Greetings!
Greetings – Welcome to the Poudre Paddler Permit Party, our annual PPPP:
In 2026 the party will be Tuesday, January 20, 4-7 pm, at Fort Collins’ Downtown Library. You may attend in person or on Zoom.
Let’s begin. Is there anyone new to our approach to the PPPP? If so, we hope you have read over the River Descriptions and Permit How-To’s on the website.
There is a Google Docs Sheet (Spreadsheet) for you to sign-up.
The Process: Most river permit lotteries allow you to apply until January 31st, an exception being the Smith River in Montana, which is usually open until Feb 15.
So we meet to get an idea and form a list of who wants to go on what river this season. This forms a group to apply for that permit; we agree that if anyone in that group scores a permit, the others in the group that applied are invited as well, subject to ability level.
Then we apply (Some have applied already): We go onto the application websites, usually Recreation.gov, and file our applications before deadline. If your spouse or partner wants to go, he/she should file a permit application as well and will need a different Recreation.gov account. We let the Club know what we applied for and the dates by filling out the spreadsheet. We keep the confirmation from Rec.gov so we can prove we applied. And we wait, fingers crossed until… In February or March we find out if we are successful. Hooray! We let the Club know and email the others in the application group. Those who actually filed a permit application are the first ones allowed to go. Then we plan and wait. Rec.gov shows that we have the permit, and we can make changes to the permit UNTIL WE PRINT IT. You will have to pay the “per-person” fees before a deadline they set or lose the permit. I pay for a small group; then I can add and pay for more people before printing the permit. Rec.gov allows us to print the permit within a week or two of the put-in date. So we don’t print the permit until the week before the put-in date, to allow for last-minute changes. Be sure to have everyone on the permit read the regulations for the river.
Ah! but what if we are unsuccessful? Other permit-holders may cancel, and their permit becomes available. It might even become available at 2 a.m.! So the group that failed to get the permit keeps watch for cancellation openings. The group often sets up a system for this: Person A picks a week to watch, then Person B watches, etc. Then we paddle! On some rivers a ranger will check you in, to be sure you have the permit and required gear, like fire pan, throw ropes, extra paddles and toilet system. Consider this: If you don’t get the permit, tell the group, “Let’s go on a non-permitted river” and paddle anyway.
Now..the Rivers! We hope you have read their descriptions in the Permit part of the Poudre Paddlers website.
In 2026 the party will be Tuesday, January 20, 4-7 pm, at Fort Collins’ Downtown Library. You may attend in person or on Zoom.
Let’s begin. Is there anyone new to our approach to the PPPP? If so, we hope you have read over the River Descriptions and Permit How-To’s on the website.
There is a Google Docs Sheet (Spreadsheet) for you to sign-up.
The Process: Most river permit lotteries allow you to apply until January 31st, an exception being the Smith River in Montana, which is usually open until Feb 15.
So we meet to get an idea and form a list of who wants to go on what river this season. This forms a group to apply for that permit; we agree that if anyone in that group scores a permit, the others in the group that applied are invited as well, subject to ability level.
Then we apply (Some have applied already): We go onto the application websites, usually Recreation.gov, and file our applications before deadline. If your spouse or partner wants to go, he/she should file a permit application as well and will need a different Recreation.gov account. We let the Club know what we applied for and the dates by filling out the spreadsheet. We keep the confirmation from Rec.gov so we can prove we applied. And we wait, fingers crossed until… In February or March we find out if we are successful. Hooray! We let the Club know and email the others in the application group. Those who actually filed a permit application are the first ones allowed to go. Then we plan and wait. Rec.gov shows that we have the permit, and we can make changes to the permit UNTIL WE PRINT IT. You will have to pay the “per-person” fees before a deadline they set or lose the permit. I pay for a small group; then I can add and pay for more people before printing the permit. Rec.gov allows us to print the permit within a week or two of the put-in date. So we don’t print the permit until the week before the put-in date, to allow for last-minute changes. Be sure to have everyone on the permit read the regulations for the river.
Ah! but what if we are unsuccessful? Other permit-holders may cancel, and their permit becomes available. It might even become available at 2 a.m.! So the group that failed to get the permit keeps watch for cancellation openings. The group often sets up a system for this: Person A picks a week to watch, then Person B watches, etc. Then we paddle! On some rivers a ranger will check you in, to be sure you have the permit and required gear, like fire pan, throw ropes, extra paddles and toilet system. Consider this: If you don’t get the permit, tell the group, “Let’s go on a non-permitted river” and paddle anyway.
Now..the Rivers! We hope you have read their descriptions in the Permit part of the Poudre Paddlers website.