The application window has opened for 2023 private river permits to run the Colorado through Grand Canyon National Park/NPS file

The application period has opened for 2023 private river trips on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

A total of 359 permits will be available for 12- to 25-day river trips. Eligible individuals may apply online at the weighted lottery website. Applications will be accepted online through 12 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, February 22. 

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.

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. 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 for 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 can be found by visiting: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/river-concessioners.htm. 

For more information about the 2023 Main Lottery, please visit the Grand Canyon National Park web site, contact the River Permits Office at 1-800-959-9164 or 928-638-7843, or email us at e-mail us.