By:
Submission
**You must have a permit to visit Paria Canyon. All permits are non-refundable and non-transferable.**
Paria Canyon's outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation are protected for future generations. Its 112,500 acres beckon adventurers who enjoy experiencing the scenic splendor of wilderness and the chance to explore one of the longest and deepest slot canyons in the world. To protect these areas, in 1984 Congress created the Paria Canyon – Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness.
Overnight Use Permits
You must reserve a permit in advance for overnight use. There is a limit on overnight use in the canyon to 20 people per day.
Overnight users must display the permit on the outside of their backpack, and on the dashboard of their vehicle.
$5 per person and/or dog, per night.
Permit Information
Permits are non-refundable. No Rainchecks. A valid government issued I.D. is required upon permit pick-up. Your trip must begin only on the reserved entry date; overnight trips that begin on a day other than the permit entry date are considered invalid, even if you begin on a day that would have been covered by the permit dates. Permits MUST be picked up in-person no sooner than 10 days before your trip begins. You can pick up your permit year-round at either the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in St. George, UT or seasonally at the Paria Contact Station or the BLM Kanab Field Office. Check pickup location hours under the "Getting Here" tab so you can plan accordingly. Upon permit pick-up, you will receive human waste bags (required within the entire canyon), a permit, a brochure, and a condition update.
It's a beautiful piece of country, but many of the trails are overly segregated to the public. You have to pay for multiple permits if you're going to explore thoroughly, and some are only acquired through a lottery. The slot canyons are amazing though.
Long drive but a great view of the Paria Canyon overlooking Lee’s Fairy
DO NOT GO IN MARCH! A group of us were going backpacking at Paria Canyon in the midst of March and the water got up to our shoulders and at times over our heads due to flash flood! The conditions are not safe, it is also very cold, especially when all of your gear gets soaked in the water like ours did!
We arrived April 10 for a 10-day stay in our all-time favorite camp site. We have been coming here annually for 20 years and have won the lottery to The Wave twice. The beauty is endless... very peaceful, and quiet. We have always been able to count on water (we pull a travel trailer with an
F-150) and came in with the fresh water trailer reservoir only 1/2 full. The outside spigot for water at the Contact Station was just a trickle decreasing to nothing. We were able to get some water from the water bottle fill inside the station. So .. when you come, bring the water you will need until the problem is addressed.
Travel with caution and arrive prepared to take care of yourself in this amazing wilderness region. The roads are often deep sand and all navigation should be by paper map or actual GPS map device since cell phone coverage is very poor. Understand your vehicle and know how to handle deep sandy driving and be prepared with plenty of water and also the basic equipment to handle a desert driving emergency if you get stuck.
