Trip: Colorado River, downstream from Moab, UT

Date: Sunday May 15, 2005

Outfitter: Canyonlands by Night. Put in right at their dock on the river, just north of town. Canoe rentals are $45 for a 10-mile trip, and $55 for 18 miles.

My wife and I did a day paddle on the Colorado River last weekend while in Moab, UT. We put in from Canyonlands’ dock right at 9am. The weather was already warm, and the highs would be in the mid-80’s without a cloud in sight. The Colorado River in this stretch is wide (+50 yards) and flat. The current appears to be swift near the shore, but once on the water the paddling is easy. In fact, given the spring current, you could actually just float if you wanted to.

The river is a golden-brown, muddy color, and offers zero visibility into its depths. In fact, the outfitter said that if you submerged a white t-shirt while you paddled, it would be permanently stained the river’s golden-brown color. This is a common souvenir item in town. We didn’t try it, but will remember to bring along a white t-shirt next time.

The land along the river near the put-in is flat and brushy, and the riverbanks are heavily overgrown for the entire stretch. Shortly after the put-in, the river runs through a bird sanctuary. We also saw numerous fish jumping in this stretch. Another mile or so downstream and the river turns and runs into a canyon, complete with high sandstone cliff walls on both sides. The only downside is that a road runs along the river through the canyon, and you can hear the traffic.

As you paddle through the canyon you can look for arches, petroglyphs, cliff dwellings, and rock climbers scaling the cliff walls. The floating is easy, and it was apparent that we had the entire river to ourselves. We only saw one other boat, a tour boat, while on the river. And that’s on a weekend day too!

One challenge to paddling this stretch of the Colorado is that the river offers very few places to get out of the boat and stretch your legs. The obstacles are the heavy brush along the river, the speed of the current, and the unknown depth of the river at any given point. Just after Pritchett Canyon passed on the left, we found a low rock shelf that would have to serve as a dock. We were able to come in slow enough to make our exit and pull the boat onshore. This was an easy enough move if you’re competent handling a canoe in current, but true beginners might have been challenged.

Once on shore we were able to walk around and observe numerous small lizards and wildflowers. We took a nice break here, had some snacks and reapplied sunscreen. The sun was now up in full force and it was hot! Bring plenty of water and sunscreen while traveling in this red rocks country.

Shoving off from our “rock dock”, the typical Moab canyon scenery dominated the rest of the trip. There was another “rock dock” downstream a few miles, and those were the only two possible rest stops that we saw between our put-in and Gold Bar Canyon campground. So if you miss the first one, you’d have one more chance. Actually the second point was near a sandstone pillar that looked rather interesting - like a giant sandstone totem pole.

Gold Bar Canyon campground is the only riverside “amenity” between Moab and Potash. The campground offers an interesting arrangement. The campground is small and primarily a gravel parking lot. Campsites line the river side of the gravel lot, and a long pavilion has been built behind the rows of sites to offer some shade. This would be a convenient campground to base day trips from, but I wouldn’t have wanted to spend much time there. The campground was currently occupied by a group of bikers. Gold Bar Canyon campground also offers vault toilets and a gravel boat ramp.

This was our take-out on this day, as we had afternoon plans to hike the Fiery Furnace in Arches N.P. I will definitely paddle the Colorado again; however, next time I would prefer to not have a specific time schedule. The problem with Canyonlands’ set-up is that putting in at their dock commits you to a specific timeframe, as you have to meet their driver for the shuttle back. Having different shuttle arrangements would allow you to paddle at our own pace, and then explore the terrain away from the river a little more. Basically travel at your leisure.

Feel free to IM me or post any questions.

Ranger