Zion Mystery Canyon Seasonal Lottery
This page is for Mystery Canyon advanced lottery and reservations. To apply for the Daily Lottery for a Mystery Canyon permit two days from now, go to the Zion National Park Canyoneering Daily Lottery page.
All trips into Mystery Canyon require a permit. Mystery Canyon is a technical canyoneering route, requiring your own ropes, harnesses, and often wetsuits or drysuits. Guiding is not allowed in the Zion Wilderness. Anyone applying for this lottery must have their own skills and equipment to safely complete their desired trip.
Wilderness overnight permits, Narrows overnight permits, other technical canyoneering permits, climbing bivouac permits, and Angels Landing permits can be found on different pages within the Zion Recreation.gov gateway menu.
Permit & Season Information
Use this page to enter the Seasonal Lottery for a chance at permits for this hike. If your group is successful in the Seasonal Lottery you must claim your reservation on rec.gov by the claim by date. Then you must pick up the Wilderness Permit from permits desk in the Zion Visitor Center, either the day before or the day of your hike.
If your group is not successful in the lottery, you can check the calendar on this page for any unclaimed or cancelled reservations during the proper window. See the important dates table below. Your group can also enter the Canyoneering Daily Lottery for Mystery Canyon two days before your desired hike date. The Daily Lottery is your next best chance at obtaining a permit.
Winter Season Conditions
Winter can bring extreme conditions to Mystery Canyon, such as snow, ice, and freezing temperatures.
Need to Know
When planning your trip, please keep in mind:
- This page is to apply for the Seasonal Lottery for a Mystery Canyon permit in Zion National Park. It does not guarantee that the resource will be open or accessible. Trails, canyons, campsites, and even the entire park may be closed due to fires, floods, rock falls, or other reasons.
- Mystery Canyon is closed when the Virgin River Narrows are closed. The Narrows are closed any time the flow of the river is above 150 CFS.
- A Wilderness permit is required year-round for any travel in Mystery Canyon.
- Permit fees are non-refundable.
- Overnight trips are not allowed in Mystery Canyon.
- Your Reservation Confirmation email is not a Wilderness permit and cannot be used for Wilderness travel. Claim your reservation by the "Claim By" date. Then, bring your Reservation Confirmation email and proof of identity to pick up your Wilderness permit at a Zion Wilderness Permit Station.
- You must pick up your permit in person during open hours at any Zion Wilderness Permit Station the day before, or day of permit entry date.
Fee Policy
Lottery Application Fee: $6 lottery application fee (non-refundable)
Per Person Fee: $10 per person (refundable)
The reservation fee (in lieu of the lottery application fee) and per person fee are also charged for first-come, first-served permits that are issued in person. This fee supports the permit and reservation management system.
Cancellation Policy
Per person fees are refundable if the permit is cancelled or modified to a smaller group size before 5pm the day of the trip. The $6 lottery application fee is non-refundable in all circumstances.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
1 Zion Park Blvd Springdale Utah 84767
Phone Number
435-772-0170
