grand canyon river trip lottery

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Grand Canyon National Park announces 2023 noncommercial river trip lottery period

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — On Tuesday, the National Park Service will begin accepting applications for noncommercial river trip permits to raft the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

According to a press release from the National Park Service, the permits are for specific launch dates within calendar year 2023. A total of 359 permits will be available for river trips between 12-25 days. Eligible individuals may apply online at the weighted lottery website . Applications will be accepted online through Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. MST.

Each year in February, a main lottery is held to assign launch dates for river trips occurring the next year. Public notifications regarding main lotteries are made by both email and news release.

In addition to the annual main lottery, follow-up lotteries are held as needed throughout the remainder of the year to reassign canceled and/or left-over river trips. Public notifications for these follow-up lotteries are made through email , an RSS feed and Twitter .

The weighted lottery website can be accessed for free year-round to create or modify an account and to sign-up to receive email notifications. Lottery applications are accepted through the weighted lottery website only when lotteries are open.

Individuals must be 18 years or older to apply for a river trip permit. Noncommercial river trips must be self-guided, and technical whitewater experience is mandatory for each trip. Individuals may participate on a maximum of one recreational river trip per year, either commercial or noncommercial.

Individuals interested in professionally-guided river trips should not apply through the lottery, but instead request space on a commercial trip. A list of commercial companies offering guided trips can be found here .

For more information about the 2023 Main Lottery, please visit the  Grand Canyon National Park website , contact the River Permits Office at 1-800-959-9164 or 928-638-7843 , or email [email protected] .

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2024 Colorado River trip lottery application period opens

GRAND CANYON, AZ — The National Park Service is opening the application period for those looking to take a trip down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park in 2024.

459 permits will be available for 12 to 25-day river trips during the calendar year 2024.

A lottery is held each year in February to assign launch dates for river trips occurring the next year.

Anyone age 18 and older can apply for a noncommercial river trip permit. The trips must be self-guided, and technical whitewater experience is mandated for each trip. Individuals can take one recreational trip per year.

Those interested can register at the weighted lottery's website .

Applications will be accepted until noon on Thursday, February 21.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This website uses login.gov. You will need a login.gov user account. To create an account follow the directions at https://login.gov/help/get-started/create-your-account/

How can I be notified that a lottery has opened?

There are three ways to know a lottery has opened.

• Opt-in to receive email notifications. Edit your river user account and choose to receive email notifications about open lotteries. This is an opt-in system, you must choose to receive emails announcing lotteries.
• Subscribe to our RSS feed
• Visit this website, open lotteries are listed on the homepage.

What can I do on this website?

Use this website to submit lottery applications and permit applications for noncommercial Colorado River rafting permits.

• Create and manage your river user account, which contains your contact information, river points (chances), river trip history, payment history, lottery applications you have submitted or are listed on, and any launch dates you have been awarded (and their associated river permits and trip participant lists).
• Create, submit, pay for, and monitor the status of your lottery application when a noncommercial river trip lottery is open.
• Create, submit, pay for, and monitor the status of your river permit application (and associated trip participant list) after you have been awarded a launch date.

Note: Anyone applying for a noncommercial Colorado River rafting trip (or listed as a Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL)) must have a river user account.

What are the general requirements for a noncommercial permit?

General requirements listed below, for more information see the Noncommercial River Trip Regulations (pdf file, 970kb).

• The Colorado River through Grand Canyon is a highly technical river, not something for the inexperienced to try. At least one member of each trip must have the experience and skills required by the National Park Service.
• Noncommercial trips must be self-guided and may not hire guides.
• All noncommercial trip expenses must be shared among all participants on a full cost sharing basis.
• Once awarded through the weighted lottery, noncommercial trip launch dates may not be changed, deferred, or traded .
• Trips may be passed to qualified Potential Alternate Trip Leaders (PATLs) who: were listed on the original lottery application, were confirmed as a co-applicant before the lottery drawing, and met all other NPS requirements.
• The trip leader must be at least 18 years old. PATLs must be at least 18 years old by the launch date.

Note: Lottery applications with unpaid launch year lottery application costs are not included when a lottery is run. River trips with unpaid trip deposits are subject to automatic cancellation. A final river permit is not issued until all costs have been paid.

• All individuals are prohibited from participating on more than one (1) recreational river trip (commercial or non-commercial) per year through any part of the Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek section of the Colorado River.

What type of river experience is required?

