Yampa River Rafting Trips

Sample Itinerary

The night before your trip: Please arrive at Holiday’s headquarters in Vernal, Utah, at 7:00 p.m., Mountain Time for a brief pre-trip orientation meeting. You’ll pick up your waterproof bags and learn how to pack them. The pre-trip meeting is also the time to buy any last minute items from our on-site store (see our packing checklist for items you can find at our store).

Day 1:

Meet back our Vernal operation center early in the morning, packed and ready to go! We’ll load your bags up, and then it’s off to the river. From Vernal, it’s a 90-minute van ride to the put-in at Deerlodge Park in Colorado. After preparing the rafts and getting you oriented, we’ll push off and begin to move on river time. We’ll enter Yampa Canyon almost immediately, and encounter several fun, splashy rapids. Lunch may be on a beach near a historic cabin. After some more fun river miles, we’ll pull over for camp. You’ll learn how to help fire line bags from the boats, before choosing your campsite for the night. Marvel at your first camp dinner before falling asleep to the sound of rushing water.

Day 2:

River mornings start early! But don’t worry, the guides will have coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to help you get moving. Before packing up camp, we’ll enjoy a hot breakfast and learn the itinerary for the day. Once the boats are loaded up, we’ll begin our journey downstream, most likely starting off with a bang with Teepee Rapid. Try your hand at paddling the inflatable kayak through Little Joe Rapid and Five Springs Rapid before lunch. There may be a big hike to a breathtaking overlook to enjoy in the afternoon, or you can choose to relax and camp and unwind with a good book. The guides will cook up another gourmet feast before we all settle in for an evening of stargazing.

Day 3:

After yet another delicious breakfast, we’ll load up the boats and float downstream. We’ll stop to hike to a wide cave where ancient indigenous people left signs of their presence. Follow the river’s entrenched meanders past the 1,200-foot Grand Overhang. Listen for the screech of hunting peregrine falcons that nest on the canyon rim. Count bighorn sheep as they come to the waters edge to drink, or dance their way along cliff lines. Carefully kiss the Tiger Wall: it’s sure to bring good luck for your run through Warm Springs Rapid, the biggest of the trip.

Day 4:

This morning may include a silent float as we approach the confluence with the Green River at Echo Park. Silent floats are the perfect way to activate all your senses and become one with this magical canyon. Dip your toes into the place where the rivers meet and watch the different colored-waters flow side by side for a surprising distance. The geology changes dramatically as we float through the Mitten Park Fault and into Whirlpool Canyon. Spend the afternoon at Jones Hole Creek: fishing, hiking, petroglyphs, big horn sheep, and waterfalls are all possibilities!

Day 5:

Choose to paddle an inflatable kayak through the last several miles of calm water in Island Park. We’ll follow the river as it makes a sharp left turn and cuts its way into the aptly named Split Mountain. The river drops an average of almost 20 feet per mile for the last eight miles. Enjoy your last several rapids before we pause for lunch and finally arrive at the boat ramp. We’ll load the boats and then transport you the final 25 minutes back to our warehouse in Vernal. We typically plan to arrive back at our headquarters by approximately 4:00 p.m.

Please remember that this is a sample itinerary, not an exact description of your trip. Our goal is simply to give you an overview of what the trip may entail. We invite you to embrace the inherent changeability of a wilderness river trip and come prepared to have fun and go with the flow!