Green River Rafting Sections: Which Stretch Should You Raft?
Short answer: The Green River offers several distinct raftable sections. Flaming Gorge is a gentle Class I-II day trip section. Gates of Lodore through Dinosaur National Monument is a tighter, steeper Class III-IV multi-day run. Further downstream, Desolation Canyon offers a longer, mellower multi-day float. Each section suits a different kind of trip. Key Takeaways […]
Echo Park: Where the Yampa Meets the Green River
Short answer: Echo Park is the spot inside Dinosaur National Monument where the Yampa River joins the Green River, beneath the towering wall of Steamboat Rock. You can reach it by a rough 13-mile dirt road, or float through it on a Gates of Lodore or Yampa River rafting trip, which is the way most […]
Gates of Lodore: The Complete Guide (Permits, Rapids, Camping & Best Time to Go)
Short answer: The Gates of Lodore is a 44-mile stretch of the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument, named by John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition. It holds three named Class III-IV rapids, requires a hard-to-win private permit for noncommercial boaters, and runs a season from roughly June through September. Guided trips skip the permit lottery […]
How Much Does a White Water Rafting Trip Cost? (Utah & Colorado Pricing Guide)
Short answer: Whitewater rafting with Dinosaur River Expeditions starts at $89–$109 per person for a one-day Flaming Gorge trip. Multi-day adventures, including our four-day Gates of Lodore Green River trip and four- or five-day Yampa River expeditions, cost $1,139–$1,279 per person: $1,279 for adults, $1,139 for youth, and $1,199 for seniors and military guests with […]
White Water Rafting Near Salt Lake City & Park City: Is Vernal Worth the Drive?
Short answer: There’s no real canyon whitewater directly in Salt Lake City or Park City. The closest options are mellow Class I-II floats on the Weber River. For genuine Class III-IV canyon rafting, the drive to Vernal, about 3 hours from Salt Lake City, gets you into Dinosaur National Monument, and it’s worth it. Key […]
Overnight Rafting & Camping Trips in Utah and Colorado
Short answer: An overnight rafting trip means you sleep on sandy river beaches instead of driving home each night. Guides cook every meal, set up camp gear, and handle logistics, so your job is mostly to relax, help where you want to, and enjoy being off the grid for a few days. Key Takeaways Multi-day […]
Desolation Canyon vs. Gates of Lodore: Which Utah Multi-Day Trip Is Right for You?
Short answer: Choose Desolation Canyon if you want a longer, mellower trip with more time to relax, fish, and explore side canyons. Choose Gates of Lodore if you want bigger, more technical whitewater in a tighter canyon and the option to continue on toward Echo Park, where the Yampa joins the Green. Key Takeaways Desolation […]
How to Choose a Colorado Rafting Company
Short answer: Look for a company that holds an active National Park Service concession permit, uses guides with current whitewater and wilderness medical training, keeps groups small enough for real guide attention, and is upfront about what’s included and what isn’t. Those four things tell you more than any star rating. Key Takeaways A legitimate […]
Yampa River Rafting Trips: Skip the Permit Lottery
Short answer: You raft the Yampa without a permit by booking a guided trip. Only 300 private permits are issued for the entire high-use season across the Green and Yampa rivers combined, and the monument gets thousands of applications for them. A guided trip runs under our outfitter permit, so there’s no lottery to win […]
Wonders of the Yampa River
Raft the Yampa, the last free-flowing river in the Colorado system, then continue onto the Green River at Echo Park, two rivers, one trip through Dinosaur National Monument.