Welcome To The Most Complete Grand Canyon National Park Travel Guide

Non Commercial General Info

This page contains most of the information you will need to schedule and maintain your Noncommercial River Permit.

To Contact the River Permits Office:
You may call them directly toll free 1-800-959-9164 or outside the U.S. at 520-638-7843. FAX number is (520) 638-7844.
You may also write to:

Since the River Permits Office is not set up to receive and answer requests by Email, questions and comments should be made by phone, fax, or regular mail.

Waiting List Information:
How do I get my name on the waiting list?
To join the waiting list, please complete the new addition application and enclose payment of $100.00. Payment can be in the form of a check (personal or cashier's), money order, or credit card authorization. Applications will not be accepted if they are not postmarked or faxed in the month of FEBRUARY. Those who miss this deadline will have to wait until the next year.

What is the average wait?
Presently, the wait is approximately 12+ years to be scheduled for a trip.
How many noncommercial launches are there each year?
Approximately 262.
How many people are on the waiting list?
After the new additions were added in 2000, there were 6,779 people on the waiting list
How far will my waiting list number drop each year?
Once you are on the waiting list, your number should drop each year. The overall waiting list loses approximately 300-500 people each year.

Continued Interest
To remain on the waiting list, each waiting list participant must send a Continuing Interest (CI) Form (available as a .pdf form viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader) to the River Permits Office every year by January 31st. CI forms are mailed out in October and may be returned to the River Permits Office at any time from then until January 31st. Participants who miss more than one CI deadline over any four year time frame will be removed from the waiting list. Currently there is no fee for the continuing interest process.

Cancellations
Past trends indicate that approximately 20% to 40% of trip leaders cancel their scheduled launch dates. This results in approximately 60 to 70 launch dates becoming available each year. The River Office releases these cancellations to waiting list participants in a way that in general favors those who have waited the longest. Only waiting list participants are eligible to participate in this process, and launch dates released through this process cannot be deferred. Anyone who claims a launch date through this process is immediately removed from the waiting list. To find out about cancelled dates you can call 1-800-959-9164, menu option 4 on Friday evenings and all day Saturdays and Sundays. You will hear a recorded message that will list cancelled dates (if any dates are available) and when to call to claim them.

Trip Participation
Once on the waiting list you may participate in only one noncommercial river trip on the Colorado River at Grand Canyon National Park (during the entire time you are on the waiting list until you have an actual launch date and launch on your trip). Once you participate on a second noncommercial trip your name will be removed from the waiting list. You will need to reapply the next year to get back on the waiting list. Trips that launch at Diamond Creek are not counted against your status on the waiting list.

Future Plans
The river permit system, including the waiting list and fee structure, is part of the Colorado River Management Plan review. We do not know what type of permitting system, or system to allow access to the river, will be contained within the plan. Future fee adjustments will be based upon the permitting system recommended in the plan. Anyone intending to join the waiting list at this time should be aware that ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE NO MATTER WHAT SYSTEM IS DECIDED UPON.

Current Grand Canyon Fee Schedule
Entrance Fees
Single Family/Vehicle - $20.00
Single person on foot/bicycle - $10.00

Overnight Camping Fees
Backcountry Permit - $20.00 per person
User Fee - $5.00 per person per night

Example: You want to join the waiting list for a permit. You will be required to pay a $100 application fee and submit your New Additions Form postmarked during the month of February.

Example: You are currently on the waiting list and do not have a scheduled launch date. If you wish to remain on the waiting list, you are required to submit a Continuing Interest Form every year until you receive your official launch date. The first renewal request must be made by January 31 for each successive year. Currently, there is no fee to remain on the waiting list.

If you have a scheduled launch date, below is an example of your total fees: