Gates of Lodore Gear Checklist
The Gates of Lodore is a 44-mile float of the Green River from the Lodore boat ramp to Split Mountain, usually run in four days with three nights on the river. Rangers check your boating gear at the ramp and turn you away if anything on their list is missing, so the checklist is the first thing to pack. After that the trips we read split by season: fall boaters carried zero-degree bags, a fire pan and pre-cooked dinners, while a late September party in drysuits had warm, dry weather and never needed a tent rainfly.
What shapes your gear on Gates of Lodore
- Distance and length
- Between the Gates of Lodore ramp and Split Mountain the Green covers 44 miles. In the high-use season the standard trip is 3 nights and 4 days, and the monument assigns your camps.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) and Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions
- Whitewater
- The river inside the monument runs from Class II to Class IV, and the trip leader and boat operators need earlier experience on comparable Class III or higher rivers. The big rapids come on the second day: Harp Falls, Triplet Falls and Hells Half Mile, with Disaster Falls on day one.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions, ADVENTR.co and Kokopelli blog
- Camps on the canyon
- Lodore Canyon has designated camps at Wade & Curtis, Pot Creek, Kolb, Triplet, Rippling Brook, Wild Mountain and Limestone. Pot Creek is 3 river miles past Wade & Curtis, which sits 3 miles below the put-in.
- Flows
- Flaming Gorge Dam controls the Green. The monument lists 850 cfs as the minimum, and says the river is very rocky but still raftable with skill at that level.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions
- Communication and water at the ramp
- Cell service does not exist in the river canyons and a satellite device is recommended. Drinking water at the Gates of Lodore campground is usually turned on around the end of May, and the closest places to buy river gear are Vernal, Utah and Craig, Colorado.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions and Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025)
What the agency requires on Gates of Lodore
A whitewater life jacket for each person, plus spares
Each person needs a Coast Guard approved Type III or V jacket labeled for whitewater use. The group carries one spare for every 10 people or one per boat, whichever is fewer, and jackets are worn fastened whenever you are on the river.
A spare oar or paddle, a throw bag and an air pump
Every oar boat carries one extra oar and every paddle raft one extra paddle. Each raft needs its own throw bag, and the trip carries at least one manual pump.
Rescue kit and repair kit
The group brings one rescue kit with mechanical advantage (a Z-drag setup) that can free a trapped boat, plus patch supplies that match every boat fabric in the party.
First aid kits
One major first aid kit sized to the group and trip length, and a minor kit on every additional boat.
Human waste system
You carry out all solid human waste and toilet paper. A washable reusable container with an RV dump fitting or a commercial bag system works. Kitty litter systems are not allowed. A day-use toilet is recommended.
Fine-mesh screen and kitchen ground tarp
Dishwater is strained through a rigid fine screen before it goes into the river, and a ground tarp goes under every food prep table so scraps stay off the beach.
Fire pan and fire blanket, if you want a wood fire
A rigid metal pan raised off the ground and a fireproof blanket under it are required. Picking up any firewood is banned on the Green above Echo Park, which includes all of Lodore Canyon, so wood comes from home. Under Stage II restrictions only gas fires with an on/off switch are allowed.
Signed permit, photo ID and the printed regulations booklet
Staff check the permit and gear at the ramp. If you lack required equipment you do not launch. Each group also carries the current Boating in the Monument booklet.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) and Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions
What hikers carry on Gates of Lodore
Zero-degree sleeping bags and extra ground pads in the cold months
A two-person November trip forecast lows in the 20s and highs in the 50s, with rain or snow possible, so they packed sleeping bags built for zero degrees and more than one pad each. Another party in late October woke to 29 degrees on the last morning.
From Colorado Kayak Supply blog and Kokopelli blog
Dinners cooked at home and reheated at camp
The November pair made their dinners ahead, which meant a very small kitchen, less trash to carry out and less time cooking after dark that fell before 5:30. They washed dishes once a day in daylight.
Wood, a saw and a hatchet from home
Because no one can collect wood in the canyon, the November group loaded three bundles and a folding saw. They called fires one of the best parts of cold-weather camping, and noted that fire bans are usually over by November.
In summer, fire bans can close wood fires, so a gas stove may be the only legal heat.
From Colorado Kayak Supply blog and Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025)
A drysuit or other cold-water layer
A late September party that floated in ducks and inflatable kayaks wore drysuits through Hells Half Mile, and one member let the air out of his suit before the scout. Mornings in the shade felt chilly enough that they did not want to be splashed.
From ADVENTR.co
Dry bags and warm layers sized for a small boat
A packrafter on an October trip fit dry bags with plenty of warm layers, a tent, a sleeping bag, an extra breakdown paddle and four days of snacks inside a single small boat, with room left over.
From Kokopelli blog
A latching food box and a lidded bucket for trash
The monument requires camp garbage and all food and scented items to sit in a durable container with a latch or strap, because the camps are in bear country. The November pair used an ammo can for food and a five-gallon bucket for trash and ash.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) and Colorado Kayak Supply blog
A small, light boat when the river is low
The November pair swapped their big rigs for two paddle cats, which are faster, easier to steer and less likely to hang up on shallow gravel. Their low-water takeaway was that small groups in small boats spend less time in the rapids when the flow is thin.
A satellite messenger
The monument recommends one because there is no cell service in the canyons, and says to learn how to cancel an accidental SOS since false alarms have grown.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) and Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions
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 Gates of Lodore
Relying on a tent as your only rain shelter in November
The November pair had a tent and a bivy but only stayed dry on the rainy first night because they found an overhang near Triplet. On later fall trips the author plans to bring a small camp shelter so the group is not stuck inside tents.
A tent rainfly in dry late September
One late September party enjoyed warm, sunny weather the whole way and never put the rainfly on a tent. Check the forecast before you commit to a heavier shelter.
From ADVENTR.co
Gear questions for Gates of Lodore
What gear is required to launch at the Gates of Lodore?
Whitewater life jackets for everyone plus spares, a spare oar or paddle per boat, throw bags, a rescue kit, repair kits, major and minor first aid kits, an air pump, a fine-mesh screen, a kitchen ground tarp, and a human waste system. A fire pan and fire blanket are needed if you plan a wood fire. Staff check it at the ramp.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) and Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions
Can you collect firewood in the Gates of Lodore canyon?
No. Wood collecting is banned on the Green above Echo Park, so bring your own wood or use a gas fire. If fire restrictions are in Stage II, only gas fires with an on/off switch are allowed.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) and Colorado Kayak Supply blog
How cold does the Gates of Lodore get at night?
It depends on the month. A late October party woke to 29 degrees and a November pair expected lows in the 20s. A late September party had warm, sunny days and a chilly last morning.
From Kokopelli blog, Colorado Kayak Supply blog and ADVENTR.co
Is there cell service on the Gates of Lodore?
Not in the river canyons. Service is spotty near the put-in and the monument recommends a satellite device, though it may also struggle in the deepest canyon.
From Dinosaur National Monument (NPS): River Permit Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- Boating in the Monument: Information and Regulations (revised March 2025) · Dinosaur National Monument (NPS) · Agency
- River Permit Frequently Asked Questions · Dinosaur National Monument (NPS) · Agency
- Trip Report: Gates of Lodore 2021 · Colorado Kayak Supply blog · Trip report
- Canyon of Lodore: The Green River in Dinosaurland · ADVENTR.co, Randy Langstraat · Trip report
- Gates of Lodore - The Trip of a lifetime · Kokopelli blog, Josh Rich · Blog