How to enter lottery for 2027 Colorado River trip permits

PHOENIX — Grand Canyon National Park is now accepting lottery applications for noncommercial river trip permits for 2027.

Applications to raft the Colorado River opened Monday and will be available until noon on Feb. 24.

A total of 478 permits for the calendar year will be issued for 12- to 25-day river trips.

Anyone seeking one of these permits must apply through the official weighted lottery website during this period, which requires creating an account before submitting an application.

Missing the February window means waiting an entire year for the next main lottery.

Why is there a lottery for noncommercial river trip permits?

The National Park Service adopted the lottery system in 2006 to provide fair and equitable access to the Colorado River while managing environmental impacts. It has run the main drawing every February since.

It also conducts additional lotteries throughout the year to reassign canceled or unclaimed launch dates.

People who register for the lottery can opt in to receive email notifications about upcoming availability.

Those interested in professionally guided river trips shouldn’t apply for the lottery. Instead, they should find use this list of commercial companies offering guided trips and contact one to request space.

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