GC Rafting Permit: Route and Dates
GC Rafting permits are drawn by lottery in Colorado Plateau Rivers. The route covers 279 miles.
Row the Colorado from river mile 0 at Lees Ferry through the deepest gorge in North America on a permit most people wait years to draw.
This guide covers the Grand Canyon river permit.
$25 lottery application + $90 river permit per person + $20 entrance fee per person 16 and over
Permit Cost
12-25 days
Duration
279 miles
Distance
expert
Difficulty
About GC Rafting
A noncommercial Grand Canyon river trip runs from Lees Ferry at river mile 0 down the Colorado, most often taking out at Diamond Creek. The permitted corridor extends to river mile 279 near Pearce Ferry. Launch dates come from a weighted lottery, a system the park selected in 2006. The main lottery is held each February for trips launching the following year, and applications are accepted online for the first three weeks of February. The 2026 main lottery was drawn on February 28, 2025 and awarded 412 launch dates - 336 standard-size and 76 small-size - spread across the whole of 2026. The National Park Service publishes per-date statistics for every lottery it runs: for 2026, individual dates were listed on anywhere from 8 to 257 applications, and the winning application for a given date held between 1 and 41 chances. Shorter 2-to-5-day trips launching from Diamond Creek work completely differently. Those permits are released one year in advance and are first-come, first-served, with no lottery at all.
This is the hardest private river permit in the country to get, and the National Park Service has run it as a weighted lottery since 2006 precisely because demand never let up. The 2026 main lottery, drawn on February 28, 2025, put 412 launch dates in play for the whole calendar year. Individual dates drew anywhere from 8 to 257 applications.
The GC Rafting route
- Distance
- 279 miles
- Route type
- point-to-point
- High point
- 3,100 ft
- Low point
- 1,150 ft
- Trip length
- 12-25 days
- Difficulty
- expert
Entry points: Lees Ferry, Diamond Creek
Grand Canyon. Nearest town: Page
Points along the route
- Lees FerryMile 0
- Redwall CavernMile 33
- Little Colorado RiverMile 61
- Phantom RanchMile 87
- Crystal RapidMile 98
- Deer Creek FallsMile 136
- Havasu CreekMile 157
- Lava FallsMile 179
- Diamond CreekMile 226
- Separation CanyonMile 240
- Pearce FerryMile 279
GC Rafting permit detailsandAll Colorado Plateau Rivers permits
The Experience
You are a mile below the rim with no way out but downstream. The walls stack up in bands you can read like a calendar, and the oldest rock at the bottom is older than almost anything else you will ever touch. Between rapids the canyon goes quiet enough to hear the boats work. Then Lava Falls arrives and the quiet is gone. By the second week the world above the rim stops feeling real.
Private trips launch at Lees Ferry, river mile 0. The permitted corridor runs to river mile 279 near Pearce Ferry, though most noncommercial trips take out at Diamond Creek, where the Hualapai Tribe charges a separate per-person, per-boat and per-vehicle fee to use the access road.
How long you get depends on when you launch. A noncommercial oar trip to Diamond Creek can run 25 days in January, February, November and December, 21 days in March, April, late September and October, 18 days in the first half of September, and 16 days from May through August. Motors are only allowed April through September 15, and are capped at 12 days.
The day before you launch, the Lees Ferry Ranger runs a checkout and orientation at 3:00pm MST, and every trip member has to be there with photo identification. After that it is your group's problem: all human waste and charcoal ash comes down the river with you, gathering firewood is prohibited, and nobody on the trip may be paid to be there.
What to Expect
A launch at Lees Ferry, river mile 0, with a corridor running to river mile 279 near Pearce Ferry
Diamond Creek as the usual take-out, with separate Hualapai Tribal fees to use the access road
Trip lengths set by launch month: 16 days May through August, up to 25 days in midwinter
Complete self-support - all human waste and charcoal ash is carried down the river
A mandatory ranger checkout at 3:00pm MST the day before launch, with every trip member present
One recreational river trip per person per calendar year through the Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek section
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Permit Requirements
Noncommercial trips carry no more than 16 people for a standard group or 8 for a small group, counting the trip leader
Every trip member launching from Lees Ferry must attend the 3:00pm MST ranger checkout the day before and present photo identification
A human waste carry-out system accompanies all trips, using washable, reusable containers approved by Grand Canyon National Park
All solid human waste and toilet paper leaves the canyon; charcoal ash is carried down the river
Gathering firewood is prohibited
No fee, charge, or compensation of any kind may be collected by any member of the trip - nobody can be paid to be there
One recreational river trip per calendar year through any part of the Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek section
No vessel may engage in primarily upstream travel above Separation Canyon at river mile 240
Motors are only permitted April through September 15, with a 12-day maximum trip length
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •A human waste carry-out system with park-approved washable, reusable containers
- •Fire pan and a container for charcoal ash
- •Rafts, dories or kayaks rated for sustained Class IV whitewater
- •Water treatment for the full group for the full trip length
- •Satellite communication device
- •Photo identification for every trip member at the Lees Ferry checkout
- •Full boat repair kit and spare oars
Recommended Gear
- •Wag-bag style systems for hiking away from camp
- •Dry boxes for the three weeks of food a long trip needs
- •Shade structure - summer at river level is brutal
- •A spare groover setup, because the primary one failing ends trips
Hazards & Safety
Sustained Class IV whitewater with pour-overs and holes big enough to hold a boat
Flash floods in side canyons - never camp in a drainage
Extreme summer heat at river level
Cold water year-round from the dam release, which makes a long swim dangerous even in August
No cell service and no road access for most of the corridor
A trip length set by your permit that you cannot extend if things go slowly
Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall are the sweet spot for weather, and they also come with longer permitted trip lengths - 21 days in March, April, late September and October, against 16 days from May through August. Midwinter launches get the maximum 25 days and near-total solitude in exchange for cold. Summer trips are hot enough at river level that shade becomes a serious piece of equipment.
Pro Tips
The February main lottery assigns launches for the following year, so you are applying more than a year out
You can list up to five launch date options - spread them across low-demand months rather than stacking peak weeks
Winter launches get the maximum 25-day trip length and draw the least competition
Diamond Creek take-out means Hualapai Tribal fees for every person, boat and vehicle, arranged in advance - budget for it
The lower canyon run from Diamond Creek is first-come, first-served a year out, with no lottery involved
Every trip member has to be at Lees Ferry for the 3:00pm MST checkout the day before launch, with photo ID
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a GC Rafting permit?
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GC Rafting permits are distributed through a lottery system. Apply during the lottery window, and if you're not selected, check for cancellations as they become available.
When is the best time to visit GC Rafting?
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Spring and fall are the sweet spot for weather, and they also come with longer permitted trip lengths - 21 days in March, April, late September and October, against 16 days from May through August. Midwinter launches get the maximum 25 days and near-total solitude in exchange for cold. Summer trips are hot enough at river level that shade becomes a serious piece of equipment.
How long is the GC Rafting route?
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The route is 279 miles, as a point-to-point. Plan on 12-25 days.
How difficult is the GC Rafting route?
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Boaters who have rowed big water and can commit two to three weeks to a trip with no exit.
Where does the GC Rafting route start?
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The permit covers 2 entry points: Lees Ferry, Diamond Creek.
What if I don't win the GC Rafting lottery?
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Cancellations happen regularly. Use PermitSnag to monitor availability and get alerts when spots open up. You can also check for walk-up permits or consider similar alternatives in the area.
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