Floating the Gunnison River Through Escalante-Dominguez in Colorado

Michele Crockett

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River Beta
Cave with waterfall on Escalante-Dominguez Canyon Gunnison River

The unassuming landscape at the start of the stretch of the Gunnison River through Escalante-Dominguez National Conservation Area gives no indication of the wonderland to come. But a few miles in, the red walls rise and the magic of this 210,172-acre protected area becomes apparent.

Waterfall at the confluence of Big Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison River

This section of the Gunnison is a perfect low-stress float, with only one Class II rapid—Hail Mary—a wave train that you can cheat on the left. Bring the stand-up paddle boards, canoes, inflatable kayaks, children, and dogs. The crowning jewel of this run is the spectacular waterfall at the confluence of the Gunnison and Big Dominguez Creek, which you can access from the river or from a hiking trail that starts at the Big Dominguez Campground off Colorado 141. So, inevitably, hikers and river runners converge at the confluence. But don’t let concern about crowds deter you from visiting this singularly beautiful spot.

Escalante-Dominguez: Hiking, history, and wildlife

Situated on the Uncompahgre Plateau, the Escalante-Dominguez National Conservation Area, which includes the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, contains cultural and historical resources, the Old Spanish National Historic Trail (a 19th-century trade route), and canyon-going wildlife including bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and black bears. We’ve seen a comical number of herons on this stretch, and heard some delightful canyon wren concerts. The Gunnison River rolls for 30 miles through Escalante-Dominguez NCA, giving paddlers a prime view of walls that rise to 8,000-plus feet. The river is self-permitted—you can fill out the form at the Escalante Boat Launch—making it a good choice for a spontaneous river run.

Dominguez Canyon on the Gunnison River is a spectacular hiking area that can be accessed from a campground off CO 141 as well as from the river

You can run this stretch as a 39-mile trip by putting in at Confluence Park in Delta, Colorado; as a 29-mile trip if you put in at Escalante Boat Ramp off US 50; or as a 14-mile trip if you put in at the Bridgeport launch. (Putting in at Bridgeport cuts off most of the beautiful parts of the run, and taking out there makes no sense if you have rafts, as the access is difficult.) The usual take-out is at Whitewater (more on this unsavory end point later).

Downsides of floating the Gunnison through Escalante-Dominguez

  1. No designated campsites. Having the freedom to choose your camp once you’re on the river seems like a good thing, but competing with other parties for sites on a crowded weekend is stressful. The Bureau of Land Management, which manages this area, is in the process of designating campsites. The BLM map of the area we picked up in June 2020 lists 6 campsites between Escalante and Whitewater. You camp in one of these spots or on any public land. (We brought a GPS to make sure we weren’t stopping on private land.)
  2. Occasional fearsome sandstorms. One of the worst weather events I’ve ever encountered on a river (except maybe a flash flood on the San Juan) was the sandstorm that blew up on our last Escalante-Dominguez trip. We had to completely batten down our kitchen, take down one tent that simply wasn’t up to the task (it’s since been retired) and cram four people and three dogs into in a three-person backpacking tent to wait out the storm.
Waiting out the storm with people and dogs crammed into a tent in Escalante-Dominguez Canyon on the Gunnison River
  1. Hazardous fallen timber. Although this is a generally easy float, watch out for downed trees. In particular, just below the mouth of Dominguez, the river splits around an island. The right side is rocky at lower levels, so the left, deeper channel is a better choice. But when we floated it in June 2020, a huge felled cottonwood in the left channel forced paddlers to go far left—a move that wasn’t impossible but could cause trouble if you weren’t paying attention.
  2. Unpleasant take-out. Much as I love this stretch of river, the Whitewater take-out is one of the worst I’ve encountered. The access is narrow, making it hard for rafts to find a place to post up until the ramp opens up. It’s about a 100-yard hike from the take-out to the parking lot, and the passage is too steep and narrow to get a raft trailer down. No issue for IKs and canoes, of course, but for those of us who never travel light, it’s an unpleasant de-rigging experience, typically carried out at about 3 pm, when the sun is blazing.
  3. Poison ivy. Watch for the dreaded poison ivy on the trail near the confluence of Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison: It’s particularly prevalent on the path from Red Wall camp to the confluence.

Upsides of floating the Gunnison through Escalante-Dominguez

With the unpleasantries out of the way, let’s focus on the many good things about this trip.

  1. Spectacular scenery and hiking. This is an ideal trip for a group that loves hiking as much as paddling. Just be sure to leave plenty of time for both. We have run this as a one-night trip, putting in at Escalante Boat Launch and taking out at Whitewater, but it’s better to take three days and two nights to fit in some hiking. The ideal camping is at the confluence of Big Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison. There are three potential sites there (not all marked), depending on the size of your party, but they’re hard to count on. If you don’t want to take a chance that one of these coveted sites will be free, plan to hit this unmissable hike early in the day so you can stop for a bit and explore. Also consider targeting Red Wall camp, which is about a half-mile above Big Dominguez Creek, a beautiful spot with a trail through it that’s perfect for a short afternoon run.
Aptly named, Red Wall camp is about a half-mile upstream from the confluence of Big Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison River
  1. Dogs are welcome. This is a terrific trip for dogs as the water is mellow. Dogs need to be leashed at put-in and take-out areas and in Big Dominguez Canyon (to minimize disruption to wildlife). Otherwise, they need to be under voice control.
Mabey doesn’t look like the outdoorsy type, but she loves floating the Gunnison through Escalante-Dominguez National Conservation Area

3. Perfect water for small crafts. Canoeists, inflatable kayakers, and SUP-ers will love this run, which has just enough gradient for entertaining riffles but no serious drama.

