Women’s River Rafting & Yoga Trip – Lodore Canyon

There isn’t a better yoga studio for a women’s river rafting trip than Lodore Canyon, in the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. Cradled between two steep and beautiful red canyon walls, this section of the Green River winds through the Uinta Mountains and features some of the best beaches in the West! These picturesque refuges are ideal places to make camp, practice yoga, and restore your inner balance.

Let our expert river-guides-turned-chefs prepare your meals to keep your body and mind fueled for this holistic retreat. This women-only river rafting trip provides a comfortable environment in which to explore your meditative yoga practice. And it also includes quite a bit of adrenaline in the way of world-class whitewater rapids! If you’re looking for some solo adventure time, jump in one of our inflatable kayaks – tackle some light rapids, or float through a section of calm water. Each day we encounter new and thrilling challenges. Learn to move in time with the river and your own personal currents.

Val Aerni Yoga Facilitator

You’ll be joined on this women’s river rafting trip by Hamilton, MT Yoga instructor, Val Aerni.

Val lives in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana with her husband, two kids, dog, cat, tortoise, and fourteen chickens. Val has a background in Environmental Education and has worked various outdoor-based jobs since graduating from the University of Vermont in 2008. Still an outdoor enthusiast, she now owns an intimate yoga studio in Hamilton, MT, and has been teaching yoga since 2015 to help herself and her clients create a sense of balance in their lives.

 

 

Want to learn more about Lodore? Read our Insider’s Guide.

Vernal, Utah: Things to Do and Places to Explore

Our women’s’ trips welcome all women, including cis and trans women!

Featured Review:

“This was just the girls trip we needed! Everything from the rental gear to the food and the fun group of guides made this a trip I won’t soon forget! Everything about this trip was enjoyable and I would recommend the Lodore Canyon trip to everyone.” (Kaylee Miodonka)

Book This Trip

Trip Overview

  • Type:

    Women's

  • Location:

    Lodore Canyon - Dinosaur National Monument

  • Length:

    4 Days

  • Dates:

    July 11-14, 2024

  • Meet at:

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

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

  • Min. Age:

    14

  • Deposit:

    400

Highlights

  • Fully catered trip allows for supreme relaxation and restoration
  • Morning and afternoon yoga sessions
  • Dramatic red cliffs, shady beaches, and incredibly varied geology
  • Unforgettable class III and IV rapids
Getting Here Before You Go Packing List FAQs

Rates & Dates

4 Day

  • Adult:
  • $1,380
  • Youth:
    18 and under
  • $1,380
  • Senior:
    65 and older
  • $1,380
  • Group:
    10 or more
  • $1,380
Book This Trip
Check Availability
2024
  • July 11-14, 2024

*Rate does not include the $27 land use fee.

Itinerary

The Green River cuts like a knife through Lodore Canyon from the top of Dinosaur National Monument through its heart. At the confluence with the Yampa River, this trip takes you through Echo Park and Whirlpool Canyon before floating into Island Park. Hold on tight for the last eight miles of whitewater through the center of a mountain before reaching the Split Mountain take out.

Sample Itinerary

Plan to arrive at our headquarters in Vernal, Utah, at 7:00 p.m., Mountain Time, for a pre-trip orientation meeting. We’ll give you waterproof bags, show you how to pack them, collect your personal drinks, and give you time to shop for last minute items from our store (be sure to see our packing checklist for items we carry).

Day 1:

The next morning, we start with a three-hour ride through rolling sagebrush and mountain landscape to Brown’s Park National Wildlife Refuge and the put-in. After loading the boats, we’ll float through the Gates of Lodore and search out a lunch spot. After lunch, our first significant rapid of the trip awaits us! After a quick scout, we’ll cheer our way through Disaster Falls and row downstream to our camp, deeper into the red, billion-year-old rocks of the canyon. Ease into your first night of camping with a gentle sunset stretching session.

Day 2:

We are now deep inside the Uinta Mountains. Your guide might ask you to consider why the river has cut through the mountains instead of flowing around: a geological puzzle to pass the time. Your yoga instructor might invite you to salute the sun as it begins to descend the canyon walls. Today we will run the most technically challenging rapids of the trip, including Hell’s Half Mile. An afternoon hike to a dramatic overlook at Alcove Draw will help you work up an appetite for fajita night.

