Desolation Float 2022
In Sept, Rena and I joined 5 friends to do a 9 day, 8 night canoe trip of Desolation Canyon on the Green River in Southern Utah. We launched on Sept 19. The water level was about 2,000 cfs, perfect for our 3 SOAR canoes and one packraft. Participants were Brian Elliott, Gary Kelley, Craig Miller, Mike Berglund, Dean Talbott, Rena, and I. This was my 3rd trip on the Desolation. I had been down it in May 1994 and Oct 2009.
We did the trip ourselves without an outfitter. We got the permit, drove to the Sand Wash put-in with our gear, and had a car shuttle service move our cars to the take-out at Swasey’s. The river is not crowded this time of the year. We had two guidebooks that described the river. Both ”Belknap’s Desolation River Guide” and “River Maps Green River Guide” have maps of the entire route including the rapids and camps. The latter book is relatively new and is excellent. The river has numerous rapids but none were very difficult. The major ones are listed in the itinerary. A good fit for our SOAR inflatable canoes.
Rena and I drove from Redondo Beach with our new van with was loaded to the brim with gear. We stopped to see the Dinosaur Museum in Price Utah and then met the others at the Nine Mile Ranch campground nearby. Craig came from Seattle, Gary from Texas, Mike and Dean from Minnesota, while Brian Rena and I came from Southern California. We all spend a day photographing the great petroglyphs in 9-Mile Canyon.
We had excellent weather with a small amount of rain, mostly at night. My photos were taken with a waterproof Olympus TG6 and my iPhone 13.
The Itinerary below is a mile by mile description of the trip.
ITINERARY
DAY - RIVER MILES - ACTIVITY
0 - 96 - Put in - Camp Sand Wash
1 - 86.5 - Camp 1 - Big Beach - paddled 9.5 miles
2 - 81.5 - Wooden boat
2 - 80 - Rock House petroglyphs
2 - 70 - Jack Creek rapid - 1st real rapid
2 - 69.5 - Camp 2 - Below Jack Creek, paddled 16.9 miles
3 - 63.3 - Flat Canyon petroglyphs
3 - 56.5 - Steer Ridge rapid
3 - 55.8 - Surprise rapid
3 - 54 - Pick up water, No 1
3 - 53.5 - Rock Creek Ranch
3 - 53 - Camp 3 - Below Rock Creek Ranch, paddled 16.6 miles
4 - 53 - Camp 4 - Layover day- hike, see petroglyphs, ranch, and granary behind camp
5 - 49 - Chicken Rock hike
5 - 48.7 - Belknap rapid
5 - 47 - Chandler Falls rapid
5 - 46.2 - Pick up water, No 2
5 - 44.7 - Camp 5 - Bull Canyon, fire and smores, Craig’s smoked salmon, paddled 8.3 miles
6 - 40.5 - Joe Hatch rapid - sneak route on river right
6 - 37 - Wire Fence rapid
6 - 36.5 - Three Fords rapid - Brian’s exciting run
6 - 31 - Camp 6 - Lower Range Creek - paddled 13.7 miles
7 - 26 - Coal Creek rapid
7 - 22.5 - Camp 7 - School Section - paddled 8.5 miles
8 - 22.5 - Camp 8 - Layover day - great hiking
9 - 20.5 - Nefertiti Rock and petroglyphs
9 - 18.3 - Boulder petroglyphs at Price River
9 - 12 - Take out - Swasey’s - padded 10.5 miles
Total distance 84 miles
Read MoreWe did the trip ourselves without an outfitter. We got the permit, drove to the Sand Wash put-in with our gear, and had a car shuttle service move our cars to the take-out at Swasey’s. The river is not crowded this time of the year. We had two guidebooks that described the river. Both ”Belknap’s Desolation River Guide” and “River Maps Green River Guide” have maps of the entire route including the rapids and camps. The latter book is relatively new and is excellent. The river has numerous rapids but none were very difficult. The major ones are listed in the itinerary. A good fit for our SOAR inflatable canoes.
Rena and I drove from Redondo Beach with our new van with was loaded to the brim with gear. We stopped to see the Dinosaur Museum in Price Utah and then met the others at the Nine Mile Ranch campground nearby. Craig came from Seattle, Gary from Texas, Mike and Dean from Minnesota, while Brian Rena and I came from Southern California. We all spend a day photographing the great petroglyphs in 9-Mile Canyon.
We had excellent weather with a small amount of rain, mostly at night. My photos were taken with a waterproof Olympus TG6 and my iPhone 13.
The Itinerary below is a mile by mile description of the trip.
ITINERARY
DAY - RIVER MILES - ACTIVITY
0 - 96 - Put in - Camp Sand Wash
1 - 86.5 - Camp 1 - Big Beach - paddled 9.5 miles
2 - 81.5 - Wooden boat
2 - 80 - Rock House petroglyphs
2 - 70 - Jack Creek rapid - 1st real rapid
2 - 69.5 - Camp 2 - Below Jack Creek, paddled 16.9 miles
3 - 63.3 - Flat Canyon petroglyphs
3 - 56.5 - Steer Ridge rapid
3 - 55.8 - Surprise rapid
3 - 54 - Pick up water, No 1
3 - 53.5 - Rock Creek Ranch
3 - 53 - Camp 3 - Below Rock Creek Ranch, paddled 16.6 miles
4 - 53 - Camp 4 - Layover day- hike, see petroglyphs, ranch, and granary behind camp
5 - 49 - Chicken Rock hike
5 - 48.7 - Belknap rapid
5 - 47 - Chandler Falls rapid
5 - 46.2 - Pick up water, No 2
5 - 44.7 - Camp 5 - Bull Canyon, fire and smores, Craig’s smoked salmon, paddled 8.3 miles
6 - 40.5 - Joe Hatch rapid - sneak route on river right
6 - 37 - Wire Fence rapid
6 - 36.5 - Three Fords rapid - Brian’s exciting run
6 - 31 - Camp 6 - Lower Range Creek - paddled 13.7 miles
7 - 26 - Coal Creek rapid
7 - 22.5 - Camp 7 - School Section - paddled 8.5 miles
8 - 22.5 - Camp 8 - Layover day - great hiking
9 - 20.5 - Nefertiti Rock and petroglyphs
9 - 18.3 - Boulder petroglyphs at Price River
9 - 12 - Take out - Swasey’s - padded 10.5 miles
Total distance 84 miles
