Green River - Desolation Canyon - 5 Days

Despite the name Desolation, the river surroundings offer green cottonwood groves, white sand beaches, and clear-water side streams. Your guide's selection of nightly camps will make good use of these features. Off river, abandoned homesteads mark the end of a frontiersman's dream, and prehistoric Indian petroglyphs the end of a civilization.

Born in 1987, the child of a side canyon flash flood, Belknap rapid is a formidable addition to the over 60 rapids on this 84-mile trip. With whitewater that builds in intensity each day, Desolation is an ideal place to occasionally swap your seat in the raft for a thirst quenching ride in an inflatable kayak.

On selected dates through-out the season we combine our Desolation river trip with a two day stay at historic Rock Creek Ranch. Accessed by a short flight into the Tavaputs plateau, Rock Creek Ranch is nestled among remote alpine forests and rolling meadows. Daily activities include horseback riding, hiking, four-wheeling, and simply relaxing in the outdoors.

One of the advantages of a river trip is the flexibility of the daily itinerary. It can vary widely from one trip to the next based on group desires, Mother Nature, and courtesy for other groups on the river. This typical itinerary illustrates a five-day trip through Desolation and Gray canyons.