First-Come, First-Served6/10
Colorado Rivers Lower Grand Canyon (Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry) permit
52-mile Lower Grand Canyon river trip from Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry. Unlike...
LotteryRiver AccessVery High Demand
Colorado River (Grand Canyon) Permit
The ultimate river trip—225 miles through the heart of the Grand Canyon, past billion-year-old rock, world-class rapids, and hidden waterfalls only accessible by river.
“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.”
How to get GC Rafting
GC Rafting is issued by the agency rather than through a booking calendar. Their page has the current process and any dates.
Official permit pagePlanning another trip? See the permits we watch.
How to get GC Rafting
GC Rafting is issued by the agency rather than through a booking calendar. Their page has the current process and any dates.
Official permit pagePlanning another trip? See the permits we watch.
Two ways to land it
Track cancellations or run a lottery pool
Core feature
Fast Lane tracking
We watch GC Rafting for cancellations 24/7 and alert you when a spot opens so you can book before it's gone.
Start free cancellation watchPro or $19 alert
Lottery pool
Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds. We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.
See plans to start a poolMost crews do both: pool for the lottery, watch for cancellations.
Plan the full trip, not just the permit
Build your full itinerary start to finish
Add your dates and get a day-by-day plan: what needs a permit, what gear to bring, and one link to share with your whole group to coordinate every step.
Start a plan — it's free
No permit needed to start
GC Rafting Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodLottery
Demand LevelExtremely High10/10
SeasonJanuary 1 - December 31
Cost$25 lottery application + $90 river permit per person + $20 entrance fee per person 16 and over
Max Group Size16 people
GC Rafting Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, GC Rafting in Colorado Plateau Rivers, Arizona requires a permit issued via lottery.
- GC Rafting is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 10/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The GC Rafting lottery typically opens Applications are accepted online for the first three weeks of February, for launches the following year and closes Closes at noon MST on the announced date, which has moved between February 21 and February 25 across recent cycles - check grcariverpermits.nps.gov, with results announced Results are emailed and posted online by the end of February.
- The permit season for GC Rafting runs January 1 through December 31.
- The GC Rafting route covers 279 miles, rated expert.
Key Information
Key Dates
Lottery OpensApplications are accepted online for the first three weeks of February, for launches the following year
Lottery ClosesCloses at noon MST on the announced date, which has moved between February 21 and February 25 across recent cycles - check grcariverpermits.nps.gov
ResultsResults are emailed and posted online by the end of February
SeasonJanuary 1 - December 31
Permit Details
TypeRiver Access
Booking MethodLottery
Demand Level10/10
LocationGrand Canyon, AZ
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
What to Expect
Route Details
Distance
279 miles
Route Type
Point to Point
Duration
12-25 days
Difficulty
ExpertElevation Range
1,150 - 3,100 ft
Highlights
- •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
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.
Hazards & Considerations
- !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
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (1,320 ft)
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Backcountry Tips
- Today: Extreme heat (96°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.
- Tomorrow: Extreme heat (95°F). Carry extra water, start at dawn.
- Windy conditions: Bring wind-resistant shelter if camping.
Today
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96°
76°
41%
Mon
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95°
71°
Tue
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94°
72°
31%
Wed
🌧️
90°
73°
25%
Thu
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91°
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30%
Fri
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90°
74°
Sat
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91°
73°
View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.
How to Get This Permit
1
Create a Grand Canyon National Park account
Sign up at Grand Canyon National Park if you don't have an account. Verify your email and add payment info ahead of time.
2
Apply during the lottery window
Submit your application between Applications are accepted online for the first three weeks of February, for launches the following year and Closes at noon MST on the announced date, which has moved between February 21 and February 25 across recent cycles - check grcariverpermits.nps.gov. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.
3
Wait for lottery results
Results are typically announced Results are emailed and posted online by the end of February. Check your email and your Grand Canyon National Park account.
