Weighted Lottery

Commercial River Trips are professionally guided river trips, available to the public, and often reserved a year or two in advance (more info).

The information on this page is for Noncommercial River Trips (self-guided river trips for individuals who have previously acquired the river skills to coordinate and safely lead their own trips through technical, world-class rapids; more info).

 

Background

In early 2006, after the completion of an extensive, multi-year public planning process, a weighted lottery system was selected for Grand Canyon National Park's noncommercial river permit system. The first weighted lottery was held in October 2006, and many follow-up lotteries have since taken place. Prior to the adoption of the weighted lottery system a waitlist was used to assign river launch dates.

The Annual Main Lottery

Each year in February a main lottery is held to assign launch dates for river trips occurring the next year. Follow-up lotteries are then held as needed throughout the remainder of the year to reassign cancelled and/or left-over river trips.

Lottery Eligibility Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old and not already a member of other noncommercial or commercial trips launching within the applied for year. No one may be listed on more than one application.

Lottery Costs

Applying through the weighted lottery costs $25, and those who are successful must immediately pay a nonrefundable deposit ($400 for standard size trips, $200 for small size trip). The deposit applies toward final permit fees. Final permit fees are currently $100 per person and are due 90 days before launch.

The $25 lottery application fee is charged once for each launch year for which a trip leader applies. After you have paid an application fee for a launch year, you can apply in all later lotteries for that launch year for no additional fee. The application fee is paid after a lottery application is submitted and can only be paid when a lottery is open.

Lottery application fee and river permit fees are nonrefundable.

Setting up a Profile and Registering to Receive Email Updates

You can access the weighted lottery website (https://npspermits.us/) for free year-round to setup a profile, modify an existing profile, or to sign up to receive email updates on upcoming releases of launch dates and river news. Even if you are presently not seeking a river trip but are interested in a future date, you are strongly encouraged to register.

How to Apply

When a noncommercial lottery is open, a list of available dates can be found on the Available Noncommercial River Launch Dates web page.

Lottery applications are accepted through the weighted lottery website (https://npspermits.us/) only when lotteries are open. During those times, you login and click on "Create Lottery Application" (this button is only visible when a lottery is accepting applications).

More information about applying and about other river and lottery related questions can be found at the River and Weighted Lottery FAQ page.