Canyoneering Permits

Duration:

1 minute, 33 seconds

A step-by-step guide for using recreation.gov to apply for the day use Advanced Canyoneering Reservation in Zion National Park. This reservation is not a permit. Pick up your permit at the Wilderness Permit Office located within the Visitor Center either the day prior or day of your trip.

 

 

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Wilderness Permits do not provide a safety net for park visitors. Visitors are responsible for their personal safety, making informed decisions, and managing individual and group behavior in the Wilderness environment. The purpose of a Wilderness permit is to protect resources, manage visitor encounter rates, and educate users on safety concerns and resource protection.

Wilderness areas are subject to natural forces such as wildfires, rockfalls, flash floods, and other related factors that may cause closures or changes to trip plans. An online reservation does not guarantee that a canyon or resource will be open at the time of the trip. Always have a backup plan in mind.

• Brush up on wilderness safety information before starting your trip.

• Canyoneering permits are required for all canyons in Zion requiring the use of descending gear or ropes, single-day through-hikes of The Virgin River Narrows, and all trips into the Left Fork of North Creek (The Subway).

• Download the Zion Wilderness Map or full Zion Wilderness Guide for more trip-planning information.

• Plan transportation to your trailhead.

 

Zion National Park on Recreation.gov

 

Recreation.gov Links

The Zion recreation.gov homepage is where you can see all Zion permit pages.

• Left Fork North Creek (Subway) Seasonal Lottery page is where you can see if reservations are available and apply for the Left Fork Seasonal Lottery.
• Mystery Canyon Seasonal Lottery page is where you can see if reservations are available and apply for the Mystery Canyon Seasonal Lottery.
• Canyoneering Advance Reservations page is where you can make advanced reservations for all canyoneering trips other than Left Fork (Subway) and Mystery Canyon. Top-down Narrows day hike reservations can be made here too.
• Canyoneering Daily Lottery page is where you can apply for the Daily Lottery for all technical canyons in Zion. This includes Left Fork (Subway), Mystery Canyon, and the top-down Narrows day hike. The Daily Lottery is the last-minute option. It runs every day for hikes that are two days away.

Permit Cost

Fees are also charged for first-come, first-served permits that are issued in person. These fees support the permit and reservation management system.

• Lottery Application Fee: $6 lottery application fee (non-refundable) or advance reservation fee
• Per Person Fee: $10 per person (refundable)

Application Process

Seasonal Lottery (Left Fork and Mystery Canyon Only)

An online Seasonal Lottery is held for Left Fork (Subway) and Mystery Canyon trips. This lottery splits each year into four three-month hiking seasons. Online applications must be submitted during the open window, which is two months before each three-month hiking season. A breakdown of each season and its open window can be found further down this page.

Seasonal lottery applications can be made on the Left Fork Seasonal Lottery page and Mystery Canyon Seasonal Lottery page.

• Applicants can select up to four dates during the three-month season, and rank them in order of preference. Choose your prioritized dates carefully so that you will not need to change your application.
• Applicants will be sent a notification email on the 27th day of the month with information about the status of their request.
• Successful applicants will need to claim their reservation on recreation.gov within two weeks of the results notification email.
• Unclaimed reservations will become available to reserve on the 15th day of the month following the lottery, at 10:00 am Mountain Time.
• There is a $6.00 non-refundable fee for the Seasonal Lottery application.

Advance Reservations (All Other Canyons)

Advance reservations can be made for all canyons other than Left Fork (Subway) and Mystery Canyon. These reservations are available up to three months in advance on a seasonal basis. Like the seasonal lottery, advance reservations split each year into four three-month hiking seasons. A breakdown of dates for each season can be found below.

Advance reservations can be made on the Canyoneering Advance Reservations page.

• If spaces are still available, reservations can be made until 5:00 pm MT, the day before your trip.
• If the canyon you want a permit reservation for is not listed in this menu, then advance reservations are not accepted for that canyon. Instead, you must obtain your permit in person.
• There is a $6.00 non-refundable fee for each advance reservation.

Trip Date	Seasonal Lottery Open Window (Left Fork and Mystery Canyon)	Advance Reservations Begin (All Other Canyons)
January	November 1 - November 25	December 5, 10:00 am MT
February	November 1 - November 25	December 5, 10:00 am MT
March	November 1 - November 25	December 5, 10:00 am MT
April	February 1 - February 25	March 5, 10:00 am MT
May	February 1 - February 25	March 5, 10:00 am MT
June	February 1 - February 25	March 5, 10:00 am MT
July	May 1 - May 25	June 5, 10:00 am MT
August	May 1 - May 25	June 5, 10:00 am MT
September	May 1 - May 25	June 5, 10:00 am MT
October	August 1 - August 25	September 5, 10:00 am MT
November	August 1 - August 25	September 5, 10:00 am MT
December	August 1 - August 25	September 5, 10:00 am MT

Daily Lottery: 2 Days in Advance

An online Daily Lottery is also available for Canyoneering trips when the Seasonal Lottery or Advance Reservations are not available. This is the only tool you can use to apply for Mystery Canyon or Left Fork (Subway) reservations if you did not get a reservation through the Seasonal Lottery.

Apply for daily lottery permits on the Canyoneering Daily Lottery page.

• The Daily Lottery is limited to one application per individual per day, with the option to choose up to four canyons in the application. Applications can only be submitted two days before your desired hike date, between 12:00 am and 3:00 pm MT.
• The lottery drawing is held at 4:00 pm MT, two days before the trip date. Applicants will then be sent a notification email with information about the status of their request.
• There is a $6.00 non-refundable fee for the Daily Lottery.

Walk-in Permits: 1 Day in Advance

Any spaces not taken through the Daily Lottery will be available as walk-in permits the day before a trip date. Walk-in permits are only available in person at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk.

• If there are no open spaces, walk-in permits will not be available.
• There is a $6.00 non-refundable fee for permits obtained in person.

Obtain Your Wilderness Permit

All Wilderness permits must be obtained in person at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk.

• The individual listed as the reservation holder must be the one to obtain the permit. Please plan accordingly.
• Allow at least 20 minutes to obtain your permit the day of or the day before your trip during our Hours of Operation.
• Come prepared with all vehicle information including make, model, and license plate.

Wilderness Permits are Non-Transferable

Traveling in the Zion Wilderness requires careful planning and preparation. Permit holders assume the responsibility of ensuring that their group is aware of the risks involved, is self-reliant, has developed a back-up plan, and will follow park regulations. Because these are such important aspects of trip planning and resource protection, permits for trips into the Zion Wilderness are non-transferable.

If you cannot participate in your trip, please cancel your reservation to provide opportunities for others. If other members of your group still wish to participate in a planned trip, you may coordinate with a new prospective permit holder for them to immediately reserve spaces or sites as soon as your reservation has been cancelled.

You can cancel your reservation online by logging in to your recreation.gov account. As soon as your reservation is cancelled, those spaces or sites will immediately be available for someone else to obtain through the calendar reservations page. New permit holders will need a recreation.gov account prior to making an online reservation.

 

Wilderness Safety

The wilderness can be an unforgiving place, and your safety is your responsibility. Learn how to prepare for a safe trip.

Wilderness Regulations

Help keep Zion's backcountry beautiful. Follow the rules and regulations of wilderness areas.

Canyoneering

Technical canyoneering is an adventurous sport that requires specialized equipment and skills to safely descend slot canyons.

Zion Express Membership

Zion Express allows visitors who regularly visit and are familiar with park resources to convert reservations into permits from home.