There must be at least one qualified boat-operator present on the entire river trip. That person must have participated in a previous Grand Canyon river trip as a boat-operator in command of a boat or participated as a boat-operator in command of a boat on a river of similar difficulty to the Colorado River through Grand Canyon. Your boat-operator must be guided by a thorough understanding of the technical skill required to navigate the major rapids found in Grand Canyon National Park. The selection of boat-operators is the responsibility of the trip leader. Rivers of similar difficulty to the Colorado River through Grand Canyon (this list is not all-inclusive): Cataract Canyon, Utah; Lodore Canyon, Colorado; West Water Canyon, Utah; Middle Fork Salmon, Idaho; Rogue River, Oregon; Green River, Utah; Selway River, Idaho; Yampa River, Colorado; Tuolumne River, California; Main Salmon, Idaho.

Why is it called a "weighted lottery"? How does it work?

It's called a weighted lottery because we adjust (weight) each individual's odds of winning, so that those who have been on a recreational trip on the Colorado River less recently (or never) have a greater chance of winning a launch date than those who have been on a river trip more recently. The lottery system centers around the concept of standard points and, for those persons transitioning from the waitlist only, bonus points. The total points for a lottery application are calculated by adding the total standard points and total bonus points. The total standard points for a lottery application is the minimum (or lowest number) of all standard points held by the trip leader and any confirmed PATLs. The total bonus points for a lottery application is the sum of all bonus point held by the trip leader and any confirmed PATLs.

TOTAL APPLICATION POINTS = MINIMUM of all standard points + SUM of all bonus points

The next few paragraphs explain in more detail how points work to influence a lottery application's chances of winning.

Standard points are the basis for the system and are used to weight the lottery to give persons who have not been on the Colorado River recently a better chance of success than those who have been more recently. Calculating your standard points is easy: it's simply the number of years since you've been on a recreational river trip on the Colorado River between Lees Ferry and Diamond Creek (or won in a lottery, whichever is later), up to a maximum of five points. So if it's been five or more years since you've been on a trip, or you've never been, then you have five standard points, which means, essentially that you have five chances of winning (think of it as "five lottery tickets for your permit in the pot that we draw from"). On the other hand, if you were just down the river last year, you have one point. If it has been three years since you last went on a recreational river trip (noncommercial or commercial) through the canyon, you have three points. Keep in mind that this formula applies for both noncommercial (private) and commercial trips . So if you took a commercial trip last year, you'll have one standard point when you apply for a noncommercial trip this year.

Of course, there may be multiple persons listed on a lottery application, for example the trip leader and any confirmed Potential Alternate Trip Leaders (PATLs). So how do we calculate the total points for a lottery application as a whole? Simple: if no person listed on the lottery application has "bonus points" (see below), then the total points for a lottery application is the minimum of all standard points held by the trip leader and all confirmed PATLs . If the trip leader has five standard points, and there are two confirmed PATLs with three and four standard points respectively, the trip application will enter the lottery with three standard points, i.e., with three "tickets in the pot".

Bonus points (or extra chances) for persons transitioning from the old waitlist system. (Note: the following applies only to persons who were on the waitlist in 2006 and elected to transition to the lottery system with bonus points, everyone else has zero bonus points. ) Persons transitioning from the old waitlist system were given one bonus point for every year they had been on the waitlist. These extra points remain viable indefinitely, and can be used year after year to boost the odds of success in the lottery. Once the holder of bonus points is awarded or goes on a recreational river trip (i.e., is a trip leader or confirmed PATL on a winning lottery application or a is passenger on a recreational river trip), their bonus points disappear and subsequent participation in lotteries is based on standard points only.

The total points for a lottery application with multiple applicants (i.e. trip leader and one or more confirmed PATLs) are calculated by combining the standard points and bonus points of all listed applicants. Bonus points are particularly powerful because they are cumulative across all applicants on a permit and act in addition to standard points . To illustrate this, consider the following scenario: Mike submits a lottery application with John and Betty as confirmed PATLs.

• Mike was on a commercial trip down the Colorado River three years ago, so he has three standard points.
• John has never been down the Colorado, so he has five standard points.
• Betty has never been down the river either, and she transitioned from the waitlist with ten bonus points, so she has five standard points and ten bonus points.

The number of points for this lottery application is calculated as follows: First, take the minimum of all applicants' standard points, then add to that number any bonus points the applicants have due to being on the waitlist. So, in the above case, take the minimum of standard points of all applicants: minimum(3,5,5)=3. Then add all the bonus points held by all applicants: 10 (from Betty). The total points for this application as a whole would be 13, i.e, this application will essentially have 13 "tickets in the pot" for the lottery.

What would cause me to lose my lottery chances (points)?

There are two ways for you to lose your lottery chances (points). First, your points will be reset to one if you are listed on a lottery application that wins (i.e. if you are on an application as either the trip leader or a confirmed PATL), even if your trip is later cancelled. Second, your points will be reset to one if you participate on a noncommercial trip or are a recreational passenger on a commercial river trip through any portion of the Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek section of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

What are Potential Alternate Trip Leaders (PATLs) and why should I list them on my lottery application?

