Aravaipa Permits: How the Aravaipa Canyon Permit System Works
A permit is required to enter Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness year-round, whether you’re day hiking or backpacking.
Most independent visitors obtain their Aravaipa permits through Recreation.gov. Permits are limited, however, and desirable spring and fall dates—especially weekends—can fill quickly.
If Recreation.gov is sold out for the dates you want, check with us before changing your plans. Moonflower may already have permits available for a private guided trip on those dates.
If you travel with us, we can also handle the permitting process as part of planning your trip.
Here’s how the Aravaipa permit system works.
Permit policies can change, so we recommend verifying current regulations with the Bureau of Land Management and Recreation.gov before an independently planned trip.
Is an Aravaipa permit required?
Yes, year-round
Where are public permits reserved?
Recreation.gov
Is there a lottery?
No. Reservations are first-come, first-served
How early can you reserve?
13 weeks / 91 days before your entry date
Daily visitor limit
50 people
West entrance allocation
30 people per day
East entrance allocation
20 people per day
Maximum group size
10 people
Maximum trip length
3 days / 2 nights
Permit cost
$5 per person per day
Reservation fee
$6 per transaction
Do day hikers need a permit?
Yes
01
How do Aravaipa Canyon permits work?
The Bureau of Land Management limits the number of people who may enter Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness each day. The purpose of the permit system is both to protect the canyon’s unusually rich riparian environment and to preserve its wilderness character.
Use is currently limited to 50 people entering per day: 30 from the West Trailhead and 20 from the East Trailhead.
Unlike some highly sought-after wilderness permits, Aravaipa permits are not distributed by lottery. Public permits are released through Recreation.gov on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis.
Your permit is associated with a particular:
- entry date
- entrance — East or West
- number of people
- length of stay
You must enter from the trailhead associated with your permit.
Groups are limited to 10 unique people, and separate reservations cannot be combined to create a larger group.
02
When do Aravaipa permits become available?
This is one of the most important things to understand if you’re trying to get a popular date.
Aravaipa permits become available 13 weeks — exactly 91 days — before the desired entry date.
Recreation.gov currently releases them each day at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, that means the local Arizona release time changes during the year:
- 7:00 a.m. Arizona time while the eastern United States is observing daylight saving time
- 8:00 a.m. Arizona time while the eastern United States is on standard time
For example, Recreation.gov gives October 17, 2026 as an example. Permits for that date became available July 18, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. Arizona time.
Depending on the season and remaining availability, permits can also be reserved much closer to your trip — including the day of entry if space remains.
Booking a popular date
If you want a prime spring or fall weekend, it’s worth treating the permit release date seriously:
- Count back 91 days from your desired entry date.
- Create your Recreation.gov account beforehand.
- Know whether you need an East or West permit.
- Be ready when permits are released.
And if your desired date is already gone, don’t assume that means you can’t make the trip. Check with Moonflower as well. We may already have permits for a guided trip on those dates.
03
West Aravaipa permits vs. East Aravaipa permits
When reserving an Aravaipa permit, you’ll need to choose which side of the canyon you’re entering.
The choice matters. The East and West trailheads are separated by a long wilderness traverse, and reaching them by road is an entirely different proposition.
West Trailhead
- The West Trailhead is the more convenient entrance for most visitors coming from Tucson or Phoenix.
- The BLM allocates 30 entries per day from the west side.
- The trailhead is reached from Arizona Route 77 via approximately 12 miles of road, about nine miles of which are unpaved.
- For many Aravaipa trips, particularly out-and-back trips and shorter explorations, the West Trailhead is the simpler logistical choice.
East Trailhead
- The East Trailhead is closer to Safford and significantly more remote.
- The BLM allocates 20 entries per day from the east side.
- Access involves roughly 46 miles of dirt road, including unbridged creek crossings. The BLM says a high-clearance vehicle is necessary to reach the East Trailhead, and access can become impassable during flooding. Our experience aligns with that. Four wheel drive and high clearance are required to get to the East trailhead.
- Don’t book an East permit simply because West permits are unavailable without first understanding the transportation involved.
And if your desired date is already gone, don’t assume that means you can’t make the trip. Check with Moonflower as well. We may already have permits for a guided trip on those dates.
04
Do you need a permit for a day hike in Aravaipa Canyon?
Yes.
Aravaipa’s permit requirement isn’t just for overnight backpackers.
If you’re entering the permitted wilderness area for a day hike, you need a one-day Aravaipa permit.
For an overnight backpacking trip, you reserve a permit for each calendar day you’ll be inside the permitted area.
And if your desired date is already gone, don’t assume that means you can’t make the trip. Check with Moonflower as well. We may already have permits for a guided trip on those dates.
05
How long can you stay in Aravaipa Canyon?
The maximum permitted stay is: 3 days / 2 nights.
So a typical two-night backpacking trip requires a three-day permit.
Aravaipa is also different from many popular backpacking destinations because there are no designated trails or campsites inside the wilderness.
