Backcountry permits are required for camping anywhere below the rim of Grand Canyon, including Bright Angel, Indian Garden and Cottonwood Campgrounds. The Canyon is divided into “Use Areas“, and these use areas must be specified when filling out the permit.
To find the use areas for the area you plan on hiking, visit the Backcountry Trails and Use Areas page on the park’s site and then choose the appropriate Use Area from the drop down menu on the permit form.
Below is the information taken from Grand Canyon’s backcountry permit page. It will answer questions of who needs a permit and how to go about getting one. You will also find a direct link to the online application form. The completed form must still be mailed or faxed to the Backcountry Office.
Backcountry Permit Request Form – NOTE: This is a printable PDF form only. It will open in a new window and requires free Adobe Reader. You must print the form, fill it out, and then fax/mail it directly to the Backcountry Information Center.
Backcountry permits are required for:
- overnight hiking
- overnight horseback riding
- overnight cross-country ski trips
- off-river overnight hikes by river trip members
- overnight camping at rim sites other than developed campgrounds
- overnight camping on the North Rim during the winter season
Backcountry permits are NOT required for:
- day hiking (this includes nighttime “day” hikes)
- day horseback riding
- overnight camping at Mather Campground, Desert View Campground, North Rim Campground (summer season only), and Tuweep Campground
- overnight stays at the dormitories or cabins at Phantom Ranch (advanced reservations with Xanterra Parks & Resorts required
Backcountry travelers must have their permit in their possession while in the backcountry. Once a camp is established, the permit must be attached to a pack, tent, or other equipment in plain view so it can be easily checked by rangers.
Permits are valid only for the trip leader, itinerary, number of people, and dates specified on the permit. Permits for all overnight backcountry use must be obtained through the Backcountry Information Center at Grand Canyon National Park.
Reservations for overnight tent or RV camping in developed Use Areas on the canyon rims (Mather, Desert View, North Rim) are not obtained through the Backcountry Information Center.
The Backcountry Information Center does not make reservations for river trips, mule trips, Phantom Ranch lodging, or trips into the canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation.
To obtain additional information or reservations for Phantom Ranch lodging, please visit the Grand Canyon National Park Lodges web site or contact them at (303) 297-2757 or (888) 297-2757.
For important information about the availability of corridor trails permits visit the Updates and Closures page.
Fees
There is a non-refundable fee of $10 per permit plus $8 per person per night camped below the rim and $8 per group per night camped above the rim. Denied permits do not incur a charge.
When sending in a permit request, the preferred method of payment is with a credit card. Please be sure to indicate the maximum amount you authorize the Backcountry Information Center to charge so that your longest trip alternative can be considered.
Valid personal checks and money orders against a United States bank are also accepted when made out for the correct amount. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Permit holders will be responsible for paying park entrance fees upon arrival.
How to Apply
There are three ways to apply:
- Bring request in person to the Backcountry Information Center. For same-day permits you may participate in a waiting list if you arrive by 8:00 A.M.
- Fax requests to the Backcountry Information Center at (928) 638-2125.
- Mail request to the Backcountry Information Center postmarked no earlier than the date indicated on the above chart. The Backcountry Information Center treats all requests on a first-come-first-served basis
When to Apply
The earliest you can apply for a permit is the first of the month, four months prior to the proposed start month (see table below). Applying as soon as allowed will improve your chances of obtaining an overnight backcountry use permit for the dates and use areas of your choice.
Mailed requests must be postmarked no earlier than than the date indicated on the chart. Faxed requests must not be received earlier than the date indicated on the chart.
| FOR DATES THROUGH | APPLY ON OR AFTER |
|---|---|
| March | November 1 |
| April | December 1 |
| May | January 1 |
| June | February 1 |
| July | March 1 |
| August | April 1 |
| September | May 1 |
| October | June 1 |
| December | August 1 |
| January | September 1 |
| February | October 1 |
Permit Responses
All requests are responded to via e-mail. Due to the volume of requests received, the park cannot confirm receipt of requests until they have been fully processed. Please allow at least three weeks for processing.
When space is available and all fee requirements are met, a permit will be issued and mailed to the trip leader. The permit is valid only for the trip leader named on the permit. Overnight hikers are not permitted to enter the canyon without a valid permit in the trip leader’s possession.
If you have been denied a permit through the mail, you may want to consider day hikes or attempt to obtain a last minute, walk-in permit.
Last Minute Permit Availability
People without a permit may be able to obtain one upon their arrival, in person, at the Backcountry Information Center. However, permits are very difficult to obtain during popular seasons.
