Grand Canyon Noncommercial River Permits
COVID-19 River Update.
All river lotteries held on this website are for those who understand the COVID-19 situation, still want to go on a river trip, and understand that LAUNCHES OBTAINED THROUGH A LOTTERY CANNOT BE DEFERRED. The most recent Grand Canyon National Park operations updates can be found at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-national-park-public-health-update.htm.
Important Noncommercial river trips are self-guided river trips, awarded through a weighted lottery, for individuals who have previously acquired the river skills to coordinate and safely lead their own trips through technical, world-class rapids. For professionally guided river trips visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/river-concessioners.htm (opens in new window)
Lotteries
- CLOSED Lottery: 2023 Follow-up Lottery, 3-2-2023
opened on Feb 28, 2023, closed on Mar 2, 2023 at 12pm MST
There are three ways to know a lottery has opened.
New to the website? Create New River Profile
NPS Form 10-404, OMB Control No. 1024-0022, Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application
NPS Form 10-404 (Rev. 04/2021)
OMB Control No. 1024-0022
National Park Service
Expiration Date 01/31/2024
BACKCOUNTRY/WILDERNESS USE PERMIT APPLICATION
NOTICES
Privacy Act Statement
General:This information is provided pursuant to Public Law 93-579 (Privacy Act of 1974), December 21, 1984, for individuals completing this form.
Authority: 54 U.S.C. §100101, NPS Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1131-1136, Wilderness Act; 43 U.S.C. §1701 et seq.,16 U.S.C. §6801-6814, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act; 36 CFR Part 71, Recreation Fees; 36 CFR 1.6, Permits; and 36 CFR 2.23 Recreation Fees.
Purpose and Uses: To establish and verify an applicant's eligibility for a permit to conduct certain activities within the National Park System and to process permits for individual members of the public and organizations interested in obtaining a permit authorizing an activity. Information collected will be used to provide the public and permittees with permit-related information, to monitor activities conducted under a permit, to analyze data and produce reports to monitor the use park resources, to assess the impact of permitted activities on the conservation and management of protected species and their habitats, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the permit programs. The DOI and NPS may use the information to meet reporting requirements, to generate budget estimates and track performance, and to assist park staff with visitor education, fee collection, resource management and protection, recreational use planning, law enforcement and public safety personnel for such purposes as emergency contact and search and rescue efforts; to provide permit holders and participants with information about parks and their partners; and to provide reports of activities conducted under an issued permit.
Based on the disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, the National Park Service may share information with first responders and Federal, state, and local governments to provide information needed to locate an individual or render aid in an emergency; to recover debts owed to the United States; to respond to a violation or potential violation of the law; in response to a court order and/or discovery purposes related to litigation; or other authorized routine use when the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were compiled.
Effects of Nondisclosure: It is in your best interest to answer all of the questions. The U.S. Criminal Code, Title 18 U.S.C. 1001, provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony that may result in fines of up to $10,000 or 5 years in prison, or both. Deliberately and materially making false or fraudulent statements on this form will be grounds for not granting you a Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) and 36 CFR 1-7, 12 and 13 which authorize the National Park Service to require applicants to fill out this form to monitor resources and to protect visitors. This information is being collected to allow the park management to make value judgements necessary to enhance the safety and enjoyment of both the visitors and wildlife. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Estimated Burden Statement
Public Reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 8 minutes per response, including the time it takes for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form should be sent to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send this application to this address but rather to the park address.
On this website you can
- Create and manage your river profile, which contains your contact information, river points (chances), river trip history, payment history, lottery applications you have submitted or are listed on, and any launch dates you have been awarded (and their associated river permits and trip participant lists).
- Create, submit, pay for, and monitor the status of your lottery application when a noncommercial river trip lottery is open.
- Create, submit, pay for, and monitor the status of your river permit application (and associated trip participant list) after you have been awarded a launch date.
Permitting Process Overview
The following is a quick overview of the permitting process. A more detailed description of each step in the application and permitting process is available.
-
Create a user account (river profile).
Anyone listed as either a trip leader or a Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL) on a noncommercial river lottery application must have a user account (river profile) in this system.
-
Login and create a lottery application.
Once a lottery is open (and before it closes), interested individuals can login at any time to create and submit a lottery application.
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Finalize your lottery application.
