Permit Area Facility Details - Desolation Gray - Green River Permit, UT

Overview

The Green River enters Desolation Canyon just north of Sand Wash as it exits the Uinta Basin. At over a mile deep, Desolation Canyon walls are stream and lake deposits of the Eocene age then transition into the Cretaceous delta and sea deposits of Gray Canyon.

Along the river, the riparian zone holds willow, cottonwood, box elder and other woody riparian species and provides critical habitat to neo-tropical migrant birds, nesting waterfowl, and wintering deer and elk. Moving away from the cool shade of the riparian zone, one immediately enters a desert environment dominated by salt shrubs and bunch grasses. There is a small sagebrush zone that gives way to pinyon and juniper slopes. The view is always dominated by rock and cliff. Douglas fir finds a home in protected, well watered alcoves.

Over sixty riffles and rapids punctuate the trip. None are particularly difficult – a dozen or so can cause some trouble for the unprepared traveler. Camping tends to be idyllic on a clean sandy beach in front of a grove of cottonwood trees which offer shade and a windbreak.

More than 60 side canyons descend from the plateau to meet the Green River. Every side canyon holds a surprise. In a few, a cold, clear stream pours into a warm silty river. Even the most dry and desolate side canyon contains reminders of those who lived there for over 8,000 years. Prehistoric rock art is prolific along with the ruins of dwellings, towers, and granaries.

Of the 84 mile long river segment, 66 miles are within the Desolation Canyon Wilderness Study Area – the largest in the lower 48 states.

The Desolation Canyon National Historic Landmark (NHL) extends one mile on either side of the river from Nine Mile Creek to Florence Creek. The NHL was designated by the Secretary of the Interior in 1969 as part of the centennial celebration of the 1869 exploration of the Green and Colorado Rivers by John Wesley Powell.

Between Sand Wash and Nefertiti Rapid, users are free to set their itinerary and camp and hike wherever they please. There are a number of hiking trails in the canyon.

There is a primitive boat ramp at Sand Wash, a primitive eight -site campground, a contact/information station, staffed ranger station and toilets. This remote site does not provide trash receptacles or water. Due to the remoteness of the area, many groups camp the night here before their launch on the river. Due to frequent mosquito plagues, Sand Wash offers four campsites with screened cabins.

This contrasts with the more developed Swaseys Boat Ramp, where visitors transition back to a more urban environment. At this location, there is a large concrete boat ramp along with improved parking, toilets, and trash removal services.

The Ute Indian Tribe would like you to experience nature’s beauty but would like you to remember that you are a visitor to their lands. The Ute people hold cultural resources in highest regard. Natural resources found in this canyon are instruments that ancestors and traditional practitioners use to accomplish ceremonies. Respect all features and aesthetics of the area so that future generations can also share first-hand, nature’s order and magnificence. The east side of the river, above Coal Creek is Ute Tribal Land. Hiking and camping on Ute lands is allowed with a permit from the Ute Tribe. After a valid BLM permit has been acquired, a Ute Tribal permit may be purchased at www.uitfwd.com/Doc/desolationCanyonPermit.html.

Know Before You Go

Trips may be delayed or permits invalidated if these stipulations are not met. Failure to comply with stipulations or launching without a permit may result in penalties under Federal or Utah law and regulations. Penalties may include criminal action, civil action, and denial of future permits.

The permit is not transferable without prior approval of the issuing office and must be in the possession of the permittee on the trip. Permittee must provide photo ID at permit inspection.
The permittee must allow rangers to complete permit checks to determine the validity of the permit, ascertain that the group has all required equipment, and orient participants about river etiquette and safety.
The permittee must have at the launch:
- a group of 25 people or fewer and not greater than the number pre-paid for on the permit,
- a first aid kit with adequate materials for the size of the group and sufficient for treating serious injuries,
- a repair kit or kits with adequate materials to repair the types of boats used on the trip,
- an air pump or pumps adequate to inflate boats after repairs.
- a washable, leak-proof, reusable toilet system that allows for the carry-out and disposal of solid human body waste in a responsible and lawful manner. The system must be adequate for the size of the group and length of the trip. Leaving solid human body waste on Public Land or dumping it into vault toilets or trash receptacles at BLM facilities is prohibited.
- a durable metal fire pan at least 12 inches wide with at least a 1.5 inch lip around its outer edge and sufficient to contain fire and remains. Fire pans must be carried on all trips, even if stoves are to be used for cooking. Fire blankets under fire pans are recommended to facilitate total ash removal.
- a properly-sized Type I, III, or V Personal Floatation Device (PFD) (approved on the label for paddling, whitewater, kayaking) for each member of the party.
Each raft, dory, or canoe must have at the launch:
- an extra oar, paddle, or motor capable of maneuvering the vessel, and
- a bail bucket or bilge pump (does not apply to self-baling boats, kayaks, and inflatable kayaks).

Parties using low capacity vessels (kayaks, inflatable kayaks, or canoes) must carry spare paddles as follows: 1-3 such craft require 1 spare paddle; 4-6 craft require 2 spare paddles; 7-9 craft require 3 spare paddles, etc.

Each boat 16 feet or longer must have a Type IV throwable device or a commercially made rescue rope with at least 40 feet of line.

The permittee must ensure that all trip participants:

carry all charcoal, fire ash, garbage (dishwater strainers recommended), solid human body and pet waste out of the river area,
adhere to the Utah Boating Act (Title 73, Chapter 18), which includes the wearing of life jackets where required (children ages 12 and under must wear PFD’s at all times when boating on the river, and all persons must wear a PFD from Jack Creek Rapid to the take out.), and registration of motorboats,
do not engage in commercial use as defined by 43 CFR 2932.5, i.e., 1) make a salary or profit or increase his or her financial standing as a result of the permitted trip, 2) charge other participants a fee or charge that is not strictly a sharing of trip costs, or 3) collect money or compensation in excess of actual expenses for the trip. Normally participants are not in a commercial use situation if they equally share the actual trip costs,
list any trip sponsor or affiliated organization, e.g., scout group, school, etc., associated with the trip on the permit application,
keep side canyon streams and springs free of soap and other contaminants,
not remove, damage or destroy archaeological, historical, or ecological resources, including antlers, or cause unnecessary or undue damage to the natural and cultural resources of the public lands.
not camp or build fires on Public Land within ½ mile of the mouth of Rock Creek.
make campfires only in fire pans and limit the use of gathered wood for campfires to driftwood found along river banks and beaches,
not engage in upstream motorized travel except for emergency purposes, or engage in downstream motorized travel at other than a slow, wakeless speed
launch, travel (stay within visual contact), and camp together as a group. No boats may be sent ahead to secure campsites. Groups launching separately may not camp together if such action would result in more than 25 persons occupying a campsite, and
leave boat tags issued by the river ranger attached to boats for the entire trip.

Pets are prohibited on the Desolation and Gray Canyons section of the Green River year round.

Minimum trip length is 3 calendar days. Maximum trip length is 9 calendar days.

Download a copy of the "Bureau of Land Management - River Use Stipulations"