Desolation Gear Checklist
Desolation and Gray Canyons is a multi-day float from Sand Wash to Swasey's boat ramp, and the BLM sets a minimum of three days and a maximum of nine. The inspection list is the washable toilet, the metal fire pan and the right life jackets. After that the accounts split by season. A May party at high water had no bugs and no headwind. A July party hit 106 degrees, nightly thunderstorms and a constant wind at low flow, and a mid-May guided trip lost a tent to hail.
What shapes your gear on Desolation Canyon
- Length and rapids
- The BLM requires trips of three to nine calendar days. Recreation.gov counts more than sixty riffles and rapids, none of them particularly difficult, though about a dozen can cause trouble for an unprepared boater. Two Wasatch Mountain Club trips listed the run as Class III and took 5 and 6 days.
From Bureau of Land Management, Recreation.gov, Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River and Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting
- The start and end
- Boats go in at the Sand Wash ramp, which Recreation.gov describes as primitive with an eight-site campground, a ranger station and toilets. The last 24 miles are Gray Canyon, ending at Swasey's boat ramp. Sand Wash provides no trash receptacles or water, while Swasey's has a concrete ramp, toilets and trash removal.
From Recreation.gov and Next Chapter Notes
- Water level changes the trip
- A May 2022 club trip ran at 12,000 to 14,000 cfs and reported no bugs and no headwind. A July 2026 club trip ran at 2,200 cfs, found the wind constant and had low-water moments in the rapids. A May guided trip found the first day's 18 miles nearly flat, with a strong up-canyon wind in the afternoon.
From Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River, Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting and Next Chapter Notes
- No landing on the east bank at first
- Recreation.gov says all activities on Ute Tribal Lands are prohibited, including landing a boat, visiting sites, camping and hiking. Those lands are on river left from Sand Wash to Coal Creek.
From Recreation.gov
- Cost on one private trip
- The 2022 club trip priced food at about $12 per person per day and the shuttle at $250 per vehicle. It put the total, with permit and boat rental, near $300 per person.
From Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River
What the agency requires on Desolation Canyon
A washable, reusable toilet system
The BLM requires a human-waste carry-out system on all private trips, with leak-proof lids even if turned upside down. Wag bags are allowed only for self-supported small craft groups, and solid waste cannot go in vault toilets or trash cans at BLM sites.
A metal fire pan, even if you only cook on a stove
The pan must be at least 12 inches wide with a lip of at least 1.5 inches, and it stays mandatory during fire bans. Campfires use only driftwood, and ash and charcoal go out with you.
From Bureau of Land Management and Recreation.gov
Life jackets in good condition
Each person needs a properly sized Type I, III or V PFD with a label for whitewater or paddling. Everyone must wear one from Jack Creek Rapid to the takeout, and children 12 and under must wear one at all times on the river.
First aid, repair kit and air pump
At launch the group needs a first aid kit for serious injuries, boat repair materials and an air pump to inflate boats after repairs.
Spare propulsion and a bail device on each raft
Each raft or dory needs an extra oar, paddle or motor and a bail bucket or bilge pump unless it self-bails. Boats 16 feet or longer need a throwable device or rescue rope of at least 40 feet, and a whistle or horn.
From Bureau of Land Management and Recreation.gov
A paper permit and photo ID
The trip leader must carry a physical copy of the permit and show photo ID at inspection. Rangers can check the permit and the required gear.
From Bureau of Land Management and Recreation.gov
What hikers carry on Desolation Canyon
Half-gallon jugs frozen as ice blocks
A club that floated in May says its cooler ice lasted the whole trip and advises saving half-gallon plastic jugs to freeze.
From Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River
A rain suit or paddle jacket and pants
The outfitter list says the two-piece suit is for cold water and wind chill in the rapids, especially early. A guided May trip saw rain, snow, hail and lightning in one week, and sat out a hail squall.
A canopy or big tarp with poles for the kitchen
When a microburst drove hail through camp, the guides put up a pop-up canopy and a larger tarp lashed to trees and held up by 10-foot oars so everyone had a dry place to eat.
