News Release

Canyonlands National Park Backcountry and River Permit Reservations now Available on Recreation.gov

Date: October 23, 2020
Contact: Keri Nelson, 435-259-4351

Moab, UT – Beginning November 10, all Canyonlands National Park backcountry and river permit reservations will be available on Recreation.gov.

Recreation.gov provides a secure and reliable permit reservation service, allowing visitors to enter and manage reservations online, while still having access to park rangers for on-the-ground and up-to-date trip planning assistance.

For Backpacking and Four-Wheel-Drive/Mountain Bike Overnight Permits:

All land-based overnight camping permit reservations including White Rim Road and Needles backpacking will be available four months in advance for each of the following seasons and will close two days prior to a trip start date.

• March 10–June 9 (opens November 10)
• June 10–September 9 (opens February 10)
• September 10–December 9 (opens May 10)
• December 10–March 9 (opens August 10)

Please note, permit reservations will no longer be available night by night.

Campsites that are not reserved online will be available in person at the park’s visitor centers and at Canyonlands Backcountry Office in the park's administrative offices in Moab on a first-come, first-served basis, during normal business hours and seasons of operation. Due to the high demand for these permits, advanced reservations are highly recommended.

Four-Wheel-Drive and Mountain Bike Day Use Permits:

Four-wheel-drive and mountain biking day use permits will be available online, one day in advance. Fifty permits will be made available each day for the White Rim Road. Of those 50 permits, half (25) plus any permits not reserved online will be available in person at Island in the Sky Visitor Center and Canyonlands Backcountry Office in Moab on a first-come, first-served basis during normal business hours and seasons of operation.

River Permits: Cataract Canyon and Flatwater

All Cataract Canyon and Flatwater overnight permits will be available four months in advance for each of the following seasons and will close two days prior to a trip start date.

• April 14 – October 15 (opens December 14)
• October 16 – April 13 (opens June 15)

Cataract Canyon and Flatwater day use permits will be available one day in advance online.

Permit Fees

The following fees apply to backcountry and river permits:

Permit Reservation Type	Permit Reservation Fee
Land-based overnight permits	$36 (includes $6 Recreation.gov fee)
Land-based day use permits	$6 Recreation.gov fee if reserved online, no fee in person at park visitor centers/headquarters
Cataract Canyon and Flatwater overnight permits	$36 Permit Reservation fee (includes $6 Recreation.gov fee) + $20 per person
Cataract Canyon day use	$6 Recreation.gov fee + $10 per person
Flatwater day use	$6 Recreation.gov fee if reserved online, no fee in person at park visitor centers/headquarters