Desolation lottery dates
Winners cancel all season. Set a cancellation alert and we tell you the moment a Desolation spot opens.
We check the agency's schedule every day for Desolation's next application dates, and this page updates the moment they post.
Published odds
What the agency publishes about Desolation odds
~5.9% (BLM river permit lottery (Dec-Jan), 2023).
“This year's numbers are down just slightly, with 58,592 people applying for the 'Four Rivers;' 11,749 for the San Juan, and 11,325 on the Deso-Gray.”
How the Desolation draw works
- Cost
- A one-time $6 reservation fee plus a $40 per person recreation fee.
- Max group size
- 25 people
Applications are filed through Recreation.gov. Open the official Desolation page
Apply as a crew
Most lotteries let every member of a party apply, and only one entry has to win. A pool keeps the applications, the dates and the result in one place so nobody in the crew misses the deadline.
Start a pool for DesolationDesolation lottery questions
What if I miss the Desolation lottery?
Set a cancellation alert. Winners cancel all season, and PermitSnag tells you the moment a Desolation spot opens. We remind you about the lottery dates too.
When does the Desolation lottery open?
PermitSnag reads the official schedule every day and posts the next Desolation window here the day it is announced.
What are the odds of winning the Desolation lottery?
~5.9% (BLM river permit lottery (Dec-Jan), 2023), published by The Colorado Sun — West river permit system demand reporting.