Williams News Logo
Grand Canyon News Logo

Trusted local news leader for Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon

Park accepting 2019 non-commercial river trip permit lottery applications

Four hundred and sixty-eight permits are available for 12 to 25 day river trips on the Colorado through the Grand Canyon for non-commercial trips.
Stock photo

Four hundred and sixty-eight permits are available for 12 to 25 day river trips on the Colorado through the Grand Canyon for non-commercial trips.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — On Feb. 1, the National Park Service began accepting applications for non-commercial river trip permits to raft the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

The permits are for specific launch dates within calendar year 2019. A total of 468 permits will be available for 12- to 25-day river trips. Eligible individuals may apply online at the weighted lottery website (https://grcariverpermits.nps.gov). Applications will be accepted online through noon Mountain Standard Time Feb. 21.

Each year in February, a main lottery is held to assign launch dates for river trips occurring the next year. Public notifications regarding main lotteries are made by both email and news release. In addition to the annual main lottery, follow-up lotteries are held as needed throughout the remainder of the year to reassign canceled and/or left-over river trips. Public notifications for these follow-up lotteries are made through email, an RSS feed, and Twitter (twitter.com/GCRiverPermits).

The weighted lottery website can be accessed for free year-round to create or modify an account and to sign-up to receive email notifications. Individuals who are interested in a future noncommercial river permit are strongly encouraged to create an account. Lottery applications are accepted through the weighted lottery website only when lotteries are open.

Individuals must be 18 years or older to apply for a river trip permit. Noncommercial river trips must be self-guided, and technical whitewater experience is mandatory on each trip. Individuals may participate on a maximum of one recreational river trip per year (commercial or noncommercial).

Individuals interested in professionally-guided river trips should not apply through the lottery, but instead request space on a commercial trip. A list of commercial companies offering guided trips is available at www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/river-concessioners.

More information about the 2019 Main Lottery is available from Grand Canyon National Park at www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/weightedlottery or by contacting the River Permits Office at 1-800-959-9164 or 928-638-7884, or by email us at grca_riv@nps.gov.


Donate Report a Typo Contact