Backcountry Permits | Hit the Trail

Canyon trails are open for day hiking, and overnight backcountry permit requests are being considered. Park operation updates related to COVID-19 can be found on the Grand Canyon National Park Public Health Update webpage.

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 camping outside of Mather Campground, Desert View Campground, and North Rim Campground
overnight camping in all sites at Tuweep Campground
overnight camping anywhere on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park between Nov 1 – May 14 (includes ski-camping)
off-river camping by river trip participants
overnight camping with private stock outside of Mather Campground or outside of North Rim Campground (May 15 – Oct 31)
packrafting, other than that which occurs under a river permit

Backcountry permits are NOT required for:

day hikes (this includes nighttime “day” hikes)
day stock rides
overnight camping at Mather Campground and Desert View Campground (campground reservations for Mather Campground at www.recreation.gov)
overnight camping at North Rim Campground between May 15 – Oct 31 (campground reservations at www.recreation.gov)
overnight camping with private stock at Mather Campground or (May 15 – Oct 31) North Rim Campground
overnight stays at the dormitories or cabins at Phantom Ranch (advanced reservations with Grand Canyon National Park Lodges 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 Reservation.

To obtain additional information on how to enter the Phantom Ranch lodging lottery, or to check general availability, please contact Xanterra Parks and Resorts at 303-297-2757 or 888-297-2757 (http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com). For hikes into Havasu Canyon contact Havasupai Tourism Enterprise at (928) 448-2180 or (928) 448-2237 or (928) 448-2141 or (928) 448-2121

For important information about the availability of corridor trails permits visit the Updates and Closures page.

Rules and Regulations

Visit the Backcountry Rules and Regulations webpage to review the regulations you are expected to follow if issued a Grand Canyon backcountry permit.

Permit Cost

$10 per permit plus $8 per person or stock animal per night camped below the rim and $8 per group per night camped above the rim. Denied requests will not incur a charge. Permits cancelled at least four days in advance will receive hiker credit (minus a $10 cancellation charge) valid for one year. Backcountry Information Center charges are NON-REFUNDABLE!

When sending in a permit request, the required method of payment is with a credit card. Indicate the maximum amount you authorize the Backcountry Information Center to charge so that your longest trip alternative can be considered. Do not send cash in the mail.

Permit holders will be responsible for paying park entrance fees upon arrival.

South Bass Trail and Pasture Wash Trail visitors may be charged an additional fee by the tribe for crossing the Havasupai Indian Reservation.

How to Apply

Obtain and fill out the Backcountry Permit Request Form:

Backcountry Permit Request Form (PDF file)
Backcountry Hiking Brochure (PDF file)
Corridor Availability Report (PDF file)

Do not forget to include the following with your permit request:

Trip leader’s name, address, and telephone number.
Credit card number, expiration date, signature, date signed, and largest amount you authorize the National Park Service to charge.
Number of people and/or stock in the group (see Private Stock).
License plate numbers of any cars to be left at the trailhead.
Proposed night-by-night itinerary showing use area codes and dates for each night
Organization name if applicable (see Group Size and Commercial Use below).
Alternative proposed itineraries.

Submit the permit request form in one of the following ways:

Fax request to the Backcountry Information Center, 928-638-2125.
NOTE: 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.
Mail request to Grand Canyon National Park, Permits Office, 1824 S. Thompson St., Suite 201, Flagstaff AZ, 86001
Bring request to the Backcountry Information Center, located inside the park on both the South Rim and the North Rim. The South Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily, year round, for walk-in visitors from 8 am to noon and 1-5 pm Mountain Standard Time. The North Rim Backcountry Information Center (located in the administrative building) is open daily mid-May to mid-October for walk-in visitors from 8 am to noon and 1-5 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Permit requests are not accepted by telephone or by email.

When to Apply

APPLY DURING EARLIEST CONSIDERATION TIME FRAME! Popular use areas / campsites fill up right away! Permit requests are welcome later, but your chance of success will be greatly reduced.

