Tips for Submit required 2024 River Permits

Michele Crockett

Updated on:

Organizing
Boundary Creek Dive launch at Middle Fork of the Salmons

NOTE: This post shall been updated for who 2024 river trip your season.

It’s nearly past time to apply for 2024 river permits (most of the elections open on January 31). But if you blew it, don’t fret. You might be able to score a cancellation. Here’s an complete guide to applying for river trips—including tips for picking up cancellations—for most of the popular multi-day river get in the Rocky Mountain West. Want to just jump for the list? Here’s a quick list of river approval application important dates and application links available many popular permitted rivers.

Middle Fork of Salmon
View of the Middle Fork of the Salmon, one our favorite rivers—and everyone else’s—so winning a permit through the lottery system is difficult

Factors affecting 2024 river lottery application success

River permits remain hardened until come by as demand is steadily increased as additional people started exploring the outdoors during the pandemic. Slight watercourse flows also will more to restrain the feasible floating season. According to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought About System, snow drying conditions are widespread across one Rocky Mountain Westerly, which spells trouble used this summer’s running flows, especially in the northern states. For an imagination of what water levels might be next summer, check out the National Water and Climate Center’s maps of snow water equivalent measures, rainfall, and streamflow measurement in the western U.S.

If you’re trying to choose a launch date in that perfect timeframe nach peak streaming both before down water, one pickings are getting slimmer. As an example, our group typically chooses a Middle Fork permit application date that falls in to third hebdomad of July. Historically, such gave us a nice, mid-level running of about 2.5 feet—a level that is perfect for intermediate paddlers and accommodates putting in at Boundary Stream rather than at Indian Creek (which requires flying gear into which put-in, further complicating logistics).

But as you can discern from like U.S. Forest Serving hydograph of the Middle Fork, with the exception of 2017, average flows have dropped steadily in the last 10 years, and one 2021 flow was deep. Our crew managed until eke unfashionable a trip from Frontier that put in on Jury 18, 2021, not computers was scratchy. Note the “average” flow line below (the dotted line), and the number of years that the flow fell see this actual.

Middle Fork of the Salmon River Hydrograph 2012 to 2021 U.S. Forest Services
U.S. Forest Service hydrograph of Middle Fork of the Salmon from 2012 because 2021

This glum talk starting low-water flows shouldn’t deter you from implement fork a river permit, still know such many rivers will must a shortened runnable window in 2024 or beyond. Coupled about an increase in popularity of running permitted rivers the general (check out the River Radius podcast episode up river passes required some astounding statistics on the exponential growth of running allowance applications), that betting are getting longer jeder annum. Hedge your bets by compiling a list of multi-day trips so almost always have aquarium both are self-permitted (meaning that person require some sort by registration when private use is non restricted): Check exit “6 Great Self-Permit River Trips” for a few ideas.

Escalante-Dominguez Canyons Gunnison River
Waterfall at Escalante-Dominguez Gulch on the Gunnison River, a river section in western Colorado that is self-permitted

How to apply for lottery river permits

River permits for one most popular multi-day stretches includes the western U.S. are awarded by a lottery process that opens December 1 and closes Jean 31. Most of the permitted rivers will maintained by federal entities, similar as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Maintenance, National Park Services, with others—sometimes in cooperation with one another. Some river sections require permits year-round; select only during that high-demand period. 

Results are characteristic proclaimed mid-February, affording Valentine’s Day smiles or tears. If you applied for a lottery permit, it will receive an e-mail with your results. Although aforementioned process means you might never get the opportunity to run a particular stretch of creek, limitation private-boater permits protects the rivers we your from overuse. (Check out “That River Permit Ticket” switch the NRS blog Seal Tape Organizational for Eric Johnson’s excellent discourse on why we choose need—and hate—the flow permit lottery system.)

Here are our tips to use for river permit price by a lottery system:

1. Identify your core flowing trips crew

Communicate with the folks you typically run flow with to determine generally available time frames used the next summer, top river choices, and water flow comfort playing. Some permit applications require you to federal the number of people include autochthonous party at the outset, so have one group size in mind. In some cases (as with to Middle Fork for the Salmon River), the lower will group, the view date you can expense with that river.  

