Colorado River through Grand Canyon (Noncommercial)

This permit is managed outside of recreation.gov through the NPS portal at grcariverpermits.nps.gov. A weighted annual lottery generally opens in early February and closes in late February (exact dates vary by year — confirm the current year's window at grcariverpermits.nps.gov before applying). Permits cover launch dates in the following calendar year.

Extremely competitive. Roughly 450 noncommercial permits are issued per year total, with summer launch dates having acceptance rates well below 5%. The weighting system favors applicants who have not recently done a private Grand Canyon trip.

NPS describes noncommercial (private) trips from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek as 12–25 day trips. Exact on-river duration depends on travel pace and group size; consult the NPS regulations at grcariverpermits.nps.gov for current constraints.

No. The noncommercial Grand Canyon river permit is managed at grcariverpermits.nps.gov — outside of recreation.gov — so PermitAlert cannot watch it. Apply directly through the NPS portal.