Four Rivers Lottery and Permit Reservation System
Selway, Hells Canyon-Snake, Wild Main Salmon, Middle Fork of the Salmon (4 Rivers)
The Selway River, (Wild Main) Salmon River, Hells Canyon-Snake River, and Middle Fork of the Salmon River (aka 4 Rivers) use randomized lottery drawings to assign launch reservations for their control (primary) seasons.
Acceptance of Four Rivers Lottery applications begins annually on December 1 and closes on January 31 at 11:59 p.m. Applications must be submitted through the www.Recreation.gov website.
Boaters should try to anticipate high and low water levels before submitting an application or reserving a launch date.
The 4 Rivers Lottery Control (Primary) seasons:
Selway River: May 15 - July 31
Hells Canyon-Snake River: Friday before Memorial Day - Sept. 10
Wild Main Salmon River: June 20 - Sept. 7
Middle Fork of the Salmon River: May 28 - Sept. 3
All four rivers are part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. To learn more about the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018, visit www.rivers.gov/wsr50/ .
Four Rivers Lottery Information
The calendars provide information about how many launches are available for each date in the lottery.
The statistics and hydrographs provide information from prior years that boaters can use when deciding how to complete their application.
2019 Four Rivers Lottery Calendars
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2018 Applications by Date (Demand) PDF Excel
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2018 Applications and Success by State & Country PDF Excel
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Lottery Statistics Summary: 2010-2017
Individuals can only have one reservation at a time during the lottery season for each river. For the Selway, the Salmon, and the Middle Fork of the Salmon, there is a limit of one permit per lottery control season per person.
Pre/Post Season Reservations: Each river has different reservation/permitting requirements for pre/post season trips. For details, click on the river name at the bottom of this page. For a summary about each river, see Whitewater Rafting on the Four Rivers page.
Reservations for 2019 pre/post season launch dates on the Middle Fork Salmon and Wild Main Salmon rivers will be delayed from the typical October 1st opening. The start time will remain as 8 am Mountain time, but the date will be pushed back; the specific date will be determined by September. The Wild Main Salmon River has unlimited launches for pre/post season dates. The Middle Fork only allows 7 launches per day throughout the year.
To reserve pre or post season launch dates, go to www.recreation.gov and search for the Salmon River or the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, or call 1-877-444-6777. Reserving a pre or post season launch date does not exclude the person from applying to the lottery.
The www.recreation.gov website is also the method boaters will use to update their reservation details, or to cancel their reservation if necessary. This is also the place to submit payment of recreation fees for the Middle Fork and the Main Salmon Rivers. Complete and final payment of recreation fees must be entered in your reservation prior to your launch date; payments will not be accepted at the launch sites.
2019 Four Rivers Lottery Results should be posted on Feb. 14
Applicants - log into your profile at www.Recreation.gov to see the results of your lottery application; this information will not be given over the phone. If you have difficulty getting logged into your profile, contact the help desk at 1-877-444-6777.
Throughout the confirmation period, any successful lottery dates that are declined, cancelled or revoked can be reserved at www.recreation.gov, except for Selway dates, which will not be released until March 16th.
Lottery applications, reservations, cancellations and recreation fee payments for permits to float these Four Rivers are processed at www.Recreation.gov .
Successful applicants must accept their awarded launch date before midnight on March 15.
All successful lottery applicants must log into their profile, accept their awarded launch date, and enter the required Permit Details information by March 15 to confirm their reservation. Enter at least one person, the exit date, and any required information on the Permit Details page before continuing to the cart to finalize the confirmation process. Changes to the number of people and other trip details are allowed prior to receiving your permit. The Salmon and the Middle Fork require payment of recreation fees to confirm your launch reservation.
Successful applicants do not receive a paper packet of confirmation materials. Boaters will need to access the respective river's information webpage for details about equipment requirements, regulations and trip information. The website will be listed on the confirmation letter that will be emailed once the reservation is confirmed. Or you can click on the river's links at the bottom of this page.
Four Rivers Lottery:
River Contact Information:
Email the Four Rivers Lottery group. We welcome your comments and questions.
Weighted Lotteries for the Four Rivers
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