Planning a Yampa River Trip through Dinosaur National Monument

No other river is referred to with as much reverence by anyone who follows river conservation efforts as the Yampa. The Yampa, which starts in the Flat Tops Wilderness south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is referred to as the wildest river in the Colorado River basin because it’s essentially free-flowing: It has only a few reservoirs in the headwaters and some small dams and diversions downstream for agriculture, municipal, and industrial use.

Yampa River Tiger Wall — *The Tiger Wall is only one of the fascinating geological features on the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument*

As free-flowing rivers throughout the Western U.S. were throttled by an endless succession of dam projects throughout the 1900s, the Yampa dodged every attempt to contain it, including a historic battle in the 1950s that would have dammed the Yampa at its mouth. As the conservation group Friends of the Yampa describes it: “The river still annually floods its banks, scours its cobble and creates habitats that support endangered habitats and species.” As every river should.

*Yampa River flows freely, so water flows are dependent on snow pack and the season is typically short, about mid-May through early July*

The stretch of the Yampa River that runs through Dinosaur National Monument is also a fantastic stretch of whitewater—with classic desert scenery, wildlife, and a celebrated dinosaur bone quarry near the take-out that was discovered in 1915 and is open to visitors nearly year-round. A Yampa river trip combined with a trip to the quarry is an unbeatable combination for families with kids.

Yampa river permits are highly coveted, and the season of runnable water levels is getting shorter as drought conditions continue in the Southwest. Yampa flows are completely dependent on snowpack. The current window for runnable flows (above 1,000 cfs for rafts) is early May through early July. Here’s a guide to planning a Yampa River trip, including applying for a permit (lottery season is December 1 through January 31).

Where is the Yampa River?

The popular permitted section of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument starts at Deerlodge Park in northwest Colorado (about 3 hours north of Grand Junction) to the take-out at Split Mountain (about 15 miles northeast of Jensen, Utah). It’s a 71-mile total trip, usually done in 5 days although you can request an additional day when you confirm your trip at Recreation.gov (you’ll need to pay an additional fee as well).

*Soaring canyon walls at every bend on the Yampa River*

What are the rapids like on the Yampa?

Yampa rapids are generally Class II-III with the exception of Warm Springs, which changes character at high water levels (above about 6,000 cfs) and has the raft-flipping Maytag hole at the bottom. This rapid was formed by a flash flood in 1965: For a in-depth look at how Warm Springs was formed and a tribute to the first boater to fall victim to the newly formed Class IV rapid, check out the Friends of the Yampa video “Warm Springs.” Other named rapids include Anderson Hole, Tepee, and Big Joe—all of which can be scouted on river right. At mid to lower levels, the Yampa is a great trip for kayakers, including intermediate inflatable kayakers.

*Warm Springs rapid on the Yampa, formed by a flash flood in 1965, is rated Class IV at high water but is fairly straightforward at lower levels*

What’s the scenery, wildlife, and hiking like on the Yampa?

Classic sweeping desert vistas open at every bend on the Yampa. Bighorn sheep are ubiquitous, as are mountain lions (though those are rarely sighted). The Yampa’s status as a free-flowing river is critical to conservation of four species of warm-water native fish—the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail chub, and razorback sucker.

Bighorn sheep Yampa River Dinosaur National Monument — *Bighorn sheep are a common sight on the Yampa*

The Yampa has numerous hiking opportunities, many just a short distance from the river, including treks to the historic Stubs Cabin and the pictographs at Johnson Canyon. Longer hikes include Wagon Wheel Point (you can see for miles from the canyon rim), Signature Cave, and Jones Hall, which delivers rock art and a waterfall.

Hiker at rim of Yampa River canyon in Dinosaur National monument — *Hiking opportunities on the Yampa are plentiful, from short forays from the river to hikes to the rim*

The Yampa has some signature geological features, including the Tiger Wall (kiss it for good luck in Warm Springs!), whose stripes are the result of soil and plant particles interacting with bacterial microorganisms and creating striped layers of manganese and iron oxides. Another interesting feature is cross-bedding in the canyon rock layers, which happens when the overlying wind or water changes direction as the sediment is being deposited.