A PATL is a person who would be capable and willing to take over river trip responsibilities if the trip leader is unable to go. PATLs commit their points (standard and bonus) to the lottery application they are confirmed on. The National Park Service strongly recommends that all lottery applications have at least one confirmed PATL. If the original trip leader becomes unable to go on the river trip, and there are no confirmed PATLs, the trip will be cancelled. PATLs can be added to a river trip by the trip leader only when submitting a lottery application; see Noncommercial River Trip Regulations for clarification.

How do Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL) tokens work?

When you first log into your river user account after a lottery has opened, you will have two options available: "TRIP LEADER: CREATE NEW Lottery Application" and "PATL: JOIN AN EXISTING Lottery Application". Select "PATL: JOIN AN EXISTING Lottery Application" and you will be directed to a page with a PATL token. The token is unique to you, is for one specific lottery only, can only be used once, and is only good while the lottery is open. Give this token to the trip leader whose lottery application you want to join as a PATL. If the trip leader accepts you as a PATL, you will be automatically confirmed as a PATL on their lottery application.

IMPORTANT: If you provide a PATL token to a trip leader your are consenting to be listed (and your points used) on their lottery application. When a lottery application wins and a launch date is awarded, the trip leader and all confirmed PATLs have their points reset to one standard point --- whether or not they actually go on the river trip.

You can be listed on only ONE lottery application within a lottery. You can be either a trip leader or a PATL. Once you have been listed on one lottery application, you cannot be on any other application within that same lottery.

Why do you need to know the date of my last recreational river trip down the Colorado?

In order to give everyone a fair chance to experience a raft trip down the Colorado River, individuals are limited to one recreational river trip (commercial or noncommercial) on the Colorado River between Lees Ferry and Diamond Creek per year. Moreover, we weight the odds of winning the lottery, giving more chances to those who have not been down the river recently. Note that we do check the accuracy of last river trip date for all applicants listed on a river permit application before issuing the permit; false statements of last river trip date will result in cancellation of the permit and payments made to the National Park Service for that launch date will be forfeited.

How often do I pay the lottery application cost?

The lottery application cost is charged once for each LAUNCH YEAR for which a trip leader applies. After you have paid the lottery application cost for a LAUNCH YEAR, you can apply in all later lotteries for that LAUNCH YEAR for no additional charge. The application cost is paid by the trip leader after submitting a lottery application. IMPORTANT: Lottery applications with unpaid LAUNCH YEAR lottery application costs are not included when a lottery is run.

For example, you decide to apply in a lottery with launch dates in 2024, you submit a lottery application and pay, you are now eligible to apply in all later lotteries with launch dates in 2024 for no additional charge. If you then decide to apply in a lottery with launch dates in 2025, you would submit a lottery application and pay, you are now eligible to apply in all later lotteries with launch dates in 2025 for no additional charge.

How much are noncommercial river permit costs?

IMPORTANT: Lottery and river permit payments are nonrefundable.

Noncommercial river permit costs are:

• $25 to submit a lottery application during an open lottery (paid once per launch year)
• $200 small trip deposit or $400 standard trip deposit (applied towards final costs)
• $20 entrance fee per participant (16 years and older)
• $90 river permit cost per participant
• for participants added after a river permit has been issued, an additional $100 late charge per participant

River trip participants with an Interagency Pass do not need to pay the park entrance fee. Each pass automatically covers four boaters (the pass owner and three additional adult participants (age 16 and over)). For a list of valid passes, visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/fees.htm (opens in new window) .

Note: River trips taking out at Diamond Creek are responsible for additional fees. The Hualapai Tribe charges a fee to traverse the Diamond Creek Road. Permits are required in advance. For further information, contact Hualapai Game and Fish, PO Box 249, 863 Hwy 66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434, 928-769-6043.

How do I pay?

Costs are paid by the trip leader through the secure Pay.gov site. When a cost is unpaid, you will see a button that reads "Pay Now through Pay.gov". When you select this button, you will be taken to the Pay.gov collections site. Fill in your payment details and follow the on-screen instructions. When your payment has been received you will be returned to the noncommercial river permits website. You will also be notified via email by Pay.gov (if you provided your email address to them), and the trip details page will indicate that payment has been received. This normally happens instantaneously. IMPORTANT: Lottery and river permit payments are nonrefundable. For more information regarding the Pay.gov service, visit the pay.gov FAQs (opens in new window) .

If you have paid through Pay.gov, but your payment history page does not show a cost as paid, contact us at 928-638-7884 or 800-959-9164 (Mon-Fri) or grca_riv(insert the at symbol here)nps(insert a dot here)gov with legal name, user name, and Pay.gov tracking ID or the payment date and name of the account holder.

