Green River rafting in Utah
The short answer
The Green is the multi day river. It runs through country with almost no road access, so trips are four to six days by necessity rather than by choice. Four sections carry commercial trips: Gates of Lodore for whitewater, Desolation for the best all round expedition, Labyrinth for flatwater quiet, and Stillwater below it.
Choose the Green over the Colorado when solitude matters more than rapids, and when you have a week rather than an afternoon.
- Sections
- Four commercial
- Difficulty
- Class I to IV
- Trip lengths
- 3 to 6 days
- Season
- March to September
- Total river length
- About 730 miles
Four sections, north to south
The Green rises in the Wind River Range in Wyoming and runs roughly 730 miles to meet the Colorado inside Canyonlands National Park. These four stretches carry guided commercial trips, listed here in the order the river reaches them.
Gates of Lodore
Dinosaur National Monument, on the Colorado and Utah border. Three to four days running the rapids Powell named in 1869 after wrecking a boat. The whitewater section of the Green, and about six hours drive from Moab.
View the tripDesolation and Gray
Five to six days and about 84 miles through the Tavaputs Plateau. Around 60 moderate rapids, Fremont rock art and outlaw era ranch sites. The best first multi day river trip in Utah.
View the tripLabyrinth Canyon
Four to six days of flatwater below the town of Green River. No rapids at all. Bowknot Bend, huge sandbar camps and exceptional night skies. Takes children from around 5.
View the tripStillwater Canyon
The final stretch, running from Mineral Bottom into Canyonlands National Park and down to the Confluence with the Colorado. Flatwater like Labyrinth, deeper canyon, and it requires a separate National Park Service permit. Often combined with Labyrinth into one longer trip.
Three questions that narrow it down
| Feature | Lodore | Desolation | Labyrinth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | III to IV | II to III | I, flatwater |
| Days | 3 to 4 | 5 to 6 | 4 to 6 |
| Minimum age | 10 to 12 | Often 8 | Often 5 |
| Drive from Moab | About 6 hours | About 2 hours | About 1 hour |
| Season | May to September | May to September | March to October |
| Permit difficulty | Among the hardest in the West | Moderate | Easiest of the three |
| Pick it for | Real whitewater and Powell history | The best all round expedition | Silence, night skies, young children |
| Trip page | View Lodore | View Desolation | View Labyrinth |
Our take: if this is your first multi day river trip, take Desolation. It has enough whitewater to be exciting without ever being frightening, the camps and hiking are excellent, and the permit situation is manageable.
The Colorado's largest tributary
Where it comes from
The Green rises in the Wind River Range in Wyoming and runs south through Wyoming, a corner of Colorado and most of eastern Utah before joining the Colorado in Canyonlands. By volume it is the Colorado's largest tributary, and at the Confluence the two rivers are comparable in size.
Why the water runs clear
Flaming Gorge Dam in the upper basin traps sediment, so the Green often runs clearer and colder than the Colorado. Below Desolation it picks up silt again from tributaries, but the contrast at the Confluence is usually visible: green water meeting red.
Powell ran it first
John Wesley Powell launched his 1869 expedition on the Green at Green River, Wyoming and followed it down to the Colorado and on into the Grand Canyon. Most of the names on this river, including Lodore, Desolation and Labyrinth, come from that trip.
What makes it different
Access, more than water. Long stretches have no road within many miles, which is why trips run for days rather than hours. If you want to go somewhere you cannot drive to, this is the river.
Getting to the water
Desolation Canyon usually starts with a flight. The road to the Sand Wash launch is long, rough and unpaved, so most outfitters charter a small plane out of Moab instead, roughly half an hour over canyon country, followed by a short walk down to the boats. It is included in the trip price and a good number of guests rate it among the best parts of the week. Some operators drive in instead, so ask which yours does. From Sand Wash the river runs 84 miles down to Swasey's Beach.
Labyrinth is a drive. Trips shuttle from Moab to Green River State Park, around 55 miles, then float roughly 68 miles down to Mineral Bottom. Some outfitters run a shorter version starting at Ruby Ranch. No flight, no rapids, and the easiest logistics of any multi day trip in the region.
Outlaws and the people before them
Desolation Canyon runs through country that was genuinely beyond the reach of the law in the 1890s. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid used this canyon system, and guides will point out homestead remains along the way. Older by far are the Fremont petroglyph panels, and in Labyrinth the inscriptions left by nineteenth century trappers and river parties on the canyon walls. Very little here has been tidied up.
When to run which section
| Window | Conditions | Best sections |
|---|---|---|
| March and April | Cold, quiet, rising water. Limited operations | Labyrinth, which has the longest season |
| May and June | Snowmelt peak from the Uintas and the Wind Rivers. Biggest water, highest age minimums on Lodore | Lodore at its most powerful |
| July and August | Warm and reliable, flows dropping. Hot with little shade on the flatwater sections | Desolation, Lodore |
| September and October | Low, clear and cool. Best light of the year, fewest people | Labyrinth, late Desolation departures |
One practical note: on the flatwater sections, midsummer heat is the limiting factor rather than the water. Spring and autumn are noticeably more pleasant on Labyrinth.
Every section is permit controlled
| Section | Managed by | How limited |
|---|---|---|
| Gates of Lodore | National Park Service | Among the most competitive river permits in the West |
| Desolation and Gray | Bureau of Land Management | Limited. Two to three months ahead for summer |
| Labyrinth Canyon | Bureau of Land Management | The most available of the three |
| Stillwater Canyon | National Park Service | Separate Canyonlands permit required below Mineral Bottom |
Commercial outfitters hold allocated permits, which is why booking through one is far more practical than entering the private lottery. Private trips on Lodore in particular face odds that put most applicants off entirely.
Common questions
Which Green River section is best for a first multi day trip?
Desolation Canyon. Around 60 rapids across 84 miles, almost all Class II, so it is genuinely fun without ever being intimidating. Add excellent hiking, rock art and comfortable beach camps, and it is the trip we would put a first timer on.
What is the difference between the Green and the Colorado?
Access and character. The Colorado runs alongside Moab with road access at several points, which makes half day trips possible. The Green flows through country with almost no roads, so trips run four to six days. The Colorado has the bigger whitewater, the Green has the deeper solitude.
Are there any day trips on the Green River?
Not from Moab. Every commercial section runs as a multi day trip because there is nowhere to take out sooner. If you only have a day, the Colorado is your river. The Green is a commitment of several days at minimum.
Why does the Green River run clearer than the Colorado?
Flaming Gorge Dam in the upper basin traps sediment, so the Green often carries less silt and runs cooler and clearer. Below Desolation it picks up more from tributaries. At the Confluence in Canyonlands you can often see the two colours meeting before they mix.
Can children go on Green River trips?
Yes, on the right section. Labyrinth Canyon takes children from around 5 because there are no rapids, and Desolation from around 8. Gates of Lodore starts at 10 to 12. Be realistic about several nights of camping.
How long is the Green River?
Roughly 730 miles from its headwaters in the Wind River Range of Wyoming to the Confluence with the Colorado in Canyonlands National Park. By volume it is the Colorado's largest tributary, and the two rivers are comparable in size where they meet.
Days without a road
Every Green River section is permit controlled and summer departures fill months ahead. If you have fixed dates, start early.