When demand for campsites exceeds supply, a waiting list procedure is implemented. Participation in this procedure is limited to walk-in visitors only. Obtaining a same-day permit is unlikely; anticipate a 1 to 3 day (or longer) wait.
People may participate in the waiting list for as many consecutive days as are necessary to obtain a permit. However, those on the waiting list must be present at the Backcountry Information Center at 8am Mountain Standard Time each day in order to maintain their position on the waiting list.
The South Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily for walk-in visitors from 8am-noon and 1-5pm Mountain Standard Time. The North Rim Backcountry Information Center is open mid-May to mid-October for walk-in visitors from 8am-noon and 1-5pm Mountain Standard Time.
Use Areas
The backcountry is divided into “use areas”. Each use area has an overnight capacity based upon the size of the area, the number of suitable and available campsites, its ecological sensitivity, its management zoning, and its use history. Use areas range in size from several hundred acres to several thousand acres.
Length of Stay
Camping in the Corridor, Hermit, Monument, Horseshoe Mesa, and Tapeats Use Areas is limited to designated campsites or campgrounds only. Camping in these designated campsites or campgrounds is limited to two nights (consecutive or non-consecutive) per campsite or campground per hike. One exception is made to this rule: from November 15 – February 28, up to four nights will be allowed in popular corridor campgrounds.
Outside the use areas named above, “at-large” camping is permitted, meaning that camps are not limited to designated sites.
Trips are limited to a maximum of seven nights per use area; however, overall trip lengths are not limited.
Group Size
More permits are available for small groups (1-6 people) than for large groups (7-11 people). Because there are only a few large group sites, limiting the size of your group will increase your chances of obtaining a permit.
Larger groups tend to cause a disproportionately higher amount of damage to the canyon, largely due to the effects of “social” trailing. For this reason, the park’s Backcountry Management Plan does not allow groups larger than eleven people to camp in the same campground or use area.
Regulations stipulate that all permits are void when a group obtains multiple permits for the same campground or use area for the same night. The alternative for these larger groups is to obtain permits for smaller groups and ensure the itineraries for these permits never bring more than one of the permits into the same campground or use area on the same night. No more than four large groups or eight small groups that are affiliated with each other may camp within the backcountry on the same night.
Commercial Use
In addition to following all normal backcountry permit requirements, commercial organizations must obtain an Incidental Use Permit. Contact the park’s Concession Management Office at (928) 638-7707 for further information.
North Rim Winter Use
During the winter season (approximately late October through mid-May), a backcountry permit is required for overnight use of the North Rim from the park’s northern boundary to Bright Angel Point on the canyon rim. Winter access is by hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing only.
Permittees are allowed to camp at-large between the park’s north boundary and the North Kaibab trailhead but not at the trailhead itself. Between the North Kaibab trailhead and the Bright Angel Point area, camping is permitted only at the North Rim Campground group campsite.
Human waste may not be buried in the snow in areas that will be in view of summer users.
Remote Sites
With a valid credit card, last minute permits may sometimes be obtained from rangers on duty at the Tuweep, Meadview, and Lees Ferry ranger stations for a limited number of use areas in their vicinities. However, these rangers have other patrol responsibilities and may not be available to provide assistance. It is recommended that all trips be planned well in advance through the Backcountry Information Center.
Pipe Spring National Monument near Fredonia, Arizona, and the Bureau of Land Management office in St. George, Utah have a similar arrangements for issuing remote site permits.
Backcountry Information Center
The South Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily for walk-in visitors from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Mountain Standard Time (MST). The North Rim Backcountry Information Center is open mid-May to mid-October for walk-in visitors from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. MST.
Backcountry Information Center staff answer information telephone inquiries at (928) 638-7875 between 1:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. MST Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays. This telephone number is for information only.
Mailing Address:
Grand Canyon National Park
Backcountry Information Center
PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
FAX number for permits is (928) 638-2125.
You can send a fax 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – HOWEVER the first day of every month we receive many faxes and the number may be busy!
Backcountry Permit Request Form – NOTE: This is a printable PDF form only. It will open in a new window and requires free Adobe Reader. You must print the form, fill it out, and then fax/mail it directly to the Backcountry Information Center.
Some recommended products below may include affiliate links for which I may receive a commission if purchased when clicking through. Please note that I only recommend products that I feel are worthy, and you will not pay any extra when purchasing through these links. Click here to read the full disclosure statement.