Double your chances in the Grand Canyon Lottery
Jan 19, 2026
Permit Season is Here!
So remember last month when I sent the email about floating down the Grand Canyon? Anybody think “How do I do a trip like that?” This email will tell you how.
Most of the big river permit lotteries (through Recreation.gov) are open right now, and the deadline is coming up fast: January 31st. The Grand Canyon lottery is a little different and starts February 1st. After that, you’re stuck with a cancellation or going somewhere that doesn’t require a permit.
What to do (takes ~15 minutes)
Pick a river + section you want to run this year
Pick the time window you’d actually go
Apply for the lottery on Recreation.gov
🔗 Lottery portal: https://www.recreation.gov/lottery/available
Interested in learning more?
If you’re a Colorado Whitewater club member, I’m giving a presentation on January 29th but you need to register with the Eddy Out Social people. Let me know if you want more info.
If you’re not a member (or even if you are) feel free to check out my slides.
Want to double your chances on the Grand this year?
There was a change to the PATL rules this year on the Grand (and only the Grand). The short version is that PATLs can apply for the lottery themselves. So if you want to double your chances:
Last Year: most people would just skip entering a PATL and then have both people apply. Better to at least win a permit and then just pray the permit holder doesn’t get hurt before your trip and can’t make it.
This Year what’s intended: The intention with the new rules is that both you and your PATL will both enter and list each other as PATLs and then if someone can’t make it you’re still good. But what if you combined this strategy with what we used to do?
This Year, what you could do: Find someone that doesn’t want to go down ever. Maybe your grandma or your normie friend? You register yourself and get your partner to also register and list you as their PATL. Then if either of you win, you get to go even if your friend has no interest in ever actually using a permit. The person you were thinking of using as a PATL could do the same thing and now you have 4 people entered. You’re no worse off than you were last year if you skipped listing a PATL.
Hope that makes sense but feel free to reach out if you have questions. I’d love to help you get on the river and maybe invite me to join you ;-)
-Nik
PS. Made it this far? I like to include a random outdoor-related thing with each email: I’ve been doing a lot of work on changing the law in Colorado to make it possible for boaters to legally pass through private land while floating. You can learn more about our effort at https://responsibleriver.com/ if you’d like to support us!