From Next Chapter Notes
A spare tent or at least a rainfly set up first
A couple mid-pitch when the squall hit had their tent soaked inside and out before the fly went on. A dry spare in the gear bags saved the night.
From Next Chapter Notes
Bug repellent and a plan for the Sand Wash night
Recreation.gov says mosquito plagues are frequent at Sand Wash and offers four screened cabins for permit holders. The July 2026 club slept in the cabins the night before and said the bugs were not too bad because they came prepared.
From Recreation.gov and Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting
Sun hoodies, a hat with a strap and sunglasses with a strap
The outfitter list suggests long-sleeved sun hoodies and a hat with a string or clip. The July 2026 party recorded a high of 106 degrees and nights that gave little relief.
From Western River Expeditions and Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting
A waterproof case for your phone and a charging brick
The outfitter list asks for phones in waterproof cases plus a charger because there is no cell service. Recreation.gov confirms none at Sand Wash or on the river.
From Western River Expeditions and Recreation.gov
Clothes you do not mind seeing discolored
The outfitter list warns that the water ranges from moderately silty to very silty, and that clothing may become discolored.
Shoes that can hike the side canyons
The 2022 club found trails and wash walks from every campsite, and a guided party stopped at petroglyph panels at Mushroom Rock and Flat Canyon. The outfitter list asks for sturdy water shoes and a backup pair.
From Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River, Next Chapter Notes and Western River Expeditions
25 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Desolation Canyon
Pitching the tent before checking the sky
The couple who started setup as a squall rolled in lost the first tent to rain and a flooded spot. Their guides moved fast on the kitchen shelter and a dry spare saved the night.
From Next Chapter Notes
Counting on the current for the first day
The first 18 miles from Sand Wash are mostly flatwater, so the afternoon wind made the oars a slog. At 2,200 cfs, the July 2026 club also had trouble with constant wind.
From Next Chapter Notes and Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting
Skipping the morning safety circle
After a kayak flipped in 5-foot waves at Wire Fence Rapid, the 2022 club had everyone put on and zip up a PFD each morning in a circle and go over the day's route and conditions.
From Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River
Gear questions for Desolation Canyon
How many days can I spend on Desolation Canyon?
The BLM sets a minimum of three calendar days and a maximum of nine for private trips. The two club trips we read took 5 and 6 days.
From Bureau of Land Management, Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River and Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting
Can I bring a dog to Desolation Canyon?
No. The BLM stipulations prohibit pets and emotional support animals on this section of the Green River year-round.
What kind of toilet do I need on Desolation Canyon?
A washable, reusable carry-out system with a leak-proof lid. Bag systems such as wag bags are allowed only for self-supported small craft river groups and must sit in a hard-sided crush-proof container.
Do I need a fire pan on Desolation Canyon if I only cook on a stove?
Yes. The BLM says fire pans must be carried on every trip, including during fire bans and when stoves do the cooking.
From Bureau of Land Management and Recreation.gov
Are mosquitoes a problem in Desolation Canyon?
It depends on the trip. A May 2022 club reported no bugs, while a July 2026 club said the mosquitoes were not too bad because they came prepared. Recreation.gov says plagues are frequent at Sand Wash and offers screened cabins there.
From Wasatch Mountain Club: White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River, Wasatch Mountain Club: Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting and Recreation.gov
Can I land on the east bank early in Desolation Canyon?
Not on the stretch from Sand Wash to Coal Creek. Recreation.gov says that river-left shore is Ute Tribal Land and landing, camping and hiking there are prohibited.
From Recreation.gov
Sources
- Desolation/Gray Canyons River Use Stipulations for Private, Noncommercial Use · Bureau of Land Management · Agency
- Desolation Gray - Green River Permit · Recreation.gov · Agency
- White Water Rafting Desolation Gray Canyon Of The Green River · Wasatch Mountain Club, Kay Tran · Trip report
- Desolation Canyon- White Water Rafting · Wasatch Mountain Club, Justin Good · Trip report
- Magnificent Desolation · Next Chapter Notes, John Krist · Blog
- Desolation Canyon 5 Day Green River Expedition packing list · Western River Expeditions · Blog