Lodore Canyon Stargazing River Trip

Stargazing trips in Lodore Canyon combine the best of the day with the splendors of the night. Float straight through the heart of Dinosaur National Monument, a certified International Dark Sky Park. Lodore provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a quality of dark sky that exists only in isolated pockets in remote corners of the United States.

During the day, we’ll navigate translucent green water through class II–IV rapids. We’ll hike through dark red cliffs and lounge on white, sandy beaches. At night, we’ll watch the sky come alive.

See the Milky Way rise in a brilliant arc. Spot satellites and meteors, learn the stories of the constellations, and seek out the Andromeda Galaxy, both with binoculars and naked eyes. We time our stargazing trips to coincide with the new moon for maximum darkness, and we bring along our resident star expert, Tom Beckett, to guide our eyes. Our Lodore Canyon stargazing trips are truly unforgettable experiences.

 

Featured Review:

“This trip was excellent. The scenery was amazing; I was constantly craning my neck to take in the views of colorful cliffs and ever-changing rock formations. I was surprised at the variety of wildlife we saw: bighorn sheep drinking from the river just yards from our boat, deer wandering through camp, geese swimming alongside us, and flying right overhead. Also, I loved the inflatable kayaks. Paddling alongside the rafts and playing in the rapids was a highlight. The food was unbelievable: appetizers and freshly made gourmet food for every meal. On top of all this, we had three exceptional guides who made the trip what it was.” (Jeremy Peterson)


We acknowledge the Indigenous inhabitants of Lodore. In an effort to end the erasure of the traditional inhabitants of the land through which we travel, Holiday acknowledges that Lodore Canyon is the homeland of the Eastern Shoshone people and the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) people. We honor and respect these people, and continue to develop our land acknowledgment initiative. Read more here.
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Trip Overview

  • Type:

    Stargazing

  • Location:

    Lodore Canyon - Dinosaur National Monument

  • Length:

    4 Days

  • Dates:

    June 29 - July 2, 2027

  • Meet at:

    Vernal, UT @ 7:00 pm (night before the trip)

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

  • Min. Age:

    8

  • Prices:

    $1,435 + $12 campsite fee & $15 entrance fee

  • Deposit:

    400

Highlights

  • Camp within the darkest reaches of an International Dark Sky Park
  • Learn from Holiday's resident astronomy expert
  • Exhilarating Class III & IV whitewater rapids
  • Brilliantly exposed and highly varied geology
  • Soft sandy beaches for camping & games

Rates & Dates

Itinerary

The Green River carves its way into Lodore Canyon at the north end of Dinosaur National Monument, then flows south toward its confluence with the Yampa River in the aptly named Echo Park. Here it turns west into Whirlpool Canyon, crossing the border into Utah. Island Park is the last mellow stretch before the final eight miles of rapids in Split Mountain.

Sample Itinerary

Night Before

The night before your trip: Meet at our Vernal warehouse at 7:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). We will hand out dry bags and any rented sleep kits, collect personal drinks and tents, answer questions, go over final trip details and make sure we’re ready to go bright and early the next morning.

Day 1

Come back to our Vernal warehouse bright and early. We’ll quickly load your packed gear into the boat and be on our way. Our day starts with a three-hour scenic van ride to Brown’s Park National Wildlife Refuge, the site of the boat put in. Shortly after we launch, we’ll pass through the Gates of Lodore and encounter John Wesley Powell’s notoriously named Disaster Falls. At camp, after dinner, watch the sun fade from the walls and observe which planetary objects become visible first. Is that a star, or a planet?

Day 2

Dark, red walls of billion-year-old rock tower above us as we float deeper into the canyon. Look for big horn sheep and osprey in between rapids. Today we’ll run some of the most exciting rapids of the trip, including Harp Falls, the narrowest part of the canyon. After lunch, relax on the beach, hike to the Rippling Brook waterfall, or take a nap, so you can stay up late and watch the rise of the Milky Way while learning about our cosmos.

Day 3

The geology changes this morning as we leave Lodore Canyon and enter the blonde sandstone of Echo Park, where the Green and Yampa rivers meet. Count how many times your voice echos back to you, then enjoy a hike to 800-year-old rock art. We’ll pass through the dramatic Mitten Park Fault and camp somewhere within Whirlpool Canyon. Use binoculars or a telescope to hunt for the Andromeda Galaxy or the Beehive Nebula.