Please explain "credit available"?

The credit field was created to give folks who overpaid in the past a chance to apply any overpayment towards future lottery and/or permit charges.

How do I contact the Grand Canyon River Permits Office?

Grand Canyon National Park, River Permits Office 1824 South Thompson St, Suite 201 Flagstaff, AZ 86001 928-638-7884 or 800-959-9164 (Mon-Fri) grca_riv(insert the at symbol here)nps(insert a dot here)gov

Noncommercial River Documents and Related Information

• River and Weighted Lottery Frequently Asked Questions (pdf file, 330kb)
• Noncommercial River Trip Regulations (pdf file, 1mb)
• The Action Guide to Preservation, Colorado River (pdf file, 1.8mb)
• Grand Canyon River Courtesy Brochure (pdf file, 290kb)
• River Trip Orientation Video (opens in new window)
• River Trip Calendars
• Colorado River Water Flow Information

River campsite list, and lottery statistics are available at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/noncommercial-riv-docs.htm (opens in new window) .

By creating a river user account, entering a noncommercial river lottery, or submitting a noncommercial river permit application, you are consenting to the use of your information as described in the Purpose and Uses section of the Privacy Act Statement, NPS Form 10-404, OMB Control No. 1024-0022, Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit Application.

NPS Form 10-404 (Rev. 04/2021) OMB Control No. 1024-0022

National Park Service Expiration Date 01/31/2024

BACKCOUNTRY/WILDERNESS USE PERMIT APPLICATION

Privacy Act Statement

General: This information is provided pursuant to Public Law 93-579 (Privacy Act of 1974), December 21, 1984, for individuals completing this form.

Authority: 54 U.S.C. §100101, NPS Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1131-1136, Wilderness Act; 43 U.S.C. §1701 et seq.,16 U.S.C. §6801-6814, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act; 36 CFR Part 71, Recreation Fees; 36 CFR 1.6, Permits; and 36 CFR 2.23 Recreation Fees.

Purpose and Uses: To establish and verify an applicant's eligibility for a permit to conduct certain activities within the National Park System and to process permits for individual members of the public and organizations interested in obtaining a permit authorizing an activity. Information collected will be used to provide the public and permittees with permit-related information, to monitor activities conducted under a permit, to analyze data and produce reports to monitor the use park resources, to assess the impact of permitted activities on the conservation and management of protected species and their habitats, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the permit programs. The DOI and NPS may use the information to meet reporting requirements, to generate budget estimates and track performance, and to assist park staff with visitor education, fee collection, resource management and protection, recreational use planning, law enforcement and public safety personnel for such purposes as emergency contact and search and rescue efforts; to provide permit holders and participants with information about parks and their partners; and to provide reports of activities conducted under an issued permit.

Based on the disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, the National Park Service may share information with first responders and Federal, state, and local governments to provide information needed to locate an individual or render aid in an emergency; to recover debts owed to the United States; to respond to a violation or potential violation of the law; in response to a court order and/or discovery purposes related to litigation; or other authorized routine use when the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were compiled.

Effects of Nondisclosure: It is in your best interest to answer all of the questions. The U.S. Criminal Code, Title 18 U.S.C. 1001, provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony that may result in fines of up to $10,000 or 5 years in prison, or both. Deliberately and materially making false or fraudulent statements on this form will be grounds for not granting you a Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) and 36 CFR 1-7, 12 and 13 which authorize the National Park Service to require applicants to fill out this form to monitor resources and to protect visitors. This information is being collected to allow the park management to make value judgements necessary to enhance the safety and enjoyment of both the visitors and wildlife. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Estimated Burden Statement

Public Reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 8 minutes per response, including the time it takes for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form should be sent to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send this application to this address but rather to the park address.

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Alerts in effect, 3 to 18 day commercial river trips: river concessioners.

Last updated: April 20, 2020

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Contact info, mailing address:.

PO Box 129 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

928-638-7888

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How to Get a Reservation at Phantom Ranch, the Grand Canyon’s Most Sought-After Lodge

Historic Phantom Ranch is the only park lodging on the floor of the Grand Canyon. Tens of thousands of people try to book a stay there. Our writer scored a night there recently, and if you follow her tips, you can, too.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn’t it be something to stay there? We do, too—all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

If Grand Canyon National Park is for the masses—and in 2023 it was America’s second most visited national park, with nearly five million visitors—then historic Phantom Ranch, an architectural marvel located far from the crowds on the canyon floor, is for the chosen 1 percent. Literally. Its digs are so popular that they book up 15 months in advance via a lottery, and only 1 percent of anyone who visits the park ever stay here.

