PL Gives You The Lowdown On How To Get A River Permit.
Every winter comes river permit season, and if you don’t play the game–or aren’t a cook, good looking or own a raft–you might not get invited on a multi-day raft trip. Thanks to PL, here’s all the info you need to land one on your own and invite whomever you like
Colorado River Permits
Utah, Westwater Canyon
Agency: BLM. Info: Bureau Of Land Management, 82 Dogwood, Suite G., Moab, Utah 84532, (435) 259-7012. Permit Season: March 1-Oct. 31. Price: $3/person. Lottery Jan. 1 to March 1. Send postcard with name, address, phone number and social security number, or call for application forms. Allocation for 75 people or five launches/day. Maximum Party Size: 25.
Utah, Cataract Canyon
Agency: NPS. Info: Canyonlands National Park, 2282 South West Resource Blvd., Moab, Utah 84532, (435) 259-4351. Permit Season: All year. Main Season: April 15-Oct. 14. Price: $25/permit.
First-come, first-served after Dec. 15. No lottery. Allocation for 4,000 permits. Maximum Party Size: 40
Arizona, Grand Canyon
Agency: NPS. Info: River Permits Office, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023; (800) 959-9164, (520) 638-7888. Permit Season: All year. New system, so call/write for more info or see sidebar below. Price: $25 Application fee. Send postcard with first, middle and last name, address, phone, and social security number. Reconfirm annually Dec. 15 to Jan. 31. Allocation for 273 permits annually. Maximum Party size: 16.
Green River
Utah, Desolation/Gray Canyons Agency: BLM. 125 S. 600 W. P.O. Box 7004, Price, Utah 84501, (435) 636-3622. Permit Season: All year. Main Season: April 1-Oct. 31. Price: $13/person. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocations for 3 private launches/day during main season. Maximum party size: 25
Colorado, Gates of Lodore.
Agency: NPS. Info: River Office, Dinosaur
National Monument, 4545 Hwy.40, Dinosaur, CO 81610, (970) 374-2468. Permit Season: All year. Main Season: second Monday in May to second Friday in September. Price: $12 application fee, plus $75 if awarded permit. Application requests accepted Nov. 1 to Feb. 1. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocation for 300 (split between Yampa and Gates of Lodore launches) private launches during main season. Maximum Party Size: 25
Yampa River Permits
Colorado, Yampa Canyon.
Agency: NPS. Info: River Office, Dinosaur National Monument, 4545 Hwy.40, Dinosaur, CO 81610, (970) 374-2468. Permit Season: All year. Main Season: second Monday in May to second Monday in July. Price: $12 application fee, plus $75 if awarded permit. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 15. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocation for 300 (split between Yampa and Gates of Lodore launches) private launches during main season. Maximum Party Size: 25
Snake River Permits
Idaho/Oregon, Wild and Scenic Portion of Hells Canyon.
Agency: Forest Service. Info: Hells Canyon NRA, 2535 Riverside Dr. (P.O. Box 699), Clarkston, WA 99403, (509) 758-1957. Permit Season: Friday before Memorial Day to Sept. 10. Price: $6 application fee. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Lottery. Send postcard, or call for applications. Allocation for 3 private launches/day. Maximum Party Size: 24; Maximum Craft: 8.
Selway River, Idaho, Paradise Launch-Selway Falls.
Agency: Forest Service. Info: West Fork Ranger District, 6735 West Fork Rd., Darby, MT 59829, (406) 821-3269. Permit Season: May 15-July 31. Price: $6 application fee. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications (chances to get permit: 62 out of as many as 14,000). Allocations for one launch/day. Maximum Party Size: 16.
Salmon River, Idaho, Middle Fork.
Agency: Forest Service. Info: Middle Fork Ranger
District, P.O. Box 750, Challis, ID 83226, (208) 879-4112. Permit Season: All year. Main Season: June 1-Sept. 3. Price: $6 application fee. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocation for seven private launches/day. Maximum Party Size: 24.
Main Salmon, Idaho,
Agency: Forest Service. Info: North Fork Ranger
District, P.O. 180, North Fork, ID 83466, (208) 865-2700. Permit Season: June 20-Sept. 7. Price: $6 application fee. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocation for four private launches/day. Maximum Party Size: 30.
San Juan River, Utah, Montezuma Creek-Clay Hills Crossing.
Agency: BLM. Info: Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 7, Monticello, Utah 84535, (435) 587-1544. Permit
Season: All year. Main Season: June 1-Sept. 30. Price: $4.50 to $12.50 depending on section. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocation for 75 people or seven groups maximum/day. Maximum Party Size: 25.
Rogue River, Oregon, Grave Creek-Foster Bar.
Agency: Forest Service/BLM. Info: (541)
672-4168. Permit Season: May 15-Oct. 15. Price: $3.75 application fee plus $10/person. Applications taken Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Lottery. Allocation for 120 people per day: 60 private/60 commercial. Maximum Party Size: 20.
Rio Chama River, New Mexico, El Vado Ranch to Chavez Canyon.
Agency: BLM. Info: Bureau of Land Management, 226 Cruz Alta Rd., Taos, NM 87571, (505)758-8851. Permit Season: May 1- Sept. 30. Price: $6 application fee plus $5/person. Applications taken Feb. 1 to March 15. Lottery. Send postcard or call for applications. Allocation: Low Season (May 1 to June 5)–two private
launches weekdays and six during weekends; High Season (July 16 to August 31)–11 private launches/day. Maximum Party Size: 16.
Kern River. California, Forks Section.
Agency: Forest Service. Info: Cannel Meadow
Ranger District, P.O. Box 9, Kernville, CA 93238, (760) 376-3781. Permit Season: May 15-Sept. 15. Price: $2 application fee. Lottery. Allocation for 15 people/day.
Tallulah Gorge, Georgia.
Agency: Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Tallulah Gorge State Park/American Whitewater. Info: Tallulah Gorge State Park Boating
Permits, P.O. Box 248, Tallulah Falls, GA 30573, (301) 589-9453. Permit Season: First two weekends in April and first three in November. Permit Info: All requests must be in legal-sized envelope with the outside containing the following: Upper left corner must have applicant’s name and return address. Lower right hand corner must have date requested and number of people in
party (including applicant); maximum three people/party. Envelope must contain self-addressed and stamped legal-sized envelope and two names and daytime phone numbers within party and date requested. Lottery. Allocation: 120 boaters/day in groups of no more than three.