Overnight Canoe Trips on the Green River Utah
Labyrinth Canyon, located on the Green River in Utah, is famous for its scenic beauty and remote wilderness setting. The canyon features towering red rock cliffs, tranquil stretches of calm water, and abundant wildlife. It is a popular destination for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing, as well as fishing and camping. The canyon is also known for its rich cultural history, with evidence of ancient indigenous people who once lived in the area. Additionally, Labyrinth Canyon is a Bureau of Land Management protected area, which means that it is preserved for recreational use and ecological conservation.
Themed Canoe Camping Trips
For years, The River’s Path has created themed river canoe adventures to bring people together for a purpose combined with a particular method of expression, connection, and transformation. We have coordinated our weeklong flatwater trips with renowned artists in the fields of poetry, music, and writing to offer rites of passage and craft-focused journeys for attendees from around the world. Past collaborators have included author Craig Childs, musicians MaMuse and Fia, and poet John Roedel. They have guided hundreds of guests down the historic rivers of the Southwest.
Upcoming Overnight Canoe Trips
Why Choose a Guided Canoe Trip
Choosing a guided overnight canoe trip can be a great way to take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of The River’s Path professional guides. Guided trips can provide an opportunity to learn more about the area, have access to experienced paddlers, and have peace of mind that your trip is being handled by experts. Such trips are especially beneficial for those who are new to overnight canoeing, as the guides can provide tips and tricks for navigating through unfamiliar waters and camping in remote areas. Additionally, guided trips can be tailored to your group’s needs and interests, allowing you to explore the area with the added benefit of having a knowledgeable guide at hand, allowing you to focus on the real reason you’re there.
Going with a guide ensures that everyone in your group will stay safe and make the most of their time in the wilderness. Furthermore, they can provide tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your time on the river and on the banks. With a guided canoe trip, you can explore the Green River without having to worry about much of the planning or logistics it would take to do this on your own.
Expert guided canoe trips with The River’s Path offer a unique experience for adventurers of all ages and skill levels.
What to Expect – Overnight Canoe Trip on the Green River
While the exact itinerary will change based on the theme of the trip, some things are common for all trips down through Labyrinth Canyon:
We’ll canoe a total of 45 miles down the Green River through the steep canyon walls of Labyrinth Canyon in Utah. The trip begins at Ruby Ranch (located just south of I-70) to Mineral Bottom (located near Canyonlands National Park). Four to five days of paddling will be interspersed with layovers at wilderness campsites along the canyon. Paddle days are usually 7-15 miles each or about 3-5 hours of gentle paddling. The river has no rapids and hardly any current. It is muddy and shallow (except for high water in May and June)
While in camp, in addition to our theme program activity, we may swim, take short hikes or explore side canyons. After we all pitch in during camp setup, we’ll have plenty of free time to relax, enjoy our surroundings and have the opportunity to get to know each other as we experience the beauty around us. Then we’ll come together each evening around the campfire.
The River’s Path guided overnight canoe trips involve staying deep in the wilderness with no electricity or cellular reception, and in case of an emergency, evacuation will be done via rescue boat or helicopter. If you need to have medically necessary equipment that uses electricity or need to stay in contact with someone at home, the guides will have a texting device available. Please contact Lauren Bond at 303-859-7174 or lauren@theriverspath.org to discuss.
Temperature changes quickly and can be unexpected, so it is important to bring items from the packing list in case of any drastic changes. Rain and thunderstorms can pop up at any point. Temperatures for each month can range from the high 60s and low 30s for March to the high 100s and lows in the 70s for August. Please see the NOAA graph for Labyrinth Canyon monthly weather averages.
The section of the Green River we will be on is considered a Class I river with no rapids. This is essentially a flat water trip.
Each canoe accommodates two people and they include two Crazy Creek camp chairs with backrests. Canoes will carry all of the personal gear and camp supplies.
The River’s Path will supply 2 dry bags, one large and one small, for your personal gear.
Group gear provided includes: canoes, paddles, life jackets, canoe seat backs, camp chairs, full kitchen setup. Supplies provided include: all food, shade canopy and river toilet with a privacy shelter.
Your personal camp gear that you are responsible for includes: tent, tarps, sleeping bag, and anything else you need that is not provided. That being said, we highly recommend you approach this with a minimalist mentality. Everything you bring, along with your canoe partner, must fit on your canoe. We will supply you with a complete packing list.
While many adventurists kayak the Green River, the amount of gear, supplies, and coolers of fresh food on our journey requires canoes.
The River’s Path will provide food and drinks for all meals and snacks. We can accommodate most diets including vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free. The water is too muddy for most portable water filtration devices, so we will pack all drinking water.
If you have other needs or concerns, contact the trip guide, Lauren Bond at 303-859-7174 or lauren@theriverspath.org
It’s important to note that this is a collaborative experience. To form a strong community and have an even more powerful, life changing, memorable experience, each individual in the group will participate and share in camp responsibilities. Everyone helps with setting up and taking down camp, unloading and loading canoes, cooking meals and cleaning up. Each individual must bring their own tent, sleeping bag and pad, as well as other items on the packing list. Those using a hammock must provide an appropriate setup for that.
During your trip through the Labyrinth Canyon you’ll find a slow meandering river with steep colorful canyon walls, amazing side canyons (and maybe evidence of ancient civilizations), incredible stars, unforgettable sunsets, and a hushed serenity you’ll find no place else. No matter where you look you’ll see the unforgettable and awe inspiring colors and sounds of nature.
You might consider long sleeved shirts and pants, bug lotion and head netting if you are extremely sensitive to bug bites. Birds like golden eagles, peregrine falcons, canyon wrens, screech owls, and more can be seen along with small animals like beavers and larger ones like desert bighorn sheep and deer.
What to Expect at the First Day Meetup and Last Day Return
For our overnight canoe trips, we typically meet at the Moab Giants Museum parking lot just north of Moab at 1:30 p.m. on day one of the trip. Here, we will move all gear to dry bags and pack the shuttle van to carpool to our put in (Ruby Ranch). We will set up camp there for most of the trips we do. We usually launch onto the Green River the next day.
Our goal is to get to the takeout point at Mineral Bottom between 12 and 1pm on the last day of the trip. We will work together to load gear into the trailer and van, and we aim to return to your vehicles at the Moab Giants parking lot by 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the trip. Do not plan to fly out of Canyonlands Field Airport before 7pm on the last day of the trip, because weather can sometimes delay our return!
Be aware this is subject to change depending on the trip.
Physical Ability and Experience
We enthusiastically welcome people of all skill levels and all walks of life. Even if you have never canoed, camped, or been in the wilderness, we will teach you everything you need to know! All of our Labyrinth Canyon canoe trips are appropriate for ages 18 to 80+. If you would like to bring your minor child, contact Lauren at lauren@theriverspath.org to find out if it’s appropriate for the specific trip.
Here are a few things to think about when considering week long wilderness overnight canoe trips:
- You must be comfortable living in a tent
- You must be ready to be without electricity, showers or wifi
- You must be ok with using primitive camp latrines
- You must be able to get in and out of the canoe unassisted
- You must be able to walk up and down hills and on uneven ground unassisted
- You must be able to get on and off the ground unassisted
- You must be able to carry your own gear
- You must be able to set up and take down your own tent. Practice before you come!
- You must be willing to assist in carrying camp gear, setup and takedown of camp and meal preparations and cleanup.