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Grand Canyon National Park Noncommercial River Permits

All river lotteries held on this website are for those who understand that LAUNCHES OBTAINED THROUGH A LOTTERY CANNOT BE DEFERRED. Grand Canyon National Park operations updates can be found at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-national-park-public-health-update.htm (opens in new window).

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: 2024 Follow-up Lottery, 10-3-2024
    opened on Oct 1, 2024, closed on Oct 3, 2024 at 12pm MST

There are three ways to know a lottery has opened.

  • in your river user account, opt-in to receive email notifications
  • subscribe to our RSS feed
  • visit this website, open lotteries are listed here on the homepage

On this website you can

  • Create and manage your river user account, 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.

  1. Create a river user account (profile).

    Anyone listed as either a trip leader or a Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL) on a noncommercial river lottery application must have a river user account.

  2. Create and submit a lottery application.

    When a lottery is open (and before it closes), interested individuals can login to their river user account to create and submit a lottery application. Up to five launch date choices can be selected and PATLs can be added to the application. (Note: the lottery is a weighted lottery, standard points are the basis for the system and are used to weight the lottery. For more information see "Why is it called a weighted lottery?")

  3. Pay the launch year lottery application cost.

    Unpaid applications are not included in a lottery run. Lottery applicants 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. A payment link is shown on the trip leader's river account.

  4. Update/edit a submitted lottery application.

    Trip leaders can modify a submitted application at any time prior to the designated lottery close date and time (i.e. change trip dates, add/delete PATLs, cancel the application).

  5. Pay a trip deposit (lottery winners only).

    Trip leaders who win a launch date pay a trip deposit. Trip deposits are usually due the day after a lottery closes. Lottery applicants are notified of the success/failure of their application by email after a lottery has closed. Applicants can also login to their river account and view the status of their lottery application.

  6. Complete a noncommercial river trip permit application, a trip participant list, and pay final permit costs.

    If successful in a lottery, trip leaders 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 in your river user account. (detailed cost information can be found on the FAQ page at How much are permit costs?)

  7. Print issued noncommercial river permit.

    The Grand Canyon River Permit Office issues a river permit to the trip leader.

For more information about the weighted lottery visit www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/weightedlottery.htm (opens in new window).

By creating a river user account, 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

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)
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