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Canoeing or Kayak/Sea Kayaking, With Return Shuttle
by Colorado River (JC0)
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 Trip OverviewMileage ScheduleJet Boat Pickup
National Park Service Rules
Are you a free spirit? Do you
vacation to the beat of a different current? For you free-thinkers who want to organize your own
wilderness float trip and
paddle in your own paradise without strangers as company, Tag-A-Long Expeditions offers shuttles to the river launch site on the Green River
Utah or Colorado River Utah and canoe pick up at the confluence of the
Colorado and Green rivers or Spanish Bottom.
Canoeing and kayak travel affords a marvelous
conduit for backpacking
trips in the inner canyons
of Canyonlands.
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River Map for sale
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| Fast Facts |
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 S.E. Utah Detail
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Main Attraction
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Self-designed
canoeing vacation, flexible length 3 days or longer, privacy, solitude, a self-guided tour of up to 120 miles of backwaters,
genuine wilderness float
trip. Option to trade your canoe
or kayak travel for a guided raft trip to see Cataract Canyon. Contact office for details.
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Who Should Go
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Experienced paddlers, friends, families, minimum of
ten people*.
Those who have enjoyed the
Boundary Waters or
backpacking trips. Smaller parties will join scheduled boats. We will look at the calendar.
*If you are fewer,
office staff will assist you
to locate a mutual date to
join others rendezvousing to
return to Moab upstream on
the jetboat shuttle. You may
then paddle the river to the
confluence in smaller
parties.
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| Adventure level |
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Length
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3 days or longer
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Cost
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$135 adult
$115 youth (13 & younger)
Price based on 2 people in
one canoe. *With increasing
gas prices we have not
changed our rate, but have
increased our minimum for
boat shuttle use. Your
flexibility will increase
your opportunities to
participate in this service.
Above canoeing vacation cost includes transfer
from Moab to river start and
jet boat pick up at the
confluence to Spanish
Bottom.
$20
Canyonlands permit
required. You get it on your
own. We will request to see
it at check in.
Multiple day rentals:
Coleman 15 - $15 a day
Mad River Explorer 16-$25 a day
Wenonah Cascade17' 6"-$30 dy
Old Towne Discovery 16' 9"-$30
Canoe Seat Back
fits Old Towne
and Mad River
Canoes
$10 for duration
Prijon Seakayak - $25 a day
Toilet - $30 week
Fire pan - $5 week
Raft freight varies
No freight charge to bring own canoe.
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The Big Picture
Your personalized canoeing
adventure will begin at the
Tag-A-Long offices in Moab
where canoeing and sea
kayaking gear will be loaded onto our shuttle vehicles for the
drive to the launch site of your choice. Please arrive at the designated hour to avoid a $30 hour waiting fee. Your private canoeing expedition can last anywhere from three days to longer. You may
choose the Green River
Utah at Green River State Park, at Ruby Ranch, Mineral Bottom, or on the Colorado River at the Potash Dock or the Moab Dock
for your wilderness float
trip. At the end of your self-guided canoeing
and/or sea kayaking expedition, you will be picked up by a Tag-A-Long jet boat near the Confluence of the
Colorado and Green river on the shores of the Colorado. Your canoes and equipment will be loaded onto the jet boat and you can enjoy a leisurely ride upstream in comfortable style in the large jet boats. We trailer the boat with the equipment right to the Tag-A-Long Expeditions office area so you only unload your gear once.
Mileage Schedule
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Green River – Confluence |
120 miles |
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7-10 days
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Ruby Ranch – Confluence |
97 miles |
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5-8 days
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Ruby Ranch –
Mineral Bottom
See land
transfers
Not served with
boat pick up |
45 miles |
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2-3
days
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Green River – Mineral Bottom
See land
transfers
Not served with boat
pick up |
68 miles |
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3-6 days
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Mineral Bottom – Confluence |
52 miles |
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3-6 days
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Moab Dock – Confluence |
64 miles |
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3-6 days
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Potash – Confluence |
47 miles |
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3-6 days
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Green River State Park
Launch on the Green River
Utah. The road is paved to this put-in and there is an entrance fee of $4.00 per vehicle for day use. If you camp overnight, fees are $12.00 for one site and $4.00 for each additional vehicle. Warning: Reports of ill-passage have come back to our office involving lower water levels 1700 cfs - 2000 cfs at the Hwy bridge crossing of the Green River.
