Colorado:
Dolores River
Bedrock to Gateway
Bureau of Land Management, Tres Rios Field Office
29211 Hwy 184
Dolores, CO 81323
970.882.7296
Notes: No permits required. Raftable releases +/- 800 cfs; Kayaks and Canoes 200+ cfs
Bedrock to Gateway
Bureau of Land Management, Uncompahgre Field Office
2505 South Townsend Ave
Montrose, CO 81401
970.240.5300
Notes: No permits necessary. Raftable releases +/- 600 cfs; Kayaks and Canoes 300+ cfs
Gateway to Dewey Bridge (Utah)
Bureau of Land Management, Moab Field Office
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532
435.259.7012
- Website
- Permit: Call 435.259.7012
Notes: Permit required Gateway to Dewey Bridge
Green (Gates of Lodore) and Yampa Canyon
Dinosaur National Park/River Office
4545 Hwy 40
Dinosaur, CO 81610
970-374-2468 or 970-374-3000
Notes: Due Jan 31. Call March 1 for cancellations.
Ruby / Horsethief (Colorado River)
Bureau of Land Management, Northwest Field Office
2815 H Road
Grand Junction, CO 81506
970.244.3000
Notes: Permit required for overnight trips only.
Shuttle Services:
Rimrock Adventures – http://rradventures.com/shuttle-services/ – 888-712-9555
Utah:
Westwater Canyon, Colorado River
Bureau of Land Management, Moab Field Office
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532
435.259.7012
Notes: You can acquire any launch dates available within the two-month period. Call up to 8 weeks before your desired launch to obtain a permit.
Shuttle Services:
Rimrock Adventures – http://rradventures.com/shuttle-services/ – 888-712-9555
San Juan River
Bureau of Land Management, Monticello Field Office
365 North Main
Monticello, UT 84535
435.587.1500
River Office – 435.587.1544
Notes: Permit applications due Jan 31.
Shuttle Info:
Shuttles from Sand Island to Mexican Hat take one hour, while shuttles from Sand Island to Clay Hills take 4-5 hours. Commercial outfitters provide the shuttles for a fee. Shuttle Service Providers: Valle’s Trading Post (435) 683-2226 (trips taking-out at Mexican Hat only); Blackhawk Transportation (435) 678-3224 (trips taking-out at Clay Hills; Jim Hardin (435) 672-2455 (trips taking out at Clay Hills).
Cataract Canyon, Colorado River
Canyonlands National Park
2282 SW Resource Blvd.
Moab, UT 84532
435.259.4351
Notes: You can apply on or after Jan 1. There is no daily launch limit for Cataract. If you apply, you will get a permit. Applications must be received 2 days before your launch date.
Shuttle Info:
Redtail Aviation – http://redtailaviation.com/river-shuttles/ – (800) 842-9251
Coyote Shuttle – http://coyoteshuttle.com/home/river-shuttles/ – (435) 260-2097
Desolation / Gray Canyons (Green River)
Bureau of Land Management, Price Field Office
125 South 600 West
Price, UT 84501
435.636.3600
Notes: New Permit Lottery system in place. Lottery application for dates between May 1 and Sept 30 are accepted from Dec 1 thru Jan 31. Off-season permits (Oct 1 thru April 30) are issued on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Shuttle Info:
Redtail Aviation – http://redtailaviation.com/desolation-shuttle/ – (800) 842-9251
Arizona:
Grand Canyon, Colorado River
Grand Canyon National Park, River Permits Office
1824 S Thompson St, Suite 201
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928.638.7843 or toll free at 1.800.959.9164
Salt River
US Forest Service, Tonto National Forest
7680 S. Six Shooter Canyon Rd.
Globe, AZ 85501
928.402.6236
Notes: Permit season runs from March 1 – May 15 annually. Permits are accepted Nov 15 – Jan 15. Apache Tribal permit is also required. Payable at the put-in or online here.
Download the FS Salt River Map here
New Mexico:
Rio Chama
Bureau of Land Management, Taos Field Office
226 Cruz Alta Rd
Taos, NM 87571
575.758.8851 or 888.882.6188
Notes:
- To apply for a permit, you must write the BLM field office requesting a permit postcard. They will then mail you an application postcard. Once you receive the postcard, you must mail it back to them with the application fee (please send a note complaining about their extremely antiquated permit system while you’re at it!). They then return the postcard to you with notification of your success or rejection of a permit.
- Private or Self-Guided Trips / Chavez Canyon — No advance reservation or fees are required for day trips launching from Chavez Canyon, just below the Monastery. All you need to do for this day-run is fill out a boater registration form with the BLM before you launch.
- Launch Lottery / Summer Season — BLM Taos Field Office administers a lottery to distribute weekend launch dates from May 1 through Labor Day. Applications are due before January 31. The office accepts telephone reservations for weekday launches after April 1.
Outside the 4Corners Region:
4 Rivers: Middle Salmon, Main Salmon, Selway, Snake Rivers, ID
Middle/Main Salmon
US Forest Service, Salmon Challis National Forest
2311 N. US Highway 93
Challis, ID 83226
208.879.4101
Selway
US Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest
1801 N 1st St
Hamilton, MT 59840
406.363.7100
Snake
US Forest Service, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
1550 Dewey Ave, Suite A
Baker City, OR 97814
541.523.6391
- Website
- Recreation.gov Lottery Site
Notes: Apply online Dec 1 – Jan 31
Jarbidge-Bruneau, Upper Owyhee, ID
Bureau of Land Management, Boise District
3948 Development Ave
Boise, ID 83705
208.384.3800
Rogue River, OR
Bureau of Land Management, Medford District Office
14335 Galice Road
Merlin, Oregon 97532
541.479.3735
Notes: Apply online by Jan. 31
Big Bend and Lower Canyons, Rio Grande River, TX
Big Bend National Park
PO Box 129
Big Bend National Park, TX 79834
432.477.2251
Kern River/Forks of the Kern, CA
Sequoia National Forest, Kern River Ranger District
760.376.3781
Notes: Due Between March 15 and April 15. Must be postmarked after March 15.
Tuolumne River, CA
Stanislaus National Forest, Groveland Ranger District
24545 Hwy 120
Groveland, CA 95321
209.962.7825
Notes: Accepted after Jan 1
Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers, AK
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Park Headquarters, PO Box 140
Gustavus, AK 99826
907.784.3370 or 907.697.2230