*Cross bedding in the rock layers on the Yampa*

How to apply for a Yampa River permit

Permits for the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument (Deerlodge Park to Split Mountain) are available through a lottery system that opens each year on December 1 and closes the following January 31. (For more information, see our post about applying for river permits.)

Apply for the Yampa permit at Recreation.gov

The season for running the Yampa is short: The permit season is typically mid-May through mid-July, and is subject to revision each permit season according to projected river flows.

*Bighorn sheep and desert varnish on the Yampa River*

What are the regulations for private trips on the Yampa River?

Private boating trips on the Yampa through Dinosaur are managed by the National Park Service, which has similar but often more detailed regulations than trips managed by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. The NPS offers a detailed and informative boater’s guide—be sure to study it.

A few rules to note:

The permit holder must be on the trip, and permits aren’t transferable
Group size max is 25 (in our experience, that would be a huge group for the size of campsites available on the Yampa—a group size of 16 or less would be ideal)
NPS has strict penalties for canceling a permitted trip less than 2 weeks out

What are the gear requirements for the Yampa?

Various guidelines are issued for the types and sizes of crafts you bring on the Yampa—for example, rafts must have three chambers. In general, plan to leave your “flimsy craft” at home.

Other gear requirements are likewise very specific, and we know from experience that your gear will be carefully checked, so don’t fail to bring the required number of extra PFDs and paddles or you will be headed to the nearest outfitter to make amends before you can launch.

Specific gear items to note:

Signed (printed) river permit and ID for permit holder
Boater’s guide information booklet printed and carried on the trip
Fire pan (2.5-inch lip and 12-inch width) with fire blanket is required.
River toilet required and day-use options such as these Cleanwaste GO Anywhere kits (affiliate link) are recommended (see our post on river toilets for a roundup of groovers and discussions of each)
Spare PFDs: One PDF per person plus 1 spare for every 10 people
Spare paddles/oars: One per raft and one for every 3 small crafts (kayaks, etc.)
Helmets are required for small crafts and one extra for every 3 crafts
Bear-proofing equipment for your camps (bear-proof latches on coolers, hanging systems, etc.)
Kitchen floor to catch crumbs in camp is required on the Yampa—our favorite river camp kitchen floor is this CGear sand-free mat (affiliate link)
Soap use is restricted to the main flow of the river

What campsites are available on the Yampa?

Each private party registers for campsites for their entire trip at the put-in at Deerlodge prior to launch. You can camp at Deerlodge prior to your launch; those sites are available on a first-come basis. You can also camp at the Split Mountain take-out; register for a Split Mountain site at Rec.gov. To plan camp stops on the river, check out the NPS list of Yampa campsites. Note that you need to leave your camp by noon each day. Some of the Yampa camping areas (such as Harding Hole) accommodate several groups, so NPS sets quiet hours of 10 pm to 6 am.

*Yampa River campsites are assigned at the put-in at Deerlodge*

What resources are available for researching a Yampa River trip?

For background on the Yampa River, maps, and other essential reading, check out the following resources:

National Park Service boater’s guide
Friends of the Yampa site for background about the river, history, conservation efforts, and great videos
Western River Conservancy has a good overview of the Yampa history, wildlife, conservation efforts, and other resources
Mild to Wild Rafting has a terrific history of the Yampa (and some fantastic photos fo the rapids at high water) in their post “History and Geology of the Yampa River“
RiverMaps “Guide to the Green and Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument”

Elusive Yampa River is worth the wait

You might apply for a Yampa permit for years before winning one, but the wait is worth it. Running a free-flowing river is an exceedingly rare experience these days, and the Yampa has some singular characteristics that warrant its reputation as one of the most coveted and treasured river trips.