Check
water flow
Ruby Ranch
Launch at Ruby Ranch on the Green River. Ruby Ranch is located 23 miles downstream from Green River, Utah and is a remote put-in site located some distance across dirt roads. Ruby Ranch is private property and the owners charge $10.00 per boat and $2.00 a person. You must bring exact change and cash.
Mineral Bottom
Launch at Mineral Bottom on the Green River. Mineral Bottom is a remote location 68 miles below Green River, Utah. Access is only by dirt road. The road becomes impassable during heavy rain.
Moab Dock
Launch at the Moab launch ramp on the Colorado River. The Moab Dock is located just off Highway 191 at the intersection of Highway 128. Roads to the put-in are paved.
Potash Dock
Launch at the Potash launch ramp on the Colorado River. The Potash Dock is located 17 miles downstream from Moab, Utah.
In planning your trip, consider that an average of 15 - 20 miles per day in a canoe is a good day on the river.
The Jetboat Pick-Up
The Tag-A-Long jetboat will locate you on a beach between the confluence and Spanish Bottom. Be prepared to pass your bundled equipment onto the jetboat at the designated pick up time. Remove all gear from your vessel. Vessels will be loaded onto the jetboat top rack for transport back to Moab.
The Confluence and Spanish Bottom
Below the confluence of the
Colorado and Green River, the Colorado River rapidly changes personality! There are eddies during various water levels throughout the four miles beyond the Confluence. Also be prepared for a more powerful current in this area. Four miles beyond the Confluence the rapids of Cataract Canyon begin. DO NOT ENTER THE RAPIDS.
The Rules (National Park Service)
Permits
To keep this area pristine for your next expedition, there are several rules and regulations that govern your journey. First, you must obtain a permit from Canyonlands National Park. This can be accomplished by faxing or writing to the Park. Be prepared to provide your name, address, the number of persons in your party, number of boats and boat types, planned route, itinerary, and beginning and ending dates of your trip. Permits are $20 for the entire
canoeing trip. You must have your shuttle out of the park in place before you apply for your permit. Permits have not yet been denied.
If you plan backpacking
trips off river, discuss
this too with the Park
Service.
Canyonlands National Park
2282 S. West Resource Blvd.
Moab, UT 84532
Fax: 435-259-4285
Or download a permit application from www.nps.gov/cany/reserve.htm
Backcountry Rules
Fire pans (if you build fires) and toilets are mandatory. Tag-A-Long Expeditions has these for rent. Use only driftwood or down and dead tamarisk for firewood. The ashes can be cooled in a 5-gallon bucket and floating debris carried out in your trash. The bucket contents are emptied from the boat mid-stream. In this way you avoid smothering habitat for fish located along the shoreline.
Leave No Trace ethic practiced.
Equipment
You are required to know
state boating regulations
If you do not own your own
canoes or choose not to
transport them, Tag-A-Long
Expeditions will rent you
two-person Coleman canoes
for $12 per day or choose a Mad River
Canoe - Explorer for $25 per day
or Old Towne canoes or Wenonah for $30 a day.
The rental includes paddles
and lifejackets.
(Dimensions: Coleman - 15’6"
long, 34" wide, 6 ft between
the two seats, 4 ft behind
the rear seat, 4 ft forward
of the front seat. Bar
across the top is 2 _ ft
behind front seat. Molded
plastic seats. Capacity 800
lbs. Mad River - 192" long, 35" wide. Web seats.
1100 lbs capacity. Old Towne
canoes -
Discovery - 16' 9" long, 37"
wide, capacity 1416 lbs. Molded plastic
seats.1400 lbs capacity. Wenonah Cascade 210" long, 37" wide. Web seats.
1550 lbs capacity.) You will need to bring your own lines, ropes or straps for tying your gear into the canoe
and a bailing device.