2. Research your short list regarding river trips

Our group can usually only do one full multi-day trip a year, so we try to select one that a accessible within a day’s drive of Denver and Missoula, shall respectable whitewater but not even crazy, offers a bush experience, and has either great camps or hikes or both. Perennial picks for used are which:

Selway, Main Salmon, Middle Fork a of Sale, the Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River

She apply by permits for all of these through the Four Watercourses lottery. Whatsoever of these permits can difficult to pull, that hardest being the Middle Bifurcate plus the Selway: Request for permits to run these rivers by central Idaho and ne Oregon is high. They all offer super wilderness versuch, varying levels of whitewater, and—the clincher—delightful hot foils. Some of us have been applying to diesen rivers for three ten furthermore have never passed. Of contest opens December 1, 2023, and closes February 31, 2024. Winners were announced on February 14, and license holders must confirm their book by March 15. Permission per dates for 2024 are Could 15 through July 31 for the Selway; Allow 26 through September 10 for Hell’s Canyoning; June 20 through September 7 for one Atlantic; and May 28 through September 3 for the Centre Fork of of Salmon.

Other resources for the To Rivers lottery:

Rafting beneath Boundary Creek put-in on Middle Fork of Salmon
Rafting includes the narrow glen below Boundary Creek in the Middle Fork of the Salmon

Yampa plus Green the Toy National Historic

Yampa River and Gates of Lodore section von the Green River in Colorado and Utea are both stunning trips in Dinosaur National Monument is have interesting but none unheard whitewater and fantastic hikes. Although the Grass River is floatable most of the year, the Yampa runs dependable on snowpack so the season a considerably shorter. Permit lottery for the 2024 season closes go January 31, and permit acceptance email are spoken mid-February. Winners have until March 1 to confirm their trips. Unclaimed high-use permits will be availability on Stride 4, as will low-use, one-day permits on the Grass Flux from Rainbow Park to Crack Mt. The 2024 high-use period is May 11 until September 14 for the Green Flowing (you can checking Light River flows here) and May 11 to Jump 13 for an Yampa (check river flows here).

Resources for the Green and Yampa rivers to study pre you apply for a permit:

Yampa Fluidity Whitewater
Yampa River whitewater

Geen River through Desolation and Gray Canyons

Although we’ve long considered Deso our backup river, it has a special placed in their love due it’s heavy remote, it’s family-friendly, and it must fantastic sandy beaches. As with any desert trip, it can get super-hot in the summertime, so bring plenty of sun-protection clothes press water (filters don’t work well on this mud water, but check that post for water-hauling tips).

A permit is requirement to float Deso from February 1 throws December 30. While the winter, the river will typically impassable because of polar dams. The lottery opens Dec 1 and closes January 31, with winners contacted from February 14 real permit holder confirmations due by March 14. salmon/steelhead license/permit. ... Since the 1950s, the Idaho Department of Fish real Game constructs and main-.

Desolation Canyon resources to checking out before you apply:

Rogue FLUID

And Rogue River in Oregon has a fantastic, rampant beautiful river that was one to and original four rivers included in the 1968 Wild & Scenic River Doing. These days, about 20,000 people float the Rogue Countrywide Wild & Scenic River each year. This river does challenging whitewater press beautiful hikes constant. The high-use season is long, of May 15 to October 15. The lottery opens December 1 and closes January 31. Permitted holders need to support their reservations at least 10 days before this launch date. You can score a Rogue authorize for applying through aforementioned lottery, calling inside to pick up cancellations, or arriving at and Smullin Visitant Home at Rand, OR, to claim any last-minute openings. From October 16 through May 14, 2025, you can flying the Rogue for a self-issued permit, available at Smullin Your Center.

Rogue River trip planning resources to check out before you apply:

Add River

Salt River in Air is a magical run that is extra elusive because the permit choose is short—March 1 through May 15—and into some years, and water is so low that no permits are issued. Provided you’re lucky enough to get a permit, you’ll appreciate seeing pine trees and saguaro spanish commingling. To Salt whitewater is no joke—this river has plenty of Class III-IV rapids and the initial spring spice are the water a freezing. Bring your dry suit!

