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Green River

4 Day: Desolation Canyon on the Green River

Dates & Rates

2025 Dates
  • May 29
  • June 5, 12
  • July 3
  • Charter Dates Available. Please Call for Availability
2024 Trip Rates

Adult………………..$1,499

 

Youth………………..$1,299

What This Rate Includes
More Information
    • Trip Deposit: $300 per person deposit required upon reservation. Full balance due 45 days prior to departure.
    • Trip Cancellation Insurance
    • Minimum Age: 5 years old (50 Pounds)
What Is Not Included in Trip Fares
    • Guide Gratuities by no means required but always appreciated by our guides. We recommend 10-20% of the cost of the river portion of the trip.
    • Transportation to Moab Utah.
    • Lodging and meals prior to or following your expedition (except where noted.) Click to see list of quality places to stay in Moab Utah.
    • Government user fees and taxes (about 9% of trip cost.)

Itinerary

Day 1 - Starting The Adventure

6:00 am – Meet at the Sheri Griffith Expeditiosn Office, where you will park your car and leave your valuables before we transport you to the Moab Airport, 14 Miles north of Moab, on Highway 191. From the Moab airport, we will fly to a Mesa-top above the Green River. Your bags will be loaded into a van or truck and taken to the boats while we take a short hike from the mesa top to the river, and his “Wild Bunch,” and their ranch still exists. On this trip, extra time is set aside to explore these ancient sites, ranches and legends. Today, ranchers and cowboys along the canyon claim to be descendants of these infamous residents. The river borders the Uinta and Ouray Indian reservations, where they still farm and ranch today.

 

9:30 am – After our short hike, we will have a brief safety meeting and then we’ll load everyone onto the boats and start our river journey. Mid-day–We will stop for a “Build Your Own” Sandwich Buffet lunch at one of the beaches along the river.

 

4:00 pm – We’ll pull over for the evening and set up camp. You will be asked to set up your own tents and sleeping gear while the guides work on setting up the kitchen and “living room” and then start dinner. Once camp is set up, you are welcome to play games, go hiking, or relax.

Day 2 -4

7:00 am – First Coffee Call. Everyone starts working on waking up and then packing up your personal items and breaking camp.

 

8:00 am– Breakfast is served. After breakfast we will finish breaking camp and load the boats.

 

10:00 am– Before we leave for the day, the guides take time to teach you how to enjoy the rapids safely. The guides will re-check the PFDs, and one guide will go over important safety details that will help keep everyone safe as we traverse the whitewater. Mid-Day- We’ll stop for a delicious lunch and possibly a hike or two.

 

4:00 pm – Arrive at our evening camp site and set up for the night.

Day 4

3:00 pm – We will arrive at the Swasey Beach Ramp. The guides will load the boats on the trailers and then we will head back to the Sheri Griffith Expeditions office in Moab. We will arrive at around 5:30 pm.

 

**We will motor downstream at different times during the trip so that we can offer the most time available for hiking to the different historical sites along the river.

 

**This a sample of how each day will go. Weather conditions, hiking time and group dynamic will all contribute to changes in this schedule.

 

**The take-out and return times are approximate. Water Conditions, weather and other factors may lead to a later or earlier return time.

 

**Due to current political relations, we cannot offer hikes on Ute Tribal lands which extend River Left for the majority of Desolation and Gray Canyons.

Maps

Map of Desolation Canyon Rafting

The Majestic Canyons of the Green River lie between the towns of Duchesne and Green River in, east central Utah. These canyons are intertwined with history of the Fremont Indians, John Wesley Powell, ranchers and outlaws and are a registered National Historic site. In 1869, after traveling through “a region of wildest desolation”, John Wesley Powell named Desolation Canyon. Gray Canyon also received its name from Major Powell after considering the names Lignite and Coal Canyons.

Desolation Canyon Information
    • River: The Green River
    • Rapid Rating: Class II-IV
    • Put in: Sand Wash, Utah.
    • Take-out location: Swasey Beach, near Green River, Utah.
    • River Miles: 84 miles
    • Number of rapids 50+

Resources

Required Forms

Please print, sign and return the required forms (for each person in your party) to our office by email, fax or mail at least 45 days prior to your trip.

Trip Document in PDF's
Helpful Links

Canyonlands National Park: Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries.

 

Arches National Park: Arches National Park preserves over two thousand natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.

 

 

Moab Travel Council: A great resource on Moab area trails, hotels, and other great things to do in Moab.

 

River rafting is a lot of fun, but like most outdoor adventure activities, there are also potential hazards. Click here for more information about possible hazards you might experience while whitewater rafting in our beautiful canyons.

 

Links to Area Information

Moab Weather

Water Levels

How to get to Moab

Where to stay in Moab

What to do other than rafting

Questions About the Trip
Cancellation Policy and Trip Insurance:

Sheri Griffith Expeditions has a NO REFUND policy. Since you have reserved space for which we have a limited number of seats, our non-refundable policy applies in every instance. There are no exceptions for any reason, so we highly recommend that you purchase Travel Insurance to protect your vacation investment. For more information about travel insurance, please click here.

