I have updated the Wilderness Permit Options information to better explain the permit pickup process at the Visitor Center, since the process has changed this year. Please look at
Step 6, which covers the Walk-in (No-Fee) Permit Options.
What I have tried to explain is this:
You can walk in and ask for an available permit before the no-shows are declared. There MAY be permits available due to possible cancellations, but more likely due to group size reductions -- people with reservations for a specific number, but some of their members dropped out of their hike.
My experience in May: At 8 am, when I picked up an overnight reservation for one, I tried to add another friend who was going with me. There were NO slots available. But at 8:30, the friend walked in and got his permit, since some other group had dropped a slot after 8 am, but before 8:30.
The reserved permits for overnight hikers must be picked up by 10 am on the date of their hike. Groups who have not cancelled, and do not show up by the 10 am deadline become no-shows. Their permits are automatically cancelled by the Recreation.gov reservation software (email messages are sent). The software makes them available at 11 am to the clerks at the Visitor Center. So a significant number typically becomes available at that time.
For day hikers, the pick-up deadline is 1 pm the day BEFORE the hike. So between 1 and 2 pm, the no-shows are processed automatically, and then become available at 2 pm.
For people with reservations, their permits are held and not re-issued, if they have confirmed on-line, or called the Wilderness Permit office and asked that the permits be held.
