Yampa,

03. Deerlodge Park to Split Mountain CG (Dinosaur)

Yampa River

Yampa River
Photo by Craig Irwin taken 5/2002

Gauge Information

River Description

The Yampa is a classic multi-day whitewater river. Most boaters spend 3 to 5 days floating the Yampa and Green. For most in-season runs a permit must be acquired from the Dinosaur National Monument Ranger Station. These permits are highly competitive and the possibility of winning a permit varies year to year. The permit generally specifies the camping beaches for each float trip.

As a high desert run the Yampa can range from freezing to over 100 degrees in less than a day during the early float season. Later runs in July or August are generally hotter and more predictable but can suffer from low water.

Almost every big rapid on the Yampa can be scouted on river right. The Yampa starts as a wide meandering river in an open desert. Within a mile or so it enters a box canyon and some easy but continuous rapids begin. There are several notable rapids on the Yampa and the gradient is fairly constant but not out of control for most of the first day. On the second or third day of paddling the Yampa becomes tranquil as it approaches its largest rapid, Warm Springs. Paddlers should get out on river right and scout Warm Springs. A huge flood that temporarily dammed the river formed this rapid. The rapid itself would not be much more than an easy class IV drop were it not on a multi day river excursion. Flipping a raft in Warm Springs almost always results in an unpleasant night with wet or lost gear.

Below Warm Springs the river continues to present complex rapids and wave trains, but never approaches the difficulty of Warm Springs until after the confluence with the Green in Split Mountain Canyon.

The old story about the Park service banning whitewater canoes on the Yampa is not true. Any whitewater boat (C-1, OC-1, OC-2, Raft, K-1, K-2, etc can float the Yampa.)