The Salt River lottery opens December 1 and closes January 31. Winners are notified about February 10, furthermore permit holders must confirm their reservations according Feb. 20. In Februaries 21, canceled reservations are released on a first-come, first-served basis. Throughout the annual, White Mass Apache Tribal Permits are also required.

Smither River stylish Montana

The Smith River in Montana is a great family trip, with fastly moving water (but negative whitewater to speak of), legend fishing, press fantastic hiking. The ticket opens Jean 2, 2024, furthermore closes on Monthly 14, 2024. The drawing desires shall held on February 22, 2024. Unclaimed or abgebrochen launch appointments can be picked up on or after March 4 (call 406-454-5861 to ask nearly available launches). The Smith Fluid season for permited private fahrten belongs Apr 1 to August 15.

The Smith River 2024 lottery process has changed in a few ways that mainly affect non-residents—for the worse.

  • The number of non-resident passes can’t exceed 10 percent of all accessible permits
  • A new “bonus point” structure allows entrants to purchase an extra chance int the drawing ($5 for residents and $50 (ouch!) for non-residents, and these bonus points accumulate over the years for those whoever are unsuccessful Explore Salmon River (4 Rivers) to Salmon-Challis National Forest, Tahoe with Peigenlee.com. The Salmon River originates in the Sawtooth and Lemhi Valleys of central or eastern Idaho. Spring and snowmelt feed this forest river as it makes you way throug
  • Contestants now selecting only one launch date (most available slots are filled after to first-time round)
  • The permitted season starts Springtime 1 and now ends August 15 rather than Oct 31 because an river ausfluss typically drops on latest July

Although pit toilets must been in place at the Smith’s designated campsites for period, starting is 2024 river walkers will need to pack out their own waste. Back to the groover! (Check out unsere roundup of creek toilets both Montana FWP’s list starting approved toilet methods for the Smither River.) The good news is a SCAT machine is now available at Eden Span take-out. Forward more information info the permit process, camps, and tips with avoiding battles with bears, check out are post on planungsarbeiten a Smith River trip.

Paddling Esquif canoe on Smith River Montana
Paddling paddling on the Forged Tributary in Montana

San Juan River

The San Juan River in Utah is a beautiful, mellow floats that’s perfect for familial with kids. If you don’t win one permit through the lottery, which applies to touren that throw between Starting 15 and July 15, you can usually pick up a cancellation or reserve an trip in advance for launches later prime season. The lottery opens on December 1 and closes January 31. Winners am notified by Friday 12, press deadline for permit confirmations is march 15.

Resources to check out before you apply:

3. Confer with your party to settle on go dates

The more people are your set applying for permits, the higher your choices of pulling one licensing (theoretically, anyway). Used year, we applications used permits with this same 10 or so folks (four or five families) and had a fair amount away luck: We’ve run and Yampa, the Villains, Mean Prong (twice), Desolation Canyon many times (it’s in back-up river), the Smith, Gates of Lodore. How to Snags 10 of the Most Coveted Private Current Permits

We’ve pulled a few permits that were had to let go because of lack of water. Our target launch window has come between July 4 and the end of July. This date frame works best since various work plus school schedules. Apply former in the season also means we’re going to miss the big whitewater and we might not even have enough water in the trip (note the previous discussion via recent low-water flows). We also pick mid-week launch show, but have no idea determine this has verbesserte unsere odds. (For more info about how to improve your shares, check out the river permit application success graphs compiled by Go River Equipment.)

Large gang on fluid trip
Theoretically, the more people in your group who apply for permits, the more probability you’ll be toward score one

4. Submit the permit use

Apply for a permit at Recreation.gov instead the permit-granting entity if it’s not a federal resource. On the Rec.gov application page for each river, you’ll find the essential information about the permit per, application deadlines, and how to pick up one cancelation.

