Grand Canyon River Rafting Trips Available Through Draw

2019 river rafting trips throughout the Grand Canyon will soon be available to those who enter in a draw currently being held. 468 tickets are available to be obtained, courtesy of the National Park Service. Those who plan to enroll in the lotto must be above 18 years of age. It is also important to note that these tickets are for private river rafting excursions, meaning that they are self-guided.

Applications Now Available

The lottery occurs every February, distributing tickets to winners that are redeemable come the following year. Applications for trips taking place in 2019 can now be submitted. 12pm (MST) Wednesday, February 21st 2018 is the deadline for filing applications. Winners will be chosen after February 23rd.


Standard sized trips, consisting of 1 to 16 individuals ($400), will be occurring throughout the year in 2019, whereas smaller sized trips ($200), consisting of 1 to 8 people will be taking place from April to August of 2019. Winners must pay their entry fees by 12pm (MST) Wednesday, February 28th.

Applicants are encouraged to designate Potential Alternate Trip Leaders, in case they themselves are unable to attend the event. Cancellation occurs, if they are unable to attend and no PATL is named. This designation can be made during the initial application process.

Follow Up Lotteries

Due to the fact that some winning contestants end up canceling their trip, follow-up lotteries will take place periodically throughout the remainder of the year. Further information regarding these additional lotteries can be found at the National Park Service website. Only one application per individual per lottery is acceptable. Submission of multiple applications by one individual, for a single lottery, may result in discarded submissions or revoked trips won.

Information about applying for trips can be found here.