling by foot in order to stay at a campsite with "Backpacker" as the only travel category. Food poles or metal boxes are provided at designated campsites. You must bring 30 feet (9m) of rope to secure your food on the provided poles. All food, trash, and scented items must be hung from the food-pole or inside the bear box. Items must be properly secured anytime they’re not directly attended. Approved hard sided bear resistant containers may be used in lieu of hanging. Soft-sided containers must be hung from the food pole or stored in the bear box. Bring a trowel for human waste disposal. Human waste must be disposed of in a pit toilet or buried in a cat hole dug 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) deep at least 100 feet (30.5 m) from water, trails, and campsites. Pets are not permitted on trails and in the backcountry. A park entrance fee is required for entry into the National Park. Pay your entry fee in person or online. The park also honors valid America the Beautiful-the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes (also known as an interagency passes, e.g., Senior, 4th Grade, Military, etc.). Early Season Backcountry access is limited during May and June due to deep snow and streams swollen from snow melt. Snow and dangerous stream crossing may persist in some areas well into July. Contact the Central Backcountry Office for trip planning assistance. Boating Review the park's Boating page for detailed regulations, fees, and safety information. The boating season starts the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend and extends through October 31. All watercraft, including float tubes and paddle boards, must purchase a Yellowstone boat permit and be inspected for Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) before launching. AIS inspections and boat permits are available 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily at Bridge Bay, Grant Village, and Lewis Lake. Plan accordingly. A 30-day dry time is required for all sailboats and certain complex motorized boats (inboard, inboard/outboard, or inboard jet drives). The following are banned in Yellowstone: watercraft equipped with sealed internal ballast tanks, watercraft with evidence of dead or live mussels, watercraft previously fouled with mussels, regardless of dry time. Stock Use Contact the Central Backcountry Office for help planning trips with stock. Campsites allowing stock have limits on the annual amount of stock use. Although a campsite may appear to be available, it may have reached its Stock Use Limit and not be available for camping with stock. Reservations are reviewed by staff and subject to change. The earliest a stock trip can start is on July 1st of a given year. Several stock sites have a later opening date due to grazing not being ready. Stock users must possess proof of a negative Coggins test performed within the last 12 months for all equine stock entering Yellowstone. Review Yellowstone’s Stock Regulations for more information.

Stay Limit

3 nights

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Availability

Permit quota applies to each night. See the dated quota below, then choose your camp in the permit flow.

Permit quota

Permit trip planning

Show this permit: Yellowstone National Park Backcountry Permits

Food storage: Food poles or metal boxes are provided at designated campsites. You must bring 30 feet (9m) of rope to secure your food on the provided poles. All food, trash, and scented items must be hung from the food-pole or inside the bear box. Items must be properly secured anytime they’re not directly attended. Approved hard sided bear resistant containers may be used in lieu of hanging. Soft-sided containers must be hung from the food pole or stored in the bear box.

Permit lists pack animals: Horse or pack mule, Llama. Check the site rules and dates.

Maximum stock: 0. Check the rules for seasonal restrictions.

Minimum group size: 1

Camp lists a group-size cap of 10; check permit rules

Stay limit at this camp: 3 nights

Maximum trip length: 14 nights

Check the full permit fees and rules and this page's Rules section before planning your trip.