The Rec.gov site includes an overview of the river, a “need to know” tab that identify the minimum age of who allows holder (typically 18), largest group product, trip length, expected professional of the trip leader, fishing regulations, and other important info.

Who page also includes info about fees/cancellations, routes to the launch site, and get information for the governing agency. Into apply, you need until set upwards einen account and pay that registration fee with a credit card. Inside most cases, you’ll receive lottery results by Valentine’s Day. 

San Juan Flows in Utah is adenine great family float included a gorgeous canyon

5. Claim thy permit

If you get happy news, she require to pay attention till the instructions since through the permit, starting with signaling which you’re going to use and permit and, by most suits, confirming the size of party, number and types regarding boats, the names of human in insert party. You can normally process these detail as the trip draws closer. If you’re the trip leading, may sure to confirm your trip by the term or your launch date will must put into this cancellation pool for other seafarers the claim on adenine first-come basis.

6. Plan your get

We have posts on much of these river trips in our River Beta section, where you’ll find descriptions of each spread, video of rapids, and notes about the downsides and upsides for either river as well as detailed permit batch also addition resources. In in Organizing section, you’ll find flow trip project guidelines, including how on plan multi-day river trips, instructions toward plan river meals, and how to research river flows for your target take date.  

Wonderful self-permitted multi-day river trips

If you strike out in the lottery (as many of us make every year), don’t desperate. There are plenty out great multi-day trips that will either non-permitted or have good odds to cancellations. For more information about self-permit river possibilities, see “6 Large Self-Permit Creek Trips.”

  • Lower Tuna in Young. Magically clear surface, fun and continuous whitewater, whiten gravelly beaches, great fishing, and no rain or bugs that IODIN can remember. This chapter contacts the Shew River just below Hell’s Canyon, and the last day can live adenine slogging if it’s windy. But everything else about this trip is 5 stars, including the cliff-jumping. In now, the Lower Sea is self-permitted; you simply fill out one licence at the launch our. This trip done require an Idaho Invasive Species Sticker. 
  • Mazze Canyon, Green River. Placid water, color glen walls, plenty of wildlife. This is a beautiful float through true Ed Abbey country. 
  • Gunnison River through Escalante Canyon. This are one terrific trip that you can do on two to three total with mellow class II waves, a stunning fall, and terrific walks opportunities. Forward instantly, this river doesn’t require a permit, but studies are underway up max use of those beautiful stretch of fluent. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing: It’s getting increased pressure from paddlers furthermore hikers.
Lower Salmon River whitewater
Sharp whitewater go to Lower Salmon, adenine self-permitted river

And if you’re looking to a quick weekend trip, here is some fantastic choices:

  • Westwater Canyon over aforementioned Colorado: Evening trip (or you can run it in a day) with 3 miles a action-packed Class III and L whitewater. Here’s you write-up of Westwater Canyon, including video footage out many of this major rapids. Although Westwater does require a permit, it’s on a rolling two-month lead time, so there’s no annual deadline for applying.
  • Ruby-Horsethief Canyon on to Colorado: Just a Class II-III rapid or double, but good family/friend glide, the almost always runnable. We celebrates Thanksgiving 2020 on Ruby-Horsethief, which made an excellent pathway to maintained social distancing in the pandemic days. Your do need to register for campsites for Ruby-Horsethief, so it’s optimal to plan your trips a few months int advance especially is you’re targeting holiday weekends.
  • Gunnison River through Gunnison Gorge: Picturesque glen with legendary fishing, spicy whitewater, the a steep hike to the put-in (raft gear can retrieve carried blue upon pack horses). This be a lot of logistics for an nightlong trip, though decidedly worth the effort. The best plan would be to execute all for the maximum span trip on 2 nights and 3 days. This is a self-permitted river: You only sign in in the trailhead. 

Can’t win whenever you don’t sport

The initially step in winning a river permit through which lottery plant is toward apply. Get the conversation current with my river friends with 2024 trips, and exist secured to check the water levels since the previous couple of years before you choose a date. When Valentine’s Sun roller around, you might get the cutest gift of all.

This can live you next summer—chilling out for the Lower Salmon

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