The table below shows the start date for hikes in the first column. The second column is when requests must be received (by 5 pm MST the last day). The day does not matter since equal, random consideration is given to all written requests. The third column is when In-Person Verbal requests become eligible for consideration.

	Application Requests
Jan	Aug 20 – Sep 1	Oct 1
Feb	Sep 20 – Oct 1	Nov 1
Mar	Oct 20 – Nov 1	Dec 1
Apr	Nov 20 – Dec 1	Jan 1
May	Dec 20 – Jan 1	Feb 1
Jun	Jan 20 – Feb 1	Mar 1
Jul	Feb 20 – Mar 1	Apr 1
Aug	Mar 20 – Apr 1	May 1
Sep	Apr 20 – May 1	Jun 1
Oct	May 20 – Jun 1	Jul 1
Nov	Jun 20 – Jul 1	Aug 1
Dec	Jul 20 – Aug 1	Sep 1

Permit Responses

What: A backcountry permit will be issued to the trip leader if space is available and all fee requirements have been met.

When: While we try to respond as quickly as possible, it can take up to three weeks to respond when popular months first open for permits and up to 2,000 requests are received at the same time. You can help us keep this response time as low as possible by NOT asking us to search for and confirm receipt of your request.

How: All permit requests are responded to by email. If you do not see a response, please check your SPAM and JUNK folders before contacting the park.

Who: A backcountry permit is valid only for the trip leader, itinerary, and number of people specified on the permit. Overnight hikers must hike together with the permit in the trip leader’s possession.

Other Options: If a permit is NOT available, consider either day hikes or seek to obtain a last-minute permit through our waitlist.

Last Minute Permit for Corridor Campgrounds

A limited number of last minute walk-up permits are available at the South Rim and/or North Rim Backcountry Information Center for Corridor Campgrounds (Indian Garden, Bright Angel, and Cottonwood Campgrounds). These permits are issued in person only, are for one or two consecutive nights, and cannot be purchased more than one day prior to the start of a hike.

Last-minute permits are issued by the Backcountry Information Center, located inside the park on both the South Rim and the North Rim. The South Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily, year-round, for walk-in visitors from 8 am to noon and 1-5 pm Mountain Standard Time. The North Rim Backcountry Information Center (located in the administrative building) is open daily from mid-May to mid-October for walk-in visitors from 8 am to noon and 1-5 pm 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 a Commercial Use Authorization. Contact the park’s Concession Management Office at (928) 638-7707 for further information or visit www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/cua.htm

North Rim Winter Use

Winter use guidelines come into affect after the North Rim receives adequate snowfall to close Highway 67 or on Dec 1st, whichever comes first. Once in effect, winter use guidelines apply until mid-May, when the North Rim reopens for the season.

During the winter season 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. A permit can be obtained in advance at the Backcountry Information Center.

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 the rangers on duty at the Lees Ferry ranger station for a limited number of use areas in their vicinity. 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.

Backcountry Information Center

The South Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily for walk-in visitors from 8 am to noon and 1-5 pm Mountain Standard Time. The North Rim Backcountry Information Center is open daily mid-May to October 31 for walk-in visitors from 8 am to noon and 1-5 pm (Mountain Standard Time).

Backcountry Information Center staff answer information telephone inquiries at (928) 638-7875 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm MST Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays. This telephone number is for information only.

Mailing Address:

Grand Canyon National Park
Permits Office
1824 S. Thompson St., Suite 201
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

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!

Final Notes – Prepare for Your Hike with the Essentials Checklist!

Be sure to prepare well for your hiking in the Grand Canyon. Throughout the late Spring to early Fall, the temperatures can be really hot. Be sure to bring plenty of water and emergency gear. We’ve just released the day hiker’s essential checklist. Be sure do to your own research as well!

Updated Sep 6, 2023 with day hike essential checklist.

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