Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) Permit Guide 2026

Arizona · Utah · Leashed dogs OK

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger

Last updated

A Paria Canyon overnight permit covers multi-day trips through one of the Southwest's classic slot-canyon backpacks, running from the White House and Buckskin Gulch trailheads in Utah down to Lees Ferry in Arizona. It is a wet canyon hike where wading the Paria River is part of the trip, and the small daily quota is shared across all trailheads. Prime spring and fall dates fill quickly.

Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. First-come-first-served: each entry date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment. 20 people/day cumulative across all trailheads; day-of and next-day dates are not sold online. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.

When permits are released

First-come-first-served: each entry date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment. 20 people/day cumulative across all trailheads; day-of and next-day dates are not sold online.

Your odds

Paria Canyon overnight permits are not a lottery (that is the neighboring Coyote Buttes and Wave draws, a separate system). Your odds here are quota math: the BLM caps overnight entry at 20 people per day, cumulative across all four trailheads, one of the smallest hard caps of any major Southwest backpacking permit. A single group of 10 can consume half a day's canyon capacity.

The BLM publishes no application or sell-out statistics, so demand notes are estimates from observed booking patterns: prime spring (March to May) and fall (late September to November) dates go quickly once they enter the rolling one-year window, while summer and winter dates, when flash-flood risk or cold water deters most parties, often stay open.

Because trips are multi-day and quota is per person per day, one cancellation can free several consecutive dates at once. Those unscheduled returns are the realistic route to a sold-out spring weekend, and exactly what Permit Ranger watches.

Source: BLM Paria Canyon permit pages and recreation.gov booking rules (20-person daily quota); the BLM publishes no application or sell-out statistics, so demand notes are estimates. Last checked July 2026.

Fees

  • Reservation: $6 per reservation (non-refundable)
  • Per person, per day: $5 per person per day
  • Per dog, per day: $5 per dog per day

How to get a Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) permit

  1. Plan your route and entry trailhead (most overnight trips start at White House) and choose your entry date.
  2. Each entry date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window, advancing every morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment.
  3. Book on recreation.gov as soon as your date enters the window; the quota is shared across all trailheads, so popular dates go fast.
  4. Note that day-of and next-day trips are not sold online, so plan at least a couple of days ahead.
  5. If your dates are sold out, keep watching: cancellations return to the pool, and Permit Ranger can alert you when a spot reopens.

Notable trails

The classic Paria trip is a thru-hike from White House to Lees Ferry. Here are the notable routes for the canyon's single overnight permit.

Top passes in this area

The most in-demand Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) entry points, each with its own detail page.

Frequently asked questions

When do Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) permits open?

First-come-first-served: each entry date opens one year (365 days) ahead on a rolling window, advancing each morning at 7:00 AM Pacific - the single online release moment. 20 people/day cumulative across all trailheads; day-of and next-day dates are not sold online. Exact on-sale details are on the recreation.gov permit page.

What if my dates are sold out?

Cancellations open up all season. Watch the passes you want on Permit Ranger and you get an instant alert when a date you need becomes bookable.

Does Permit Ranger book the permit for me?

No. Permit Ranger alerts you the moment a watched date opens, with a direct booking link, but the booking is always yours to make on recreation.gov.

More permits in Arizona & Utah

Dog-friendly permits

Plan ahead

Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.

Browse Paria Canyon (Vermilion Cliffs) passes · Book on recreation.gov