How to book a trip

There are several easy ways to make a reservation. Easiest is to click on the book online button on your trip or at the top of the screen. You can always give us a call at 800-332-2439.

Deposits and Reservations

For 1 day trips full payment is required at time of booking. For multiday trips a non-refundable $300/person deposit is required at the time of reservation. The balance is due 45 days prior to departure. After making your reservation you will receive a reservation packet that will include a packing list, helpful travel hints, travel insurance information, a beverage request form, and a guest registration form. Please fill out the guest registration form and send or fax back quickly. If you find you are unable to participate in the trip that you booked, but would like to transfer your trip to the following year, there will be a charge of $300 per participant if the change is made at least 3 weeks prior to your departure date.

Non-Performance

We make every effort to follow through on our plans. However, we reserve the right to make changes in the itinerary or possibly cancel a trip if necessary including but not limited to weather conditions, water fluctuations, insufficient reservations, changes in international relations, or other factors beyond our control. If cancellation is necessary, your money will be refunded. Our financial liability shall be limited to the amount actually paid and shall not be extended to cover any other costs incurred by the trip member.

Orientation:

The evening before the trip we meet at our office (2231 South Highway 191) at 5 pm (MDT) in Moab for a trip orientation. Here you will learn what to expect and prepare for, receive your dry bags, sign the Assumption of Risk forms, and get a chance to ask any last questions. If you are not going to be able to make this please let us know ahead of time.

Beverages:

If you would like any personal beverages while on the river, i.e., sodas, beer, wine, etc., you can bring them with you the morning of departure and we will place them in iced coolers. We provide some sodas, water, lemonade and Gatorade mixes and tea, juice and coffee in the mornings.

Tipping:

Guests often ask whether gratuities are appropriate, and in what amount. If you feel your guides have provided a very special trip for you, a gratuity may be left with the trip leader and will be shared among the crew. Entirely discretionary, anything between 15% and 20% of the trip cost is a general tipping guideline. If you plan to tip, remember to bring a personal check or cash—ATM’s are hard to find in the backcountry! PLEASE, do not make out checks to Sheri Griffith Expeditions. If you are writing check please make it out to the Trip Leader.  NOTE: we cannot take credit card gratuities.

Hiking and Physical Requirements:

If you are of an adventurous spirit and in reasonably good health, you should have no problem enjoying any of our trips. It’s not necessary to be an athlete to participate in a river expedition. However, It is several hours to the nearest medical center. If you take medication you should bring a good supply and inform your guide of all medication that you are taking. When you meet your guide, you should discretely explain any medical conditions you may have or be concerned about including allergies to bee stings, etc. Each guide carries a first aid kit and will need to know if specific medicines should be stored. It’s also helpful to know about other health issues when planning activities for the day. Pregnant women and anyone with heart trouble should have their physician’s approval before taking a river trip.

Safety, and Assumption of Risk

We maintain an excellent safety record, since 1971. However, all outdoor experiences involve risk and we all must recognize that accidents or illnesses may occur. We cannot guarantee your safety. We place final responsibility for your safety firmly on your shoulders where it belongs. You have to pay attention to what you are doing. Mother Nature controls the water level, the weather and the elements, so there is a risk involved in rafting and camping. Before your trip departs, you will be asked to sign an Assumption of Risk and Release Form. We assume no responsibility for injury to trip members, their personal belongings or, for time and expense incurred. We strongly recommend Travel Insurance, which covers vacation losses and accidents and provides a refund if you have to cancel your trip.

Parking, luggage and valuables:

We have a gated parking lot at our office for your vehicles while you are on the river. We also have a safe room for luggage and valuables while you a re on the river.

 

More FAQ’s

"We were in Eric's boat and found him to be courteous and knowledgeable, always on the lookout for points of interest, and he got us through the rapids in a way that was fun and exciting but safe too. We really enjoyed our time with him; he's an asset to your company. The meals were outstanding, all the guides very polite and accommodating to all, knowledge of area history, geology and water use issues was very interesting, great job on keeping everyone safe."

David and Kathy Fine, El Cahone CA

Location: Green River, UT
Highlights: Tabyago Riffle- Petroglyphs and Cowboy Stash, Turtle Shell Fossil, Mushroom Rock Petroglyphs, Flat Canyon Petroglyphs, Rock Creek Ranch and Petroglyphs and Granaries, 3 Canyon Natural Bridge or Range Creek Ruins, Coal Creek Dam Site, Price River Petroglyphs
Adults: $1,499.00 (Does not include taxes and & government user fees)
Youth: $1,299.00 (Does not include taxes and & government user fees)
Trip Length: 4 Days/ 3 Nights
Host City: Moab, Utah
Min. Age: 5 Yrs Old (50 pounds minimum)
Rapids: Class II – IV whitewater (water level dependent)
2025 Dates: May 29 I June 5, 12 I July 3 *Charter Dates Available Call for Availability
Boats: Oarboats, Paddeboats, Inflatable Kayak