Applicants can select up to five launch dates and choose PATLs. All PATLs listed on a lottery application must login and accept their PATL status before the lottery closes; PATLs failing to do so are not included in a lottery application.
-
Pay lottery application cost.
Unpaid applications are not included in a lottery run. Lottery applicants are required to pay a $25 lottery application cost, based on year of launch. Once the $25 cost has been paid for a given launch year, an applicant can apply in all later lotteries for the same launch year at no additional cost. Payment links are available to logged in users.
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Login to your profile or check email after lottery is run.
After the lottery is run, applicants are notified of the success/failure of their lottery application by email. Applicants can login at any time as well, to view the status of their lottery application.
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If you win a launch date, pay permit costs, complete a river permit application, and finalize a trip participant list.
If successful in a lottery, winners pay a trip deposit. Next they complete a noncommercial river permit application and pay final river permit costs. Additionally they submit a draft and then final trip participant list. All done online through this website. (detailed cost information can be found on the FAQ page at How much are permit costs?)
-
River permit is issued.
Once above steps are complete, the Grand Canyon River Permit Office issues a river permit to the trip leader (winning lottery applicant).
For more information about the weighted lottery visit www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/weightedlottery.htm (opens in new window).
By creating a river profile, entering a noncommercial river lottery, or submitting a noncommercial river permit application, you are consenting to the use of your information as described in the Purpose and Uses section of the Privacy Act Statement, NPS Form 10-404, OMB Control No. 1024-0022, Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application.
NPS Form 10-404, OMB Control No. 1024-0022, Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application
NPS Form 10-404 (Rev. 04/2021)
OMB Control No. 1024-0022
National Park Service
Expiration Date 01/31/2024
BACKCOUNTRY/WILDERNESS USE PERMIT APPLICATION
NOTICES
Privacy Act Statement
General:This information is provided pursuant to Public Law 93-579 (Privacy Act of 1974), December 21, 1984, for individuals completing this form.
Authority: 54 U.S.C. §100101, NPS Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1131-1136, Wilderness Act; 43 U.S.C. §1701 et seq.,16 U.S.C. §6801-6814, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act; 36 CFR Part 71, Recreation Fees; 36 CFR 1.6, Permits; and 36 CFR 2.23 Recreation Fees.
Purpose and Uses: To establish and verify an applicant's eligibility for a permit to conduct certain activities within the National Park System and to process permits for individual members of the public and organizations interested in obtaining a permit authorizing an activity. Information collected will be used to provide the public and permittees with permit-related information, to monitor activities conducted under a permit, to analyze data and produce reports to monitor the use park resources, to assess the impact of permitted activities on the conservation and management of protected species and their habitats, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the permit programs. The DOI and NPS may use the information to meet reporting requirements, to generate budget estimates and track performance, and to assist park staff with visitor education, fee collection, resource management and protection, recreational use planning, law enforcement and public safety personnel for such purposes as emergency contact and search and rescue efforts; to provide permit holders and participants with information about parks and their partners; and to provide reports of activities conducted under an issued permit.
Based on the disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, the National Park Service may share information with first responders and Federal, state, and local governments to provide information needed to locate an individual or render aid in an emergency; to recover debts owed to the United States; to respond to a violation or potential violation of the law; in response to a court order and/or discovery purposes related to litigation; or other authorized routine use when the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were compiled.
Effects of Nondisclosure: It is in your best interest to answer all of the questions. The U.S. Criminal Code, Title 18 U.S.C. 1001, provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony that may result in fines of up to $10,000 or 5 years in prison, or both. Deliberately and materially making false or fraudulent statements on this form will be grounds for not granting you a Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) and 36 CFR 1-7, 12 and 13 which authorize the National Park Service to require applicants to fill out this form to monitor resources and to protect visitors. This information is being collected to allow the park management to make value judgements necessary to enhance the safety and enjoyment of both the visitors and wildlife. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Estimated Burden Statement
Public Reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 8 minutes per response, including the time it takes for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form should be sent to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send this application to this address but rather to the park address.
NPS Contact Information
Grand Canyon National Park, River Permits Office
1824 South Thompson St, Suite 201
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-638-7884 or 800-959-9164 (Mon-Fri)
grca_riv(insert the at symbol here)nps(insert a dot here)gov