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Holiday River Expeditions
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800-624-6323
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801-266-2087
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For 35 years Holiday Expeditions has been providing trips to the most spectacular landscapes. The experienced outfitter for whitewater rafting in Utah, Colorado and Idaho; or Utah mountain biking.
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Adventure Bound River Expeditions |
800-423-4668 |
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ARTA River Trips |
800-323-2782 |
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Dinosaur River Expeditions |
800-247-6197 |
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Don & Meg Hatch River Expeditions |
800-342-8243 |
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S'Plore |
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Sheri Griffith River Expeditions |
800-332-2439 |
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O.A.R.S. |
800-346-6277 |
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| Sections |
Dinosaur National
Monument: Lodore Canyon, Whirlpool Canyon, and Split Mountain Gorge |
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Location |
Moffat County, northwest
Colorado; and Uintah County near Vernal, northeast Utah |
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Driving Time |
Grand Junction—2.5 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class:
II-III+ (Lodore); II (Whirlpool); II-III (Split Mountain Gorge) |
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Trip Length |
45 miles (72 km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle raft, oar raft,
inflatable kayak; three to five days, (one day at Split Mountain
Gorge) |
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Season |
May-September |
Dinosaur National
Monument's Green River provides 45 miles (72 km) of rafting through
three magnificent canyons: Lodore, Whirlpool, and Split Mountain.
Three- to five-day trips through the canyons afford rafters of
almost any age the opportunity to enjoy the river's magnificent
canyon scenery, its wildlife and relatively easy whitewater.
Green
River rafting begins at the Lodore Ranger Station at the monument's
north boundary. Shortly after put-in, the brilliant Precambrian red
sandstone walls of Lodore Canyon, called the Gates of Lodore, rise
to nearly 2,500 feet as the river dramatically cuts through the
Uintah Mountains. Most of Lodore's exciting Class II-III+
rapids—Disaster Falls, Triplet Falls, and Hells Half Mile—were
named by John Wesley Powell and his brave explorers in 1869. Hikes
into Lodore's interesting side canyons—Winnie Grotto, Rippling
Brook, and Pot Creek—permit a close-up examination of Freemont
Indian pictographs.
Immediately
downriver from Lodore is Whirlpool Canyon, where the Green crosses
from Colorado back into Utah. This colorful canyon, which begins at
the Mitten Park Fault, south of Harpers Creek, is one of the
monument’s most beautiful canyons. Its easy whitewater (Class
I-II) has recently become a favorite of disabled rafters.
Following Whirlpool is Split Mountain
Gorge. In recent years this scenic canyon has become a very popular
one-day rafting adventure. The 9.5-mile (14.5-km) passage through
the gorge near Vernal, Utah, gives families, first-timers, and
experienced rafters an excellent occasion to enjoy relatively easy
whitewater in one of the Southwest's most impressive canyons.
Water
releases from the Flaming Gorge Dam normally make it possible for
outfitters to run trips through Dinosaur's canyons until late
September. At most water levels outfitters allow teen-age and adult
rafters to choose between oar and paddle rafts, or inflatable
kayaks. Swimming in a few of the Green's rapids is also permitted.
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