No, the money you spend on lotteries doesn’t go to the park

From January to September 2022, permit fees for The Wave amounted to $958,020. Of this amount, Recreation.gov made $487,180. The park? $470,840.

To protect the sensitive landscape around The Wave, the Bureau of Land Management set up a lottery to limit access. It costs $9 to enter the lottery. $5 goes right into Recreation.gov’s pockets, which is managed by Booz Allen Hamilton, a 12 billion dollar government and military contractor. The BLM, on the other hand, collects $4 per lottery application, plus a $9/person fee — but only on successful applications. There is only a 3% chance to win The Wave lottery, so you can imagine how Recreation.gov can make more money than the BLM.

It’s not a unique situation. For all lotteries managed by Recreation.gov, Recreation.gov charges $6 to $10 per application.

If you want to maximize your chances of winning the lottery, have a look at my analysis of The Wave, Mt. Whitney, Half Dome, and Enchantment lotteries.

Some permits like Yosemite, Mt. Whitney, Enchantment, Mt. Rainier, North Cascades, and Yellowstone allow you to book outside of the lottery. Permits run out quickly, but you can use Outdoor Status to notify you when we find canceled permits.

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