Paria Canyon Overnight Permits

Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

Always check weather for the entire watershed before hiking in a slot canyon. Nationally known for its beauty, the Paria Canyon has towering walls streaked with desert varnish, huge red rock amphitheaters, sandstone arches, wooded terraces, and hanging gardens.

Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, and Wire Pass combine to form one of the longest slot canyon systems in the United States. Portions of the permit area are included in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Kanab Field Office, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness contains a variety of scenic, geological, historical, biological, and recreational values. Paria Canyon is noted for its scenery caused by erosion of the sedimentary rocks in the 2,500’ deep canyon producing a variety of unusual geological features such as arches, amphitheaters, and massive sandstone walls. At the Arizona-Utah border the Paria Canyon and its tributary, Buckskin Gulch, form spectacular ‘narrows’ only a few feet wide in places and several hundred feet deep.

These geological features are enhanced by springs, hanging gardens, wooded terraces, interesting plants, and a variety of wildlife. The canyon rims provide scenic panoramas of not only the Paria Canyon and its tributaries, but also the outlying canyon country, sandstone plateaus, and towering cliffs.

Opportunities for visitors to experience solitude vary from good to outstanding, depending on the area of use. Excellent opportunities exist for a variety of primitive and unconfined types of recreation. Backpack through water-sculpted narrows and colorful geological layers on your way through this spectacular canyon.

Expect the wild! In both the Paria Canyon and the Buckskin Gulch there are no marked trails, few drinking water sources, and only occasional contact with other visitors. The canyons present numerous hiking difficulties such as miles of streambed strewn with small cobblestones making footing difficult, quicksand and deep mud, threats of flash floods, large and deep stagnant pools of cold water that might require swimming, and canyon obstructions such as log and rock jams that may involve the use of ropes to ensure a safe descent. To help protect yourself and the wilderness experience, please take the following precautions:

Notifications and Alerts

Permit & Season Information

This permit is required in order to camp overnight in the canyon. You must apply for, obtain, and purchase a permit in advance and pick up your permit in person within 10 days of the start date of your trip. Refer to the hours of operation under the 'Getting Here' tab for your chosen permit pick up site to assure you will be there during operational hours. Permits cannot be left outside.

Reservations are accepted at 12:00 noon (MT) on the 1st of each month for a permit during the third month ahead. 

For example, permits for the month of August would become available on May 1st at 12:00 noon MT. Reservations are not accepted for trips beginning the day-of or the next day.

Reservation and permit fees for all applicants will be charged at time of reservation. Following the reservation process, a confirmation email will be sent containing the receipt and permit information.

Need to Know

Permit Information

Safety is your responsibility!

Rules and Regulations

Fee Policy

Reservation Fee: A non-refundable $9.00 fee is required for each permit reservation. 

Recreation Fee: A non-refundable recreation fee of $5.00 per person and per dog per day is required for Paria Canyon Overnight permits.

When making a reservation, you must reserve the number of days you want to spend in the canyon, not the number of nights. For example, if a group of two people plans to spend three days and two nights in the permit area, the total recreation fee for the permit would amount to $30.00 (+ $9.00 reservation fee). Everyone, regardless of age, must be included in the overnight permit. This includes infants that are not walking.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Policy: Fees are non-refundable regardless of weather or any unforeseen circumstances. No rescheduling.  

Change Policy: Changes in trailheads, group members, vehicle information, and pick up location do not require fees. The addition of extra days, group members, or dogs requires a fee of $5.00 per day / per person/dog, if quota is available (for group members). Permit holders make changes through the modify feature on My Reservations.       

The entry date may not be modified. 

No changes within 2 weeks of entry date.  

Alternate Information:  

If the permit holder cannot make the trip, the permit can only be used by an alternate permit holder, who accepted the email invite (within 3 days) and is listed on the permit. If a primary or alternate permit holder is not present, the permit is invalid.  

Alternate names are submitted during the registration process; they cannot be added later.  

Alternates must have an account with rec.gov, using the same email submitted during the application. 

Contact Information

Mailing Address

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument 345 East Riverside Drive St. George UT 84790-6714

Phone Number

(435) 688-3399

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