You don’t need a permit lottery for your first overnight backpacking trip

Everyone treats their first overnight backpacking trip like it needs to be earned first — a permit lottery, a 12-mile approach, gear you don’t own yet. It doesn’t. Somewhere on the West Coast there’s a trailhead built for exactly this: short enough not to scare you off, scenic enough that you’ll want a second one.

These three are real and current right now. Pick based on how much paperwork you’re willing to deal with, because that’s honestly the biggest variable here — not the miles.

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Washington: Lena Lake skips the paperwork entirely

Lower Lena Lake, in Olympic National Forest above Hood Canal, is about as low-friction as overnight backpacking gets. It’s 6.4 miles round trip with 1,548 feet of climbing — real effort, but nothing that requires training.

The lake sits in old-growth forest below The Brothers, with a maintained backcountry camping area right at the shore. Camp at the lower lake and you won’t need a wilderness permit at all — just a Northwest Forest Pass or the day-use fee at the trailhead kiosk.

That’s the version of backpacking beginners actually need: pack, hike, pitch a tent, no reservation window to stress over. Push on toward Upper Lena Lake and you cross into Olympic National Park, where a separate wilderness permit kicks in — most first-timers turn around at the lower lake instead.

Oregon: Green Lakes makes you plan ahead, and it’s worth it

We’ve hiked Green Lakes as a day trip more than once, and it’s one of those Central Oregon trails that earns its reputation every time — glacier-fed water with Broken Top rising straight off the far shore.

It’s 9.3 miles round trip with about 1,177 feet of gain. Because it sits inside the Three Sisters Wilderness, overnight camping requires a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit between June 15 and October 15 — $6 per group through Recreation.gov, with roughly 60% of permits releasing just seven days out. You’ll also need a separate day-use pass for the trailhead itself.

You’ll camp at one of about 22 designated, numbered sites around the lakes rather than picking your own spot, which is a big part of why this shoreline still looks the way it does. Here’s the full permit breakdown before you book.

California: Loch Leven Lakes is the one for someone who’s never done this before

Take the Salmon Lake approach to Loch Leven Lakes, off I-80 near Truckee in Tahoe National Forest, and you’re looking at under 5 miles round trip with about 700 feet of climbing — genuinely the easiest of the three.

There’s no wilderness permit, no parking fee, and dispersed camping is allowed right at the lakes. If you’re talking someone else into their first overnight trip, this is the one that won’t scare them off before the trailhead.

My pick if you’re still not sure you’ll even like sleeping outside: start here, not Yosemite. Save the permit lottery for after you know you’re hooked.

One thing all three have in common right now

Campfires are banned at all three. Olympic, Deschutes/Willamette, and Tahoe National Forests are each under Stage 2 fire restrictions this week, meaning no wood fires and no charcoal at any of these trailheads.

Bring a canister stove with a shutoff valve instead and you’re fine at all three. It’s a small adjustment, and worth knowing before you’re standing at the campsite wondering why you can’t get a fire going.

So which one first? If paperwork stresses you out, start in Washington. If you don’t mind planning a week ahead for a better view, Oregon’s worth it. And if you’re bringing someone new to this along with you, California’s the safest bet.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.