Retro River Rafting through the… (trip)

Retro River Rafting through the Gates of Lodore

  • United States
  • Active & Adventure
Baja
, Mexico
, Espiritu Santo Island, United States

from $1,270* per person4 DaysJune
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 5
Operator: Holiday River Expeditions 20 people max

Retro river rafting? Is this just some kind of alliterative joke? Does that mean we're going to be running rapids with bucket boats and cooking over fire? Just how retro are we going? Back to the days of John Wesley Powell's heavy oak boats? Or way back to the time when mountain men were trapping beavers in buffalo boats?

Okay, well, we probably won't be going quite that retro. But this trip will be a bit of an homage to the founders of this crazy river rafting thing that we all love. We'll probably lace up our Chuck Taylors, hike up our cut-off jean shorts, dust off the Sierra cups and drink a toast to the people like Dee Holladay, who made a trip like this possible. And we're bringing along Roy Webb, renowned river historian, to teach us all a thing or two about those who came before us.

To top it all off, we’re doing this Retro Rafting Trip through Lodore Canyon on the Green River – a place with oodles of river history around every bend. Let Roy regale you with tales of boaters of yore. Lodore contains countless living stories. Visit cultural sites from the Fremont indigenous culture, hear stories about the early Euro-Americans gallivanting around this area, and of course, learn about John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran, who mapped the canyons of the Green River.

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Locations visited/nearby

Baja , Mexico , Espiritu Santo Island, United States

0 testimonials about this trip.

3 testimonials about the provider, Holiday River Expeditions:

  • Reviewer: Geralyn DeFelice located in Pittsburgh, PA USA
    "Just want to thank you for everything and to let you know that I TOTALLY LOVED THE TRIP--WILL REMEMBER IT ALL MY LIFE!  I will never be the same after experiencing the river as we did!  Personally, I felt the entire trip was perfect.  What a great group of people Holiday has!  Our guides were great and we so enjoyed them.  The food was delicious, loved Clari, the yoga and massages, our hikes, the rapids, our campfire...perfect!"  
  • Reviewer: Ryan Higginson located in Salt Lake City, UT USA
    I have done the white rim with holiday 5 times, and each trip is the highlight of the year for me.  The scenery is spectacular.  The bigger than life red rock spires and bluffs that are prevalent throughout the ride give an abundance of photo opportunities. Doing the ride in 3 or 4 days allows for enough time to take in the scenery, and still get plenty of biking in each day. The guides for each of my trips have created an atmosphere of lighthearted fun and excitement balanced with plenty of knowledge about the geography and native american indians who inhabited the area in the past.  I'm always impressed with the great food they prepare and the organization around the kitchen.  The white rim trip has always been an unforgettable experience.

  • Reviewer: Kim England located in Scottsdale, AZ USA
    We had a great time.  We appreciated the informed guides and  the educational experience they were able to provide.  Our 7 year old thinks it was the BEST trip ever!  The kids activity kit came in handy.  Making friendship bracelets and sand castles.  The ducky was his favorite!  Also, We never expected the food to be one of the highlights of a camping/rafting trip!

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Itinerary

Sample Itinerary:

Day 1:

Settle in for our three-hour drive from Vernal to the put-in at Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge. Watch for raptors and pronghorns along the road. Your guides will load the rafts into the water and then we’re off! Enter the canyon through the impressive Gates of Lodore and imagine you’re one of John Wesley Powell’s boatmen, entering the great unknown. Winnie’s and Disaster Falls are the first major rapids we’ll navigate: a great taste of what’s to come.

Day 2:

The “Gates” mark the beginning of high desert country—the Colorado Plateau—in what is deemed an ecological transition-zone: a landscape teeming with wildlife. As the canyon narrows, more rapids emerge: Harp Falls, Triplet Falls, and Hell’s Half Mile. Hike at Rippling Brook and discover a secluded waterfall. Gather ’round camp in the evening as Roy regalls stories of past adventures.

Day 3:

At the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers at Echo Park, the canyon widens before the river circles Steamboat Rock. Here the river enters Whirlpool Canyon. The afternoon may be spent at Jones Hole Creek, a blue-ribbon trout stream with side canyon petroglyphs and a waterfall.

Day 4:

Bask in the peaceful morning sun as we meander throuhg Island and Rainbow Parks before entering another massive gorge. The Green’s powerful forces cut laterally through Split Mountain’s uplifted and colorful core. Rapids abound before the take out and a 35-minute ride back to Vernal. Our expected time of arrival back at our headquarters is about 4:00 p.m, where your Lodore Canyon rafting adventure will come to an end.

This is simply a sample itinerary and should not be thought of as the trip you will experience. It is intended to give an idea of what the trip will be like. It could also be exactly what you do. Keep an open mind, be flexible, go with the flow, and enjoy!

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