Your permit gives you authorization to enter the wilderness. It does not reserve a particular campsite.
06
How much does an Aravaipa permit cost?
The current recreation fee is:
$5
per person, per day
+$6
non-refundable reservation fee per transaction.
For example, two people spending three days and two nights in Aravaipa would currently pay:
2 people × 3 days × $5 = $30
plus the $6 reservation fee.
Total: $36
07
Can you change or cancel an Aravaipa permit?
There are some important limitations.
If you want to change your trip date, you generally need to cancel the existing permit and make a new reservation for an available date.
Adding people to your group depends on remaining permit availability. You can reduce your group size, although refund eligibility depends on when the change is made.
One particularly important rule:
Once you print or download your permit, you can no longer make changes to it.
Permits become available to print or download beginning 14 days before your trip.
Recreation.gov also recommends naming an alternate trip leader when you make the reservation. If the primary permit holder can’t attend, the permit can only be used if the alternate trip leader listed on the reservation is present.
08
What if Aravaipa permits are sold out?
Don’t necessarily change your plans yet.
If Recreation.gov shows no permits for the date you want, you have several options.
First, keep checking. Cancellations can return permit availability to the public reservation system.
You can also consider:
- shifting the trip by a day or two
- traveling on a weekday rather than a weekend
- choosing a different trip length
- considering the other entrance when the itinerary and transportation make sense
But there’s another option that’s easy to overlook:
Check with Moonflower Guide Co.
We may already have permits available for a private guided trip on your preferred dates, even when you’re no longer able to find the permits you need on Recreation.gov.
So if Recreation.gov says your dates are sold out, it’s worth contacting us before giving up on them.
We can’t create extra permit capacity or bypass BLM’s wilderness visitor limits. And we don’t sell standalone permits.
Read the full guide: what to do when Aravaipa permits are sold out
But if we already have permits, a date that isn’t available to you for an independent trip may still be available as a private guided trip with us.
Want us to handle the Aravaipa permit?
You don’t have to become an expert in the Aravaipa reservation system to visit the canyon. For our private guided Aravaipa trips, Moonflower can handle the permitting process as part of planning your trip.
You tell us what kind of experience you’re looking for and when you’d like to go. We work through the permit availability and the rest of the logistics involved in making the trip happen.
That can include:
- permits
- route and itinerary
- East vs. West entry
- trailhead logistics
- transportation
- current conditions
- equipment
- food
- wilderness travel and safety decisions
And importantly:
If the dates you want already appear sold out on Recreation.gov, contact us anyway. We may already have permits available for a guided trip on those dates.
Aravaipa
Permits FAQ
Do you need a permit for Aravaipa Canyon?
Yes. A permit is required year-round for recreational visits to the permitted portion of Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, including both day hiking and backpacking.
Where do you get an Aravaipa Canyon permit?
Public recreational permits are reserved through Recreation.gov.
The Bureau of Land Management directs independent visitors there to obtain Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness permits.
How far in advance can you get an Aravaipa permit?
Permits become available 13 weeks, or 91 days, before your entry date.
What time are Aravaipa permits released?
Recreation.gov currently releases new permit dates at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
That’s generally 7:00 a.m. Arizona time during daylight-saving months and 8:00 a.m. Arizona time during standard-time months.
Is the Aravaipa permit system a lottery?
No.
Aravaipa uses a first-come, first-served reservation system, rather than a lottery.
How many Aravaipa permits are available?
Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness use is limited to 50 people entering per day:
30 from the West Trailhead
20 from the East Trailhead
How many people can be on an Aravaipa permit?
A group can include a maximum of 10 unique people.
Separate reservations cannot be combined to create a group larger than 10.
Do I need a permit just to day hike Aravaipa?
Yes.
Day hikers need an Aravaipa permit just as overnight backpackers do. Select a single-day permit for a day hike.
Can you camp in Aravaipa Canyon?
Yes.
Permitted trips can last up to three days and two nights.
There are no designated campsites inside the wilderness, and a permit does not reserve a particular camping location.
Recreation.gov is sold out. Can I still visit Aravaipa Canyon?
Possibly.
For an independent trip, you can continue checking Recreation.gov for cancellations or consider another available date.
But check with Moonflower before changing your plans.
We may already have permits available for a private guided trip on your desired dates even if you can no longer obtain the permits you need through Recreation.gov.
We can’t bypass BLM visitor limits, and we don’t sell permits separately from our trips. But existing Moonflower permit availability may make a guided trip possible on a date that otherwise appears unavailable to you.
Can Moonflower Guide Co. handle my Aravaipa permit?
Yes.
When you book a private guided Aravaipa trip with Moonflower, we can handle the permitting process as part of your trip planning.
We’ll also coordinate the itinerary, transportation logistics and other elements of the trip so you don’t have to piece the experience together yourself.
Official Aravaipa permit information
Last reviewed: September 2026
Permit fees, procedures and regulations can change. For independently planned trips, always verify the latest rules with the Bureau of Land Management and Recreation.gov.