Gunnison River through Escalante-Dominguez National Conservation Area is a perfect float for small crafts, including stand-up paddle boards

4. Abundant wildlife. This area has a rich array of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, mountain lions, black bears, turkey, elk, golden eagles, canyon wrens, herons, as well as 52 protected species of animals and plants, according to the BLM.

5. Endless points of interest. If you can tear yourself away from the breathtaking waterfall, a short hike from the confluence of Big Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison you’ll find inscriptions from Native Americans as well as pioneers like M.A. Wooley, who made his mark back in 1901. Escalante Canyon includes the Potholes Recreation Area and contains an Area of Critical Environment Concern, designated to provide protection for several sensitive or listed plant species including the Unita hookless cactus. The entire extended area has something for nearly every sort of recreator—paddlers, hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers, climbers, and even motorcycle and jeep people. But the river itself is quiet and relatively uncrowded. Motor boats are allowed, but we haven’t encountered them on any of our weekend floats. (Motor boats aren’t allowed to use BLM put-ins or campsites from May 1 through Labor Day weekend.)

Inscription by M.A. Wooley, an early pioneer who built a house in Dominguez Canyon

Planning tips for floating the Gunnison through Escalante-Dominguez

Here are details on planning a trip on this particular stretch. For general guidelines, check out our tips for planning a multi-day river trip.

  1. Choose your timing. The floating season for this section is generally early April through October. You can check the current flows on the American Whitewater site here (optimal flows are 1,000 cfs to 10,000 cfs). Early in the season, the water will be cold and fast. Later in the season, it’ll be hot and possibly buggy (although bugs have been a minor nuisance on our summer trips). Here our guide to predicting future river flows to help with planning.
  2. Pick up a permit. You can fill out a permit form at either Bridgeport (this put-in is OK for canoes and kayaks but not workable for rafts) or the Escalante Boat Launch. If you’re putting in at Confluence Park in Delta, you’ll need to stop at Escalante to fill out the permit. You can have up to 25 “heartbeats” in your group: People and dogs count toward the max.
  3. Choose your put-in. You have three launch options:
    • Confluence Park in Delta at 440 N. Palmer St., which gives you a 39-mile trip to the Whitewater take-out.
    • Escalante Boat Launch at 7223 650 Rd., for a 29-mile trip to Whitewater. This put-in is about 30 miles from Grand Junction and 13 miles from Delta off US 50. From Grand Junction, take US 50 east and turn right onto 650 Rd. From Delta, take US 50 West and turn left onto 650 Rd. The boat ramp will be on the right about 3 miles from US 50. This launch site has a fairly small launch eddy, so we have put some boats in under the bridge a few yards upstream to help with boat congestion at the ramp.
    • Bridgeport Road access (which gives you a 14-mile trip) is about 20 miles from Delta and 22 miles from Grand Junction. We haven’t launched here because we always have rafts, and this put-in is at the end of a narrow road with river access that’s better suited to canoes and kayaks.
  4. Choose your take-out.
    • Common take-out is at the Whitewater Boat Ramp. You could take out at Bridgeport if you had small crafts. Whitewater is about 22 miles from the Escalante Boat Launch. From Escalante, head northeast on 650 Rd to US 50. Take US 50 West about 18 miles, then turn left on CO 141 S. Take the next left onto Desert Mill Rd. In about 0.8 mile, turn right onto Mill Tailing Rd.
Putting in at the Escalante Boat Launch between Grand Junction and Delta, Colorado, gives you a 29-mile trip to the Whitewater take-out.
  1. Figure out your shuttle. This is not a long shuttle, so we’ve always run it ourselves. The BLM warns about leaving valuables at the Whitewater take-out, so keep that in mind when you’re dropping your take-out vehicle. It’s about 22 miles from the Escalante Boat Ramp to Whitewater, so the shuttle should take less than an hour.
  2. Study the resources. Here are a few essential sources to check:
  3. Plan your camps. The BLM is in the process of designating formal camps: You can see markers for some. But you can camp anywhere on public land (we bring a GPS to be sure). For the 29-mile trip from Escalante to Whitewater, we prefer to camp two nights—but you could do it in two days and one night if you pushed it. As noted earlier, the most popular sites are at the confluence of Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison. If it’s available, Red Wall—about a half-mile upstream of the confluence—is a great choice.
  4. Round up required gear. The BLM requires:
    • Toilet system (here’s a review of river toilets, which includes a guide to setting up a river toilet in camp) )
    • Fire pan (firewood collection, except for driftwood, is prohibited)
    • PDF for every person (children under 13 must wear one at all times while on the water)
  5. Bring hot-weathergear. This is a typical hot canyon-land trip in the summer, so gear up to keep cool and ward off bugs and occasional bouts of inclement weather.
    • Rain gear (for on the river and off)
    • Bug spray (we haven’t needed this much except when we’ve had to camp in super-brushy areas)
    • Sun protection (we recommend light, long sleeves and pants over layers of sunscreen)
    • Cotton sheets: A favorite trick for sleeping cool at night is to spread a sheet over your sleeping bag—or just sleep outside your tent on the sand
    • Ice: Pack your cooler for hot weather with a base of dry ice
    • Hiking boots or trail shoes for the treks you’ll want to do at Dominguez Creek
  6. Plan your pre- and post-trip accommodations. As a rendezvous spot before and after the trip, with pleasant camping facilities, James M. Robb State Park works well. You can reserve a campsite here.
The waterfall at Dominguez Creek is blessedly cool

Floating the Gunnison River through Escalante-Dominguez National Conservation Area should be at the top of the list for groups with mixed paddling abilities and an interest in gorgeous hikes. The landscape at the confluence of Dominguez Creek and the Gunnison—again, the waterfall!—is uniquely beautiful.

Scenes from running the Gunnison River through Escalante-Dominguez National Conservation Area

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