Lottery calendar
River permit lotteries: every date in one place
When to apply for the western river lotteries, when results come out, and how to get on the river with a guided trip if your date is not drawn.
Quick answer
Most western river permit lotteries take applications from December 1 to January 31, with results in mid February. The Grand Canyon lottery runs in February for trips the next year. Lotteries only cover private trips. A guided trip is booked directly with an outfitter and needs no lottery win.
The calendar
River permit lottery dates
Windows as published by each managing agency. Most are the same every year, but check the agency's page before you apply.
| River and agency | Applications | Results | Launches covered | Guided trips, no lottery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Fork Salmon, Main Salmon, Selway and Hells Canyon (the four rivers lottery)Forest Service | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Feb 14 | Control seasons vary by river | Middle Fork, Main Salmon, Selway, Hells Canyon |
| Gates of Lodore (Green) and Yampa, Dinosaur National MonumentPark Service | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | By mid February | Green: second Monday of May to second Friday of September. Yampa: second Monday of May to second Saturday of July | Gates of Lodore, Yampa |
| Desolation and Gray Canyons, Green RiverBLM | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Feb 15 | May 1 to Sep 30 | Desolation Canyon |
| San Juan RiverBLM | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Feb 14 | Apr 15 to Jul 15 | San Juan |
| Rogue River, Wild sectionBLM | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | By Feb 15 | May 15 to Oct 15 | Rogue |
| Rio ChamaBLM | Due before Jan 31 | Not stated | Weekend launches, Apr 15 to Jul 15 and Jul 16 to Sep 15 | Not yet compared on this site |
| Smith River, MontanaMontana FWP | Jan 1 to Feb 15 (2026 cycle) | Drawing Feb 18 (2026 cycle) | Not stated on the page checked | Smith River outfitters |
| Grand Canyon, Colorado RiverPark Service | First three weeks of February | Not stated | Launches in the following calendar year | Grand Canyon |
| Salt River Canyon Wilderness, ArizonaRecreation.gov | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Not stated | Mar 1 to May 15 | Upper Salt outfitters |
Checked September 27, 2026 against each agency's page, linked under each river. "Not stated" means the agency page we checked did not give it.
Key dates
The lottery season, in order
From the first day of December to the middle of March, these are the dates that decide the private permits for the season.
If a date passes without a win, you still have two paths: watch for unclaimed permits, or book a guided trip.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Dec 1 | Applications open for the four rivers lottery, Dinosaur, Desolation, San Juan, the Rogue and the Upper Salt |
| Jan 1 | Smith River applications open (2026 cycle) |
| Jan 31 | Four rivers, Dinosaur, Desolation, San Juan, Rogue and Salt windows close; Rio Chama entries are due before this date |
| February | Grand Canyon main lottery runs for the first three weeks of the month |
| Feb 14 | Four rivers and San Juan results go out |
| Feb 15 | Desolation and Rogue results go out; Smith River applications close (2026 cycle) |
| Mar 6 | Unclaimed Dinosaur high use permits and all low use permits open on Recreation.gov at 8 am MST |
| Mar 16 | Unclaimed four rivers permits open, first come, first served, at 8 am MST |
The no lottery way in
Did not get a permit? Book a guided trip
Grand Canyon National Park puts it plainly: people who want a professionally guided trip "should not apply through the lottery but instead request space on a commercial trip." The same holds on the other lottery rivers, where outfitters run under their own permits.
No lottery
Book a guided trip
- How you get a spot
- Pick a date with an outfitter and book it.
- When to act
- Early. The Park Service says Grand Canyon commercial trips are "often reserved a year or two in advance."
- What you bring
- Your clothes and sleeping gear. The outfitter brings boats, guides, food and camp.
Still want a private trip?
Watch for leftovers
- Four rivers
- Unclaimed permits open March 16 at 8 am MST.
- Dinosaur
- Unclaimed high use and all low use permits open March 6 at 8 am MST.
- No lottery rivers
- Cataract Canyon opens reservations up to four months ahead. Westwater opens them two months ahead.
Sources: Canyonlands river permits, BLM Westwater Canyon, and the agency pages linked in the calendar.
Guided trips on lottery rivers
Compare outfitters, river by river
- Grand Canyon3 to 18 days, motor, oar or dory
- Middle Fork Salmon104 miles in the Frank Church wilderness
- Main Salmon79 mile Wild section
- SelwayPart of the four rivers lottery
- Hells CanyonThe Snake River on the Idaho and Oregon line
- Rogue33.8 mile Wild section
- Desolation Canyon84 miles of the Green River
- Gates of Lodore4 days, 3 nights is standard
- Yampa5 days, 4 nights is standard
- San JuanLottery launches April 15 to July 15
- Idaho overnight rafting tripsEvery Idaho river in one place
- Utah overnight rafting tripsEvery Utah river in one place
New to river trips? Start with your first overnight trip, or see every outfitter in the outfitter directory and every guide on the plan page.
Questions
River permit lottery questions
When do river permit lotteries open?
Most western river lotteries take applications from December 1 to January 31, including the Idaho four rivers lottery, Dinosaur National Monument, Desolation Canyon, the San Juan and the Rogue. The Grand Canyon lottery runs in February.
Can I skip the river lottery?
Yes, by booking a guided trip. Lotteries are for private, self guided trips. Grand Canyon National Park says people who want a guided trip should not apply through the lottery but should request space on a commercial trip.
What happens to permits nobody claims?
They are released for first come reservations. Unclaimed four rivers permits open on March 16 at 8 am MST. In Dinosaur National Monument, unclaimed high use permits and all low use permits open on March 6 at 8 am MST.
Is Cataract Canyon a lottery river?
No. Canyonlands National Park says there is no lottery for its river permits. Private overnight permits are reserved on Recreation.gov up to four months ahead.
Is Westwater Canyon a lottery river?
No, according to the BLM's Westwater page. Private permits are reserved on Recreation.gov two months ahead of the launch date.
Can I send more than one application?
Rules differ by river. Dinosaur National Monument allows one application per person in its high use lottery and forfeits any trip won with more than one.
Do guided trips need a lottery permit?
No. Outfitters run guided trips under their own permits or contracts, so you book a seat with the outfitter. Each river page lists the outfitters side by side.
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Every outfitter on the river, side by side, with trip lengths in days and nights.