But my husband, Frank, and I got lucky. We scored one night there at the last minute in December.

We’d planned our trip to the Grand Canyon six months ahead of time, nabbing a backcountry permit to stay at the nearby Bright Angel Campground, whose 33 sites are vied for by tens of thousands of people, up to four months in advance. (According to the Grand Canyon Trust , you have about a 43 percent chance of booking a stay here.) But I continued to check the Phantom Ranch booking portal every few weeks, just in case. Then, two days before our flight to Arizona, I nearly fell out of my chair: one of its 11 cabins was available.

Frank and I spent the entirety of our seven knee-grinding miles zigzagging down the switchback-laden South Kaibab Trail swapping variations of “I can’t believe this is happening!” The jaw-dropping natural attractions along our 4,600-foot descent only increased our awe—the gradual trek down through 1.8 billion years of geologic history, stored in strata of red rocks; the powerful Colorado River carving through them; and the possibility of seeing resident animals around any turn, from bighorn sheep and mule deer to pack mules toting supplies.

It wasn’t until we hit the canyon floor four hours later that our good fortune really set in, confirmed by a simple signpost: “Phantom Ranch Welcomes You.” This dream trip was really happening. Here’s how we did it and how to make the most of your time below the rim. 

Booking and Adventure Intel

One thing I couldn’t wrap my head around was how in the world Phantom Ranch was built. While I thought our rim-to-river trek was grueling, it was a cakewalk compared to those of construction crews in the 1920s. Renowned architect Mary Jane Colter wanted structures to incorporate native materials, particularly stone, for both a natural aesthetic and more efficient building process. While mules hauled supplies like windowpanes and plywood, crews and their working animals alike slogged up and down the vertiginous switchbacks and across narrow swinging bridges (later replaced with two sturdy steel suspension bridges that you cross today).

These efforts were all the more mind-blowing as we tackled the same exhausting route in and out of the canyon with nothing but our packs, and the feat only adds to Phantom Ranch’s allure.

All that to say: If you plan to hike to and from Phantom Ranch, you should be prepared and in good condition. It’s steep, challenging, and can seriously strain your knees (I highly recommend trekking poles ). By the time you reach the bottom, it won’t be lost on you that you’ll have to regain the elevation you lost—almost a vertical mile—shortly thereafter on your way out (a maximum stay is four nights).

Fortunately, if you’re staying at Phantom Ranch, you can pack light, since food is available and bedding and towels are provided. You can also send your duffel up and down via a mule to travel even lighter; it costs $85.50 each way.

The Park Service tells trekkers that hiking out of the canyon generally takes twice as long as the journey in . It recommends using the steeper South Kaibab Trail down to the ranch and the Bright Angel Trail out, because the latter has a gentler elevation gain over a longer distance. I’ve written more about both options below, in How to Get There.

How to Land a Reservation at Phantom Ranch

• Start with the Phantom Ranch lottery . This is an adventure in itself. Aspiring guests enter the drawing 15 months before their preferred dates, then learn their fate and next steps the following month via email. Any unsold inventory then goes through a second lottery for those who were unsuccessful in the first round (14 months out from your desired dates). December through February tends to be an easier time to get in, while early March through November are typically when visitors make the most requests.
• Look for any unsold inventory. If there’s still availability after the first two lotteries, Grand Canyon’s concessionaire, Xanterra, which operates Phantom Ranch, releases those cabins to the public on the first day of the next month—so 13 months out. This inventory is posted on the general reservation page , which I bookmarked and checked regularly.
• Watch for cancellations if you can’t get in either of these ways. According to Xanterra spokesperson Sam Langner, finding a last-minute reservation “happens all the time.” Take my stroke of luck as proof. I picked up another insider tip over dinner at the Phantom Ranch canteen. A tablemate and 20-time ranch guest said that he checks for inventory around 45 days out from each trip. That’s because Xanterra has a 45-day cancellation policy for Phantom Ranch; guests who opt out before this will get a full refund, which means that anyone on the fence tends to cancel around this time.
• Apply for a backcountry permit for the adjacent Bright Angel Campground, available through Recreation.gov (from $10 per permit, plus nightly charge of $15 per person). It may not be the full experience of Phantom Ranch, but campers can book dinner at the ranch’s canteen to get a sense of this legendary property.
• Join a tour. If the aforementioned logistics sound too cumbersome, this is the one surefire way to get in. Outfitters like REI Adventures and Wildland Trekking run Grand Canyon trips with an overnight or two at Phantom Ranch; they handle all booking, planning, and organization, but it comes at a price (from $3,299 and $1,650, respectively).

What to Do near Phantom Ranch

Many outdoors people dream about hiking or running the Grand Canyon from rim-to-rim or rim-to-rim-to-rim , but if you’re not in a hurry, what can you actually do down at the canyon floor?

