Grand Canyon Opens Lottery for Extended Self-guided Rafting Trips of the Colorado River

The National Park Service opened a lottery for extended self-guided rafting trips along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park this week, offering hundreds of spots for 2026.

The weighted lottery will be open through noon MT on Feb. 25 and will give away 450 permits for 12- to 25-day-long river trips, according to the NPS. Experienced travelers can enter the annual lottery online at nps.gov.

To apply for a permit, travelers must be at least 18 years old and have technical whitewater experience to self-guide their own trips. 

“The Colorado River through [the] Grand Canyon is a highly technical river, not something for the inexperienced to try,” the NPS wrote on its website. “At least one member of each trip must have the experience and skills required by the National Park Service.”

Applications cost $25, and granted permits cost $90 per participant with a $20 per-person entrance fee.

These self-guided trips are different from the professionally-led trips, which are also available through authorized companies as either 1-day trips or extended trips. Travelers can also apply for a permit for shorter 2- to 5-day-long noncommercial river trips, which are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

While there is never a bad time to visit the Grand Canyon, spring happens to be one of the best times to experience a whitewater rafting trip.

Beyond rafting, travelers heading to the Grand Canyon will find plenty of hiking, camping, and even scenic driving opportunities offering unmatched views of the vast park.

While the Grand Canyon is one of the most-visited national parks in the country, only about 1 percent of visitors actually head below the canyon rim. Luckily, there are several guided below-the-rim backpacking trips travelers can book to experience the national park from a whole new perspective along with “Meet the Canyon” day tours.