Day 3:

We’ll float out of Lodore Canyon and into Echo Park, where the Yampa River flows into the Green and you can test the different water temperatures of the free-flowing Yampa and the dam-controlled Green. Swim in the calm water around Steamboat Rock and then prepare for more rapids as we enter Whirlpool Canyon. Spend the afternoon hiking, yoga-ing, meditating, fishing, or big horn sheep–spotting at Jones Hole, a riparian gem in the middle of the arid landscape.

Day 4:

The last morning may include a silent, meditative float on the flat water of Island and Rainbow parks. Raptors can often be seen perched in the giant cottonwood trees on the island beaches. Split Mountain looms on the horizon, our last taste of adrenaline before the take-out. We’ll have lunch and enjoy another hour of precious river time before arriving at the boat ramp and loading up for the 35-minute ride back to Vernal. We typically arrive at our headquarters at approximately 4:00 p.m.

Please keep in mind that this is a sample itinerary and not an exact description of your trip. The intent is to give a general idea of what your trip may entail. Rest assured, if you’re not doing these things, it’s because you’re doing other amazing things!

Womens River Lodore Boating

Our itineraries can vary—it’s never boring out there! Weather, the interests of our passengers, and assigned campsites mean that every trip is unique. This is just a sample itinerary for a possible four-day trip through Lodore Canyon.

Reviews

Still not convinced? See what others are saying.

Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

Holiday River Expeditions
Average rating:  
 27 reviews
 by Cheryl Evans

Holiday Expedition goes above and beyond to make your trip a fun, safe and memorable experience. I can't say enough about how finely tuned all the guides are in their training. We did have a slight hiccup on this trip and our boat got stuck on Lucifer. Our guides remained calm and helped reassure us of our safety and the plans to offload us. While it was definately a few moments (hours) of excitement, Lucy was fantastic, as was our leader guide, Jacqueline. Although not an experience we shoot for, it was handled with care and professionalism every step of the way.



I have been on the women's trip 4 times; 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2023. Each year the experience outshines the previous ones. I generally come away feeling very empowered, which was certainly the case this year.

 by Val Aerni

I just wanted to highlight how wonderful your crew of ladies was. Jacqueline, Zoey, Sienna, Tally, and Lucy. These ladies were professional, well-trained and incredibly responsible, respectful, and fun to be around.

 by Rachael Mace

The Lodore trip was amazing -so much fun! Our guides were knowledgeable, experienced, warm, and welcoming. Jacqueline was a skillful leader. Rachael, Abby, and Ellie each added their expertise and personality making the entire experience relaxing and enjoyable. The food exceeded expectations. Activities, particularly the hike to the waterfall at Rippling Brook campsite were great fun. Our guides were always cheerful and accommodated a variety of health and dietary needs beautifully. Their teamwork was fun to watch!



Kudos to Holiday River Expeditions for your attention to detail, organization, respect for nature, and overall spirit. I would travel with your organization again and will recommend it to friends and family!

 by Kathleen Hedges

We were on a private all-women trip, arranged by a friend. We had a wonderful time! We saw scenery and stars we could never have seen any other way. Our all-female team of guides showed outstanding teamwork and kept things joyful for all of us. They rowed all day and cooked outstanding meals in the evenings. I needed extra help walking on sandy beaches and setting up my tent, and someone was always there to help me.

 by Jamie Westcott

The daily readings by Tyler were a nice touch with evidence of thoughtful choosing of material and I thought Katie read her audience well and provided great yoga experiences. I would have liked a bit more rapids and less flat water, but I understand that this was out of your control. I might, however, choose a different trip with more whitewater next time. Food was good and plentiful and better than I had anticipated.

The guides were phenomenal! Obviously very well trained in safety, logistics, and personal interactions. Knowledge of history and geology was broad and interesting, They were unobtrusively aware of guests' needs and checking in often. Yoga was just right and very restorative. PSAs were delivered with humor and clarity. Really can't say enough about the guides - truly at the top of their game! They worked really hard to make the trip truly memorable.

Page 1 of 6:
«
 
 
1
2
3
 
»