First, relax. We spent the sunny hours after we arrived playing cards. Then we gave our legs a shake-out on the nearby river loop, a roughly two-mile path that crosses the Bright Angel Trail Bridge and skirts the Colorado before heading back toward Phantom Ranch across the South Kaibab Trail Bridge. It was a peaceful amble with a gentle grade—a welcome treat after the morning’s schlep—and we enjoyed the slow pace and time to appreciate a rare view of this section of the canyon, pausing on the bridges to admire the rushing Colorado River and gazing up into the time capsule of rock, whose lower layers predate even the first land animals.

If you have more time than just one night at Phantom Ranch, you might enjoy the nine-mile (round-trip) jaunt to Phantom Overlook via the Clear Creek Trail . You’ll get to see a stretch of red crag few ever explore, with only 1,600 feet of elevation gain.

Choice Cabins

Phantom Ranch is the definition of Parkitecture . Its century-old buildings, made largely of native stones and boulders from nearby Bright Angel Creek, include cabins, a canteen, and hiker dormitories (which have been closed for several years due to needed pipeline and water-treatment improvements, with no reopening date set, according to Langner).

Cabin sizes vary and can sleep from two to ten people, and all accommodations share shower facilities. Rustic though they may be—you’ll be set up with either a queen bed or twin bunk beds, linens, a sink, a toilet, soap, and hand towels—they do have a few nice amenities like electricity, air-conditioning in the summer, and heating in the winter. Wi-Fi is not available.

Instead of picking a cabin as you would at most national park lodges , the Phantom Ranch lottery is random. You won’t learn your cabin number until you arrive.

Eat and Drink

The first thing to know: everyone raves about the ranch’s lemonade. It’s a generic, sugary mix, but it tastes top-shelf after hours of trekking in and is a lovely way to celebrate your arrival to the canyon floor.

All Phantom Ranch guests eat family-style meals in one central dining room, known as the canteen. It’s a laid-back environment where you can swap stories and share travel tips over breakfast (from $31) and dinner (from $61). Both meals require advance reservation and payment; Xanterra suggests booking meals as soon as your accommodation is confirmed, as seating fills up quickly. However, you can buy snacks and drinks from the canteen during the day; cash or credit cards are accepted.

For dinner, there are two seatings: an earlier round at 5 P.M., in which steak is served, or a stew round at 6:30 P.M., with a choice of a meat or vegetarian option. In addition to the main course, everyone is offered salad, homemade cornbread, and a dessert du jour—which for us was a deliciously gooey brownie. After that the canteen morphs into a beer hall, where guests can keep the trail talk going late.

Similarly, there are two time slots for breakfast—5:30 A.M. and 7:30 A.M.—but both serve the same menu of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit, as well as juice, coffee, and tea.

While we packed our own lunch of jerky, nuts, and granola bars for the day of departure, you can buy a take-away sack (from $26); inside each is a bagel with cream cheese and jelly, a sausage, an apple and an energy bar, cheese, and an electrolyte drink or juice.

The weather at the Grand Canyon is best in spring and fall. In the summer months, the heat can be extreme (surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit), especially on the canyon floor, which year-round can be 20 degrees warmer than that on the rim, given the elevation change.  Winter on the canyon floor ranges from 38 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit, while spring and fall see anywhere from 55 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Xanterra.

Unpredictable weather and potential snow, particularly toward the rim, can hamper winter trekking to and from the ranch, so pack accordingly. It does get warmer as you trek down in the winter, so wear layers you can easily shed. (When we visited in early December, we came across a light dusting of snow on the rim but had sun and temperatures in the high fifties at the ranch.) Winter also brings decreased daylight hours, so start your hikes in and out of the canyon early, and pack a headlamp to be safe.

How to Get There

To reach Grand Canyon National Park (which requires a $35 entrance fee or an America the Beautiful pass ), you could fly to Tusayan, Arizona, the closest airport, although many visitors simply road-trip from Las Vegas or Phoenix, both approximately four hours from the park’s south entrance.

From there, getting to Phantom Ranch itself requires one of three transit modes: a trek, a raft down the Colorado River, or a mule ride.

If you’re hiking, start your journey from either the North or South rim. Trips from the former cover more ground. The trip via the North Kaibab Trail is around 14 miles one-way, with a rim-to-river elevation loss of 5,850 feet. From the South Rim, the more popular starting point given its accessibility, you have two options: the 7-mile South Kaibab Trail, with an elevation change of 4,860 feet, or the 7.8-mile Bright Angel Trail, with an elevation change of 4,460 feet. Bright Angel is the Park Service’s recommended route out of the canyon; it reopened to the public on April 15 after months of maintenance-required closures.