Learn More
When to Go
Peak: April through OctoberShoulder: March and November, when trip lengths are long and lottery demand drops
Conditions
Mild air temperatures and the longest shoulder-season trip lengths - 21 days in March and April.
Crowd Level
ModerateAdvantages
- +Comfortable temperatures for hiking side canyons
- +21-day permitted trip length
- +Long daylight without summer heat
Challenges
- !Wind is at its worst in spring
- !Water is still cold
- !Popular window, so cancellations move fast
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand3/5
Fitness and endurance required
Technical Skill5/5
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Exposure Risk5/5
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Navigation2/5
Route finding and trail clarity
Commitment5/5
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Boaters who have rowed big water and can commit two to three weeks to a trip with no exit.
Recommended Experience
Substantial Class IV experience on your own oars plus multi-day self-support expedition skills. Someone on the trip needs to have run it before.
Not Recommended For
Anyone whose whitewater experience is commercial day trips, and anyone who cannot clear the calendar for the full permitted trip length.
About This Permit
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.
The Experience
Why It Matters
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 Route
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.
The Feeling
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.
Trailhead Information
Lees Ferry
River mile 0 and the launch for all 12-to-25-day noncommercial trips.
Restrooms
No water
Weak Signal
Parking
All trip members must be present for the Lees Ferry Ranger checkout and orientation at 3:00pm MST the day before launch, and must show photo identification.
Getting There
Reached from US 89A near Marble Canyon, Arizona.
Nearest Services
Marble Canyon and Page, Arizona.
Diamond Creek
The standard noncommercial take-out, and also the launch for 2-to-5-day trips.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Getting There
Access is over the Hualapai Tribe's Diamond Creek Road. The Tribe charges a fee for each person, boat and vehicle, and permits must be arranged in advance.
Nearest Services
Peach Springs, Arizona.
Rules & Regulations
- •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 Checklist
Required
- 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
- 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
Plan Your Trip
Better odds with a crew
GC Rafting is a lottery. Every friend who applies adds another entry, so a crew gets more shots at the same permit than any one of you alone.
One of you runs the pool (Pro or a $19 alert). Everyone else joins free.
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Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for GC Rafting
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Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
Browse all shuttles🧭
Guide Services
Experienced wilderness guides
Browse all guidesSome links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.
Key Landmarks
Lees Ferry
River mile 0 and the launch point for every 12-to-25-day noncommercial trip. Ranger checkout and orientation is at 3:00pm MST the day before launch.
Redwall Cavern
Massive natural amphitheater. Powell claimed it could hold 50,000 people.
Little Colorado River
Turquoise tributary (conditions permitting). Sacred to Hopi and Navajo.
Phantom Ranch
Only developed area on river. Canteen for snacks. Bright Angel Trail access.
Crystal Rapid
Powerful rapid rated 7-10 depending on flow. One of the canyon's biggest.
Deer Creek Falls
180-foot waterfall accessible via short hike from river.
Havasu Creek
Famous turquoise waterfalls and pools. Highlight of the trip.
Lava Falls
The big one—rated 9-10. Most formidable rapid on the river.
Diamond Creek
The standard noncommercial take-out. Taking out here means paying Hualapai Tribal fees for each person, boat and vehicle on the Diamond Creek Road, arranged in advance.
Separation Canyon
No vessel may engage in primarily upstream travel above this point.
Pearce Ferry
The downstream end of the permitted river corridor.
Lottery Statistics
Competitive
estimated success rate
Get detailed lottery statistics and tips. Sign up to track this permit.
Boost Your Chances
Apply with a crew to multiply your combined odds, and let auto win-detection tell you the moment you win — you never have to check Grand Canyon National Park. Win-detection reads the result email you forward us, so it takes a one-time setup in your inbox (about two minutes, and we walk you through it). Pool and auto win-detection are on Pro or a $19 permit alert.
Apply these for the best odds
- Apply every year even if you don't win. The weighted lottery gives repeat non-winners a better chance in later years.
