Gates of Lodore Raft Trip Itinerary
Evening prior to your trip:
Verify you have all that is suggested on the packing list.
Day One:
Meet at 7:00 am Grand Vista Hotel Grand Junction Colorado. Enjoy the scenic 2.5-hour drive from Grand Junction to our put-in at the Gates of Lodore. We will start our adventure with a thorough safety orientation and then we will hit the river! The Gates of Lodore starts strong with some of the most exciting rapids on the Green River! After spending a few hours on the water in the morning, enjoying the exhilarating whitewater, we will find a sandy beach to pull over for a picnic lunch. Lunch can be mid afternoon, so be sure to pack some granola bars or snacks to hold over the kids. We recommend a fanny pack to keep these essentials nearby on the rafts. After lunch we will hop back in the rafts for an afternoon on the water soaking in the beautiful desert landscape! Having rafted for 4-5 hours, including our lunch, we will stop for the evening on another fantastic sandy beach for camp. While your guides tie down the boats and set up camp (kitchen, camp chairs, groover (the portable toilet), we welcome your help in setting up your bedroom (tent) and getting yourself settled. Camp allows plenty of time to relax, explore hikes, play on the beach, soak in some rays, beach games, read a book or nap. Then come the pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres while the guides prepare a delicious gourmet steak dinner, scrumptious salad, warm bread, and guide specialty of potato, pasta or rice. As you savor dinner, you will relish in the smell of the dutch-oven dessert, as the whole camp will smell of a sweet aroma. As the sun drops and the stars shine, we enjoy fun, games and stories around the campfire. Surely, this will be one of your best nights sleep in a long time, under the stars!
Day Two On…
Wake to the smell of brewing coffee and a crackling fire. The early bird catches the worm, as the sunrise can be the most breathtaking part of the day in the canyon, with vibrant, instagram-worthy hues. Fill yourself on a delicious guide-prepared breakfast, as they clean up and pack up the kitchen. Your help packing up your gear and tent will be appreciated. Your guides will rig the boats and secure gear. Then, it is time to launch on the river for another day of adventure and memories to last a lifetime! On the river, your upcoming days in the canyon bring a historical treasure chest as the Green River winds through ancient petroglyphs and geological wonders of Jurassic-era Dinosaur National Monument. You will experience the exhilarating rapids Harp Falls, Triplet Falls, and Hell’s Half Mile as you journey through the canyon. The many splashes and ripples in on the river keep everyone engaged as we enjoy the towering red cliffs and desert flora. Just like previous evenings, we will settle ourselves in a beautiful sandy camp for the night. As guides prepare a delicious meal, you can get your “bedroom” settled and find yourself a spot to relax or take a self-guided walk exploring your surroundings. Many side hikes rise from the camp. We will pass the confluence with the Yampa River and enter a new world of beauty where we may stop to see Fremont petroglyphs along the rivers edge or break to hike through the magnificent sandstone formations at Steamboat rock and into Echo Park. The canyon walls here will reveal millions of years of history. Following a bit of flat water we will enter Split Mountain Canyon where the river steepens and brings us to 4 fun rapids that will round out the end of our adventure. As we reach our take-out at Split Mountain we prepare to say goodbye to our new friends, cement in our minds this magnificent scenery and prepare to adjust back to the hustle and bustle of life.
Important Note: As the river is different every time it is run, so is each trip! Depending on water flows, number of participants, and other circumstances Mother Nature imposes, our itineraries are just estimate!
Find your soul, connect deeper with family and friends, live history, experience exciting rapids, and rejuvenate on Utah’s amazing Gates of Lodore Rafting trip on the Green River.