You can also raft to Phantom Ranch with outfitters like Colorado River and Trail Expeditions (from $2,050) or OARS (from $3,899).

And then there are the famous mule rides   to Phantom Ranch, an option run by Xanterra (from $1,231). However, mule-ride operations have recently experienced on-and-off closures due to trail-infrastructure projects, so it’s best to check for the most up-to-date information before making plans.

In 2016, light-pollution authority DarkSky International certified the Grand Canyon as an International Dark Sky Park . In the years since, ranger-led stargazing tours have become one of the most popular experiences—and, from my nights of astrophotography here, I could see why, as the park’s efforts to curb light pollution have made sightings of planets, the Milky Way, and even nearby galaxies like Andromeda easily visible to the naked eye. The view gets even more glittery from the remote canyon floor.

To book: GrandCanyonLodges.com

Price: From $213.50 for two people per night; additional guests in cabins with larger capacity are $21.50 per night

Address: North Kaibab Trail North Rim, AZ 86052

Stephanie Vermillion is a travel writer, photographer, and Outside contributor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mom, who once worked at Grand Canyon National Park and raved about the below-rim adventures, inspired her to visit Phantom Ranch. The best part of the trip, she says, was sharing the trail with a bighorn sheep on the early-morning ascent.

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The US National Park Permits You Need To Apply For

Posted: March 26, 2024 | Last updated: March 26, 2024

Try your luck

Home to some of the most beautiful natural wonders on the planet, America’s national parks are unlike anywhere else on Earth. As more and more people are making the most of the great outdoors, the number of park visitors is on the rise. To keep places less crowded and maintain their natural beauty, several of the most popular parks and recreation areas have introduced lottery systems for visitors.

Read on as we take a look at some of the best travel lotteries across America you can enter...

Mt Whitney lottery, Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest, California

Nestled within California’s spectacular Sierra Mountains, at 14,494 feet tall, Mount Whitney is the highest peak of the lower 48 states. Hiking or backpacking up the incredible mountain requires a permit year-round which you can win through the Mount Whitney lottery. Though the lottery closed for 2024 entrants on 1 March, any unclaimed date slots from it will be released for reservation online on 22 April at 7am PST. 

Permit winners can explore the famous Mount Whitney trail, which takes travelers on a challenging 22-mile round-trip to the rocky peak and back, offering jaw-dropping views across the wilderness and mountain scenery. The trail begins in the Inyo National Forest, gaining over 6,200 feet in elevation before reaching the Mount Whitney summit in Sequoia National Park. 

Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Lying at the bottom of one of the world’s most incredible natural wonders, Phantom Ranch is the only lodging facility below the Grand Canyon’s rim. With its remote location, the ranch can only be reached by mule, on foot or by rafting on the Colorado River. Built in the 1920s, the ranch includes dormitories, cabins and a canteen. Due to necessary repairs, the dormitories are currently closed, but to stay in the cabins and secure an overnight mule ride, guests will need to enter a lottery between the 1st and 25th of the 15th month before their desired month of stay.

Nestled along the Colorado River and tucked beside Bright Angel Creek, the ranch is around 4,600 feet below the canyon’s South Rim. Surrounded by the Grand Canyon’s stunning and mostly untouched landscape, the ranch has become a popular stop-over point for hikers and mule riders traveling to the bottom of the rim. With no phones or televisions, the lodge is the perfect spot for a secluded stay. 

McNeil River Sanctuary, McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska

On the Alaskan Peninsula, the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary protects the largest concentration of brown bears in the world. Those wanting to see the bears will need to apply for the permit lottery which costs $30 to enter. After winning, guided viewing permits for visiting the sanctuary and attending bear viewing sessions cost $225 for Alaskan residents and $525 for non-residents. Camp-standby viewing permits allow visitors to camp and see the bears from the beach and campground area, and cost $112 for residents and $262 for non-residents.

Spread across 200 square miles, the sanctuary is home to an abundance of wildlife including moose, wolves, bald eagles and waterfowl. Guided viewing permit winners will stay at a campground and watch the bears feed for typically six to seven hours a day. The permits are valid for a four-day period between 7 June and 25 August. Those interested can apply online or via a mail-in application by 1 March of the year you wish to visit. 

North Cascades National Park Backcountry Permits, North Cascades National Park, Washington

With its jagged peaks, deep forest valleys, tumbling waterfalls and glittering glaciers, Washington’s North Cascades National Park is brimming with natural beauty. To stay overnight in the park’s backcountry landscape, permits are needed year-round. Those wanting a permit during peak season can apply for the early access lottery, which costs $6 to enter with a flat fee of $20 per permit. The lottery closed for 2024 entrants on 15 March, but if you were successful, you can then make an Early Access reservation between 25 March and 23 April. 

