River Raft/Ranch Combination Trip
The Green River splits the 10,000 foot high Tavaputs Plateau and forms a gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon. Over one million uninhabited acres surround this holdout of the Old West. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid used these remote canyons one hundred years ago to escape the law. Today, we go just to escape.
 Despite the name Desolation Canyon, the river surroundings offer green cottonwood groves, white sand beaches, and clear-water side streams. Your guide's selection of nightly camps will make good use of these features. Off river, abandoned homesteads mark the end of a frontiersman's dream, and prehistoric Indian petroglyphs the end of a civilization.
Born in 1987, the child of a side canyon flash flood, Belknap rapid is a formidable addition to the over 60 rapids on this 84-mile trip. With whitewater that builds in intensity each day, Desolation Canyon is an ideal place to occasionally swap your seat in the raft for a thirst quenching ride in an inflatable kayak.
The Tavaputs Ranch overlooks Desolation Canyon of the Green River. After two days of exploring the mountains a short flight will take you to the beginning of your river trip. There we will trade our pants for shorts, and say goodbye to the cowboys and hello to the river guides. Now it's their turn to share some favorite places with you.
SAMPLE ITINERARY for Tavaputs/ Desolation Canyon Trip
One of the advantages of our expeditions is the flexibility of the daily itinerary. It can vary widely from one trip to the next based on group desires, Mother Nature, and courtesy for other groups on the trip. This typical itinerary illustrates a seven-day trip beginning with two days at Tavaputs Ranch and ending with five days rafting through Desolation and Gray canyons. In August, we lengthen the Desolation Canyon trip by one day and follow this general itinerary.
Day 1: Fly into Tavaputs Ranch from Green River. Unpack at the lodge, and enjoy the first of several country style meals prepared at the ranch. After lunch, guests can enjoy horseback riding, walking, or simply relaxing in the mountains. An evening campfire completes the day before retiring to the ranch style cabins.
Day 2: Tavaputs Ranch is surrounded on all sides by wilderness. This region plays host to an abundance of wildlife including deer, elk, birds of prey, bears, and many other varieties of animals. More horseback riding, 4 X 4 tours, walking, and exploring, give guests the opportunity to view some of this wildlife.
Day 3: Fly into Sand Wash put-in from Tavaputs Ranch. There is a 30 minute downhill hike from canyon rim to the rafts waiting at river bottom. The trail is well marked but there is some loose footing along the way. Plan ahead to wear appropriate shoes for the hike. Guests who are apprehensive about the hike can be transported by vehicle to the river. View a historical marker at head of Desolation Canyon before entering the canyon. Camp this evening near Gold Hole.
Day 4: Hikes to Fremont Indian ruins and petroglyphs interspersed with sections of whitewater. Steer Ridge Rapid is the most memorable. Camp in a cottonwood grove or on a mile-long sandbar.
Day 5: Side canyon hike up Rock Creek, a clearwater stream. Extensive petroglyphs, and abandoned Rock Creek and McPherson Ranches, where Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch slept.
Day 6: The whitewater has gotten bigger each day. The crescendo: Belknap, Three Fords, and Coal Creek rapids. Leave Desolation and enter Gray Canyon.
Day 7: We will run a half dozen more rapids before lunch and then take out near Swasey's beach. Short trip back to Green River and our headquarters.
We meet for your trip in Green River, Utah at Holiday Expeditions headquarters, 8:00 a.m. (Mountain Time) the morning your trip begins. Our headquarters is located 1/4 mile east of the Green River Bridge, across the highway from the Motel 6 and behind the Comfort Inn. If you arrive in Green River by shuttle, bus, Amtrak or plane, call our headquarters (564-3273) upon your arrival to make arrangements to have you and your gear transported to our headquarters the morning of the trip. If you are driving, your car can be left at our headquarters.
If you are flying, you can fly to Salt Lake City located 180 miles northwest of Green River, Utah. From there you can rent a car, take a shuttle with Bighorn Express, ride a bus, or fly in a light aircraft to Green River, Utah. If you need assistance with your travel arrangements, please ask your Holiday Expeditions reservation agent.
Tavaputs Ranch
Ten thousand feet up in the mountains of the Tavaputs Plateau a simpler life still passes by. Every morning at sunrise the horses come in for a little grain, and the cowboys gather for a cup of coffee and some easy conversation. The kitchen is a natural gathering place. You can count on the smell of fresh baking and home style cooking anytime of day.
Jeanie Wilcox grew up on 'THE MOUNTAIN' with thousands of acres to play in. The nearest neighbor was ten miles by dirt road. Lucky for us one of those neighbors happened to be Butch Jensen. As childhood friends they rode stick-horses together. Two decades later at the ranch where Jeanie's great grandad settled horse trades with Butch Cassidy; Jeanie and Butch Jensen settled on spending their lives together. They are a charismatic couple with a nack for hospitality that comes natural after four generations of sharing a warm fire, and hitching post on the edge of nowhere.
They will openly share their way of life with you. Introduce you to their horses by name, loan a hat to you, and offer a few pointers on getting along with your mount. After the crew serves up a hearty lunch there is time for a drive to the edge of the mountain and a VIEW. The panorama into Desolation Canyon is rivaled only by the Grand Canyon. In today's world there seems to be a whole lot more of us, in a whole lot less space. A quiet walk alone in a meadow or aspen grove can provide a whole lot of healing.
| TRIP |
Days |
2004 Departure Dates |
Meeting Place |
Cost |
Cost (Group/Youth) |
Deposit |
| Desolation Canyon Rafting |
5 |
Mondays May 24 through July 26 |
Green River, Utah-6:00am |
$880.00 |
$792.00/$680.00 |
$400.00 |
| Desolation Canyon Rafting |
6 |
Mondays August 2 through 23 |
Green River, Utah-6:00am |
$948.00 |
$853.00/$748.00 |
$400.00 |
| Desolation Canyon Rafting/Tavaputs Ranch |
7 |
June 26;July 3,10,17,24 |
Green River, Utah-8:00am |
$1,445.00 |
$1,360.00/$1,245.00 |
$500.00 |
| Desolation Canyon Rafting/Tavaputs Ranch |
8 |
July 31; Aug 7,14,21 |
Green River, Utah-8:00am |
$1,515.00 |
$1,430.00/$1,315.00 |
$500.00 |
*Rates do not include state sales tax of 6.6%.
**On Desolation Canyon Rafting trips there is a Bureau of Land Management Special Area Fee of $18 per person.
Tavaputs Plateau Ranch
(435) 637-1236
www.tavaputsranch.com
Holiday Expeditions
1-800-624-6323
www.holidayexpeditions.com
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