Yampa River Rafting

ss-yampaThe end of the Yampa River trip at the confluence with the Green

The Yampa River is a 5 day trip through some amazing canyon country with great hikes. Echo Park, at the confluence of the Yampa and the Green River, has some scenic opportunities to look at petroglyphs, admire the massive nature of Steamboat Rock, and reflect on how the area could have been underwater had David Brower not defended it against the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1960s. The best time of year to float the Yampa is in late May and early June. Because it is not dammed, the water levels drop and the Yampa can become an un-floatable trickle by the late summer. There are a few big rapids, but most of the river is class II-III water. Warm Springs is the biggest rapid and is class III-IV depending on the flow. Jones Hole is a camp worth reserving for its picturesque creek and fun hiking opportunities. Once the river gets to Island Park, it becomes a flat maze of channels with great views and good wildlife sighting opportunities. Below Island Park is Split Mountain Canyon, where the water picks up the pace into a series of fun rapids before the take-out.

Permits to float the Yampa are controlled through a lottery. See our Permit Lottery for Rafting Western Rivers 2017 Guide for more information about dates, logistics, and locations.

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