State requires a whistle on
board each craft 16' or
longer. Bring one for each
rental of Mad River or Old
Towne or Wenonah canoe(s) or for your
own vessel 16' or longer.
One spare paddle is required
for every three 1 or 2
person vessels under 16'.
Craft over 16' are required
to have one spare means of
propulsion aboard adequate
for maneuvering the craft
and a throwable cushion
(included with our rentals
but you must have throwable
cushion for your own canoe.
We do not have these for
rent apart from our canoe
rentals.) Bring a big car wash sponge to mop any mud that might build up in the bilge.
W recommend life jackets for
adults to be worn at all times in the canoe.
You are responsible for
knowing the state boating
rules. Children 12 years of age and younger must by law always wear a life jacket on all Utah State waters. TAG-A-LONG EXPEDITIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDS EVERYONE WEAR THEIR LIFE JACKET AT ALL TIMES WHEN CANOEING OR KAYAKING.
We encourage every
participant to have a
whistle attached to your
lifejacket too.
Hiking and Camping Stuff
The best place to buy
outdoor equipmentToilet Systems
Your toilet system should be designed to empty into a sewer system in the same way that recreational vehicles discard refuse. (Toilet dimension: 18" X 16" X 16" high. Tag-A-Long cleans it. Rents for $32.34 for the week). During the day, you can maintain a wet towel atop your toilet to keep it cool and retard gas build up. Pack your toilet so it is readily available for day use as well as campsite use. Soiled feminine hygiene products should be stored in a zip-lock bag and carried out.
Campsites
There are no designated campsites along the rivers. In order to minimize environmental impacts, we strongly recommend sandbar camping when water level permits. Set your kitchen, fire pan, and toilet system up as close to the river as possible so spring high water will erase traces of your occupancy. We have a list of potential campsites between Green River and Mineral Bottom or Mineral Bottom and the Confluence. The list is free with the purchase of a book or map from Tag-A-Long. Or costs $1.00.
Garbage
PACK IT IN/PACK IT OUT!
Drinking Water
We recommend a gallon of water per person per day. If your original supply of drinking water runs out, you may collect water from the center of the main channel of the river and allow it to settle overnight. Two teaspoons of Aluminum Sulfate Powder or "alum" in five gallons of water, may expedite settling river water. You should find it at a pharmacy or spice rack. Treatment for killing or removing disease-causing organisms: boil river water for ten minutes, plus one minute for every 1,000 ft elevation (Green River is at 4300' or so) or utilize mechanical filtration plus chemical disinfection. You might want to use settled river water for cooking, coffee or other hot beverages. Two teaspoons of Aluminum Sulfate Powder agitated in 5 gallons of water, helps to expedite settling. Bring powdered drink mix or juice concentrates to mask the taste of chemically treated water. Reserve your containers of safe water for hiking.
Cold Weather Hints
Spring break starts the jet boat services in early March. Temperatures March to early April average 35 - 42 degree lows. When the sun is out it is glorious. Keep feet and hands dry. Tents add warmth to sleeping arrangements. Insulated footwear for in camp will add to your comfort, but may be too warm to hike in. Expect frost. You may have to sleep with your personal water bottle, it may freeze if left out.
Emergencies
Hospitals are not immediately available to you in this wilderness area. In an emergency, you may signal aircraft with a small signal mirror or lay out a large "X" pattern on a surface which is visible to the sky. Assess your situation carefully. The cost for evacuation from wilderness areas is expensive!
Best Resource Material
You may obtain copies of river books and maps through Tag-A-Long Expeditions prior to your journey:
Belknap’s Revised Waterproof Canyonlands River Guide Map -- $19.95 (plus tax & shipping). Indicates primary points of interest.
River Guide to Canyonlands National Park and Vicinity by Michael Kelsey -- $16.95 (plus tax & shipping). Great history collection of oral and newspaper archives about the places you'll visit or float by.
Potential Campsite lists -- free with purchase of one of the above resources OR $1.00 and sent electronically.
Learn from other experienced
canoeists. Take a look at a packing list devised by Canoe-Camping Organization.
You pack light as you would
for backpacking trips. If
you have done the Boundary
Waters, you should love this
wilderness float trip by river.
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Whitewater Rafting