The park’s backcountry spans everything from pretty turquoise lakes to rugged mountain scenery, with almost 400 miles of trails slicing through it, making it ideal for climbing, hiking and camping. Visitors are limited to 14 days for the backcountry permit and 30 days per calendar year. 

Cables on Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California

Soaring nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley, Half Dome is one of Yosemite National Park’s most striking sights. Visitors need a permit to hike the cables, which trail up the granite dome for safety and conservation purposes. Day hike permits are available via two lotteries: a preseason lottery which closes on 31 March 2024, and a two-day-in-advance lottery that dispenses a small number of day permits every day that the cables are up (until 19 May).

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The Half Dome Cable Hike is a thrilling 16-mile round-trip with an elevation of up to 4,800 feet and takes about 10 to 12 hours to complete depending on skill level and weather. Those who reach the top of Half Dome will be rewarded with incredible views of Nevada Fall, Liberty Cap and Vernal Fall as well as sweeping panoramas across Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra mountains. 

Coyote Buttes North Advanced Lottery (The Wave), Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona and Utah

A wild and remote landscape, Coyote Buttes includes the famous Wave, a distinctive red sandstone rock formation nestled between eroded sandstone domes. The rock layers have swirling patterns and have become one of the most photographed destinations in the southwest. The hike to the rocks is a challenging 6.4-mile round-trip through the wilderness, dotted with an array of incredible rock formations. The advance lottery for July is open now until 31 March 2024, or you can enter the daily lottery, where applications must be submitted two days before your planned hike.

Left Fork (The Subway) of North Creek, Zion National Park, Utah

Nicknamed 'the Great West Canyon,' Left Fork is often hailed as one of the most beautiful canyons in Zion. The deep gorge can be explored either by canyoneering or hiking, which requires a permit. An online advance lottery is held for all canyon trips between April and October, and applications must be submitted two months prior to your planned trip with up to three prioritized dates and a $6 fee. The permit is $10 per person.

Permit winners can explore the canyon’s most prominent feature, known as 'The Subway,' which is a pretty slot canyon featuring tumbling waterfalls, deep pools and narrow channels. Water flows through the long tubular passage with only a small opening above with waterfalls plunging down, making it a challenging climb. Some of the pools are so deep that visitors will have to swim or wade through them, and the water can be cold. 

Yellowstone National Park Backcountry Permits, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

The world’s first national park which spans Wyoming, Montana and Idaho attracts around four million visitors each year. Those wanting to stay overnight in the park’s backcountry can enter the permit lottery which allows visitors to stay in a designated campsite. The early access lottery costs $10 to enter, with a recreation fee of $5 per person per night. The deadline for early access applications in 2024 has closed but keep an eye out for next year.

Beyond its more developed areas, Yellowstone is home to 293 designated backcountry campsites and over 1,000 miles of trails through its diverse mountainous landscape. The maximum stay per campsite ranges from one to three nights per trip, while group size limits are between four to 12 people. 

Angels Landing: Spring (Hikes on 1 March–31 May), Zion National Park, Utah

Once known as the Temple of Aeolus, with its incredible canyon scenery, Angels Landing in Utah is one of the most popular destinations in Zion National Park. Permits are needed to hike the rock formation, obtained through either a seasonal or day-before lottery. You can apply for a permit for up to six people, the application fee cost $6 plus a fee of $3 per person for the permit. The deadline for the next permit lottery (for 1 June to 31 August) is 30 April 2024.

One of the world’s most renowned hikes, Zion Canyon’s 270-million-year-old ochre-hued landscape is truly breathtaking. An exhilarating trail was carved out in 1926 and climbs up to 5,790 feet in elevation towards the rocky summit. Hikers that are brave enough to reach the top are rewarded with jaw-dropping views across the park and beyond.

Wilderness Camping, Glacier National Park, Montana

Located in northwest Montana, Glacier National Park is a hiker’s and camper's paradise. Standard group lottery applications for one to eight campers and large group lottery applications (nine to 12 campers) are now closed for 2024. However, from 1 May to 30 September 2024, all wilderness campgrounds not reserved will become available to the general public at the Recreation.gov website.

A landscape of lofty peaks, ice-carved valleys, alpine lakes and rocky ridges blanketed in forests, the beauty of Glacier National Park is everywhere you look. The park’s wilderness area is made up of nearly one million acres of landscape with over 700 miles of trails slicing through it. 

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The Moskva River

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The Moskva River - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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News Release

Grand canyon national park announces 2021 noncommercial river trip lottery period.

Contact: River Permits Office , 800-959-9164

Last updated: January 31, 2020

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