- List flexible launch dates. The Main Lottery's 482 available dates are spread across the entire year; being flexible on season improves your effective odds.
Opens the official lottery — you submit your entry. We never automate or store your Grand Canyon National Park login.
Full lottery odds & strategy →Safety & Planning
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Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for GC Rafting.
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Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
GC Rafting FAQ
How does the Grand Canyon river permit weighted lottery work?
The National Park Service selected a weighted lottery for the noncommercial river permit system in 2006. A main lottery is held each February to assign launch dates for trips occurring the next year, and applications are accepted online for the first three weeks of February. Applications carry chances that weight the draw, and applicants may list up to five launch date options.
How many Grand Canyon river launch dates are in the lottery?
The 2026 main lottery, run on February 28, 2025, awarded 412 launch dates - 336 standard-size and 76 small-size - spread across the full 2026 calendar year.
What are the odds of winning a Grand Canyon river permit?
The National Park Service does not publish a success rate. Its official lottery statistics report per-launch-date figures instead: for 2026, individual dates appeared on between 8 and 257 applications, and the application that won a given date held between 1 and 41 chances.
What does a Grand Canyon noncommercial river permit cost?
It is $25 to submit a lottery application, paid once per launch year. Winners pay a $200 small trip or $400 standard trip deposit that applies toward final costs, then $90 river permit cost per participant plus a $20 entrance fee per participant aged 16 and over. Participants added after the permit is issued cost an extra $100 each.
How many people can be on a Grand Canyon noncommercial river trip?
No more than 16 people for a standard group or 8 people for a small group at any point in the trip, counting the trip leader and all passengers.
How long can a Grand Canyon private river trip be?
It depends on your launch month. For noncommercial oar trips from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek the maximum is 25 days in January, February, November and December, 21 days in March, April, late September and October, 18 days September 1 to 15, and 16 days May through August. Motorized trips are only allowed April through September 15 and are capped at 12 days.
Can you run the Grand Canyon without winning the lottery?
Yes, on the lower section. Permits for 2-to-5-day noncommercial trips launching from Diamond Creek are available one year in advance and are distributed first-come, first-served.
👥Community
Trail Conditions
No active conditions reported
Sign in to report trail conditions.
Photography Guide
Golden Hour
Reflected light is the whole game down here. The best inner-gorge light is bounced off a sunlit wall onto a shaded one, which happens for a few minutes near sunrise and sunset.
Best Light
The inner gorge needs midday sun to reach the water at all. Side canyons are the opposite - they photograph best fully shaded, when nothing in frame is blown out.
Beat the Crowds
The permit system does the work - launches are spaced and there is no way for the corridor to get busy. Winter launches get the longest trip lengths, 25 days in January, February, November and December, and the fewest other boats.
Classic Shots
- 📍A boat entering a major rapid, shot from the scout on river right
- 📍The stacked rock bands of the inner gorge with a raft for scale
- 📍Turquoise side-creek water meeting the green main stem
- 📍Camp on a sand beach with the walls going pink at last light
- 📍A side-canyon waterfall shot in full shade
- 📍The groover with a view, which is a genuine Grand Canyon tradition
Can't Get a GC Rafting Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry
Same AreaThe 2-to-5-day lower canyon run launching from Diamond Creek. These permits are released one year in advance and distributed first-come, first-served - no lottery.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
A far shorter trip that misses the upper canyon entirely, but it is the only way to run Grand Canyon whitewater without a lottery draw.
Desolation and Gray Canyons
Similar ExperienceA multi-day Green River trip through Utah canyon country with a much less competitive permit.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Smaller water and a shorter trip, but the same self-support desert-canyon rhythm and a permit you can realistically get.
San Juan River
Easier AlternativeA friendlier southern Utah desert river that works as a training trip for a Grand Canyon launch you have not drawn yet.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Much easier whitewater and much easier permits, which is exactly the point while you wait out the lottery.
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Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your GC Rafting trip
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