Day 4

A few splashy rapids will be our send-off as we exit Whirlpool Canyon and float into Island and Rainbow parks. The river meanders through groves of cottonwood trees and sculpted sandstone before entering yet another colorful gorge. Split Mountain is our grand finale as we follow the Green River through the heart of the mountain, running Moonshine, SOB, School Boy, and Inglesby rapids. We’ll have lunch on the river, then make our way to the Split Mountain boat ramp and our take-out point. It’s a 35-minute ride back to Vernal. We usually anticipate our return to headquarters close to 4:00 p.m.

This is only a sample itinerary, intended to provide a general idea of what to expect from your river trip. It is not an exact description of what you will experience. Holiday’s motto is “Go With the Flow,” and we invite you to embrace the expeditionary nature of a wilderness river trip. Keep an open mind and enjoy your own unique adventure!

Lodore Canyon Rocky Rowing Whitewater

Every river trip we run is a one-of-a-kind adventure. Our itineraries vary depending on the interests of the group, the campsites we are assigned, weather, and other unpredictable elements. This is one possible itinerary for a four-day stargazing trip through Lodore Canyon.

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Holiday River Expeditions
Average rating:  
 19 reviews
 by Vicki H

Having travelled globally, as a scout for an eco-adventure company and also as a participant - I found the Holiday River trip to be beyond expectation. Being my first river / raft trip I will admit to being a wee bit anxious, however every detail, no matter how small, was attended to and the team (land based and river) were the best. Seriously... I felt safe, loved meeting a diverse group of like minded "adventurers" and found the river team to be skilled at their craft, engaging and accommodating.

 by Lida T

Amazing, as always!! The guides were so competent, and so fun, and so professional, and so knowledgeable about the nature around us, the geology, and the complexities of Water Law in the West. It was lovely to see that they love their jobs and love the river, and get along really well with each other, too. Our guides were Eli, Lucy, Eliza, and Sherpa, as well as Tom Beckett (Starlord). This was my second trip with Eli and Tom, and it was really fun to continue learning from them and get to know them as people who form the lore of the river, holders of knowledge, tales, and best practices on the river. It was very nice to keep learning about the stars from the stories that Tom would tell the group in the evenings. I continue to be deeply impressed by Holiday's well-oiled machine: the rafts are all custom-made and geared up to maximize efficiency for gear, functionality, and passenger comfort; the systems they have in place for food storage and even their coffee carafes are custom-built to maximize quality and utility in camp; the food they're able to bring and cook is excellent. I will forever smile thinking about the moment of waking up in my tent, to the song of the canyon wren, and the sunrise light creeping down the canyon walls, and the sound of the guides singing "Hooooot Coffeeeeee!". There is no other company I'd rather go on a river trip with! Looking forward to another trip next summer!

 by Russ W

Another great Holiday trip! This has been our 6th trip with Holiday which in itself is a strong testimony. My main concern on these trips is always my nut allergy. There has never been a problem and the team is always so careful of contact or cross contamination. Speaking of food, FABULOUS! We have been with other companies in the past and Holiday is the best!! If you're concerned about a trip with children (yours or someone else's) don't be. The crews have always been great with kids! The team is always safety minded first and foremost! Speaking of the team....Gavin will be perfecting his eggless brownie brittle. I might even try it myself! James is as serious about rafting as he is about playing KUBB! Syd entertained us with riveting rafting stories by the river's edge. Ada was great with interesting artwork and playing "Who can throw their shoe the farthest" with the kids. You do know Max had a BIG ROCK in his shoe...OAR maybe not. We were fortunate to have Fun Phil on the trip. Apparently he only comes out of retirement once per year to guide! I was glad to help him figure out what GORP meant! Finally, Joey...we all watched in sadness as his hat was consumed in a rapid. Russ is almost ready to patent his hat holder. He'll let you in on the IPO! In closing, I am glad my favorite saying is "Go with the flow"!!

 by Beth M

Staff who answered the phone were friendly, patient, knowledgeable, and reassuring.

The trip was terrific in every way. The guides were skilled, knowledgeable, friendly, attentive, and fun to be with. They appeared to enjoy being with each other as well as the guests. The preparation of meals was amazingly fine-tuned. Awesome scenery. Lots of laughter. The perfect adventure!

 by Tina M

Pre-trip experience was great. Very helpful information and Holiday did a great job of communicating prior to the trip.

Excellent trip experience!! I do not know where to begin. The guides are top notch and very knowledgeable and informative. The food was delicious. We had a wonderful time on the Gates of Lodore rafting trip. This trip was a great way to unplug and be in the natural beauty of the Green River.

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