Split Mountain Gear Checklist
The Split Mountain daily permit covers a nine-mile Class III day through Split Mountain Canyon, with the put-in at Rainbow Park and the take-out at the Split Mountain ramp. Nobody sleeps on the water, so the gear question is lighter than on the Gates of Lodore or Yampa pages. It is the required safety kit, a plan to get your vehicles back together, and clothes for a wet day. Private boaters disagree on the spare life jacket and helmet count, and the monument's March 2025 document gives smaller spare counts than a kayaker says applied in 2024.
What shapes your gear on Split Mountain
- The run
- Recreation.gov describes nine miles of Split Mountain Canyon from the Rainbow Park boat ramp to the Split Mountain boat ramp. The NPS warns that the Class III rapids make it a poor choice for beginners.
From Recreation.gov and National Park Service: Boating and Rafting Permits
- Launches per day
- The NPS gives two private launches a day in the high-use season, which runs from the second Monday of May to the second Friday of September, and one launch a day in the low-use season. A permit is for one launch only, and the entire party must put on and take off on the date printed on it.
From National Park Service: Boating and Rafting Permits and Recreation.gov
- Flows people saw
- A couple in kayaks and packrafts ran it at 1,200 to 1,400 cfs and thought that level easy for small craft but a pain for rafts. A tandem canoe party ran it at 1,650 cfs and called the level medium for a canoe. A club with three rafts and three kayaks recorded a gauge height of 2.7 to 3.2 feet.
From American Whitewater and Wasatch Mountain Club
- No camping on the water
- The NPS says camping is not allowed at Rainbow Park or in Split Mountain Canyon while traveling the river corridor. A daily-section boater adds that the beaches are excellent but camping on the daily section is not allowed.
From National Park Service: Boating in the Monument and American Whitewater
- Night before and after
- Rainbow Park has four campsites that hold eight people each, with a vault toilet and no running water. Recreation.gov says many groups camp there the night before launching. At the take-out, the Split Mountain group campground has flush toilets seasonally and no showers. A club that stayed at campsite C found space, some shade and a cold water faucet.
From Recreation.gov and Wasatch Mountain Club
What the agency requires on Split Mountain
A life jacket for everyone, plus spares
Each person needs a wearable Type III or V PFD labeled for whitewater use, worn and fastened on the river. The monument requires one spare PFD for every 10 people or one per boat, whichever is fewer.
Helmets for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards
Boaters in kayaks, canoes and paddleboards must wear helmets through all named rapids. Other craft are strongly encouraged to wear them. The monument also wants a spare helmet per 5 small craft.
First aid, repair kit, air pump and a rescue kit
The group needs a major first aid kit, and each additional boat or unsupported kayak or canoe needs a minor one. The party also carries repair supplies matched to each boat material, a manual air pump if inflatables are used, and one Z-drag rescue kit.
Extra oar or paddle and a throw bag per raft
Each oar boat carries one extra oar, each paddle raft one extra paddle, and each raft and dory a throw bag, including those under 16 feet. Kayak and canoe trips need an extra paddle for each group of 5 or fewer boats.
A toilet system that carries waste out
Boaters need a means to contain and remove human waste. Approved options are washable containers with RV dump fittings or commercial bag systems, and bags must go in a hard-sided container or heavy-duty bag labeled for waste.
What hikers carry on Split Mountain
A bike or a second vehicle for the shuttle
A canoe couple was quoted $150 a day for a one-vehicle shuttle, so they ran their own. They biked it, and the Bean Draw Road route cut 5 miles off the truck route, though some sections are sandy. Another boater walked about 2 miles along a trail by the take-out wash and 4 more up the wash, then biked about 7 miles downhill to the put-in with his phone's GPS.
From American Whitewater
A paid shuttle company for a big group
A 14-person club with three rafts and three kayaks used River Runners Transport and called it a terrific operation.
A phone in a waterproof case
A guided rafter helped paddle and kept her phone in a waterproof case, so her photos came through the plastic and look splotchy.
Clothes that can be soaked at the front of the boat
The guided party sat in the front, got completely drenched and felt a large rapid nearly throw one passenger out of the boat.
Lunch you can eat on a beach
A guided trip pulled over for lunch on a little beach about midway through the nine miles. Another party was eating at the same spot.
Spare life jacket and helmet, strapped on
A kayaker says the rules required an extra life jacket and helmet per three boaters, with no exceptions for kayakers, and that a ranger on the phone would not bend. He thought strapping them outside the boat added more risk than losing one.
From American Whitewater
A first look at rapids from the bank
A tandem canoe party scouted two of the rapids on the first day and ran the others, while a club kept a boat with swiftwater rescue and medical training as its sweep boat.
From American Whitewater and Wasatch Mountain Club
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 Split Mountain
Planning on camping the daily section
The kayaker liked the beaches, and then learned that camping is not allowed on the daily section. The NPS repeats it.
From American Whitewater and National Park Service: Boating in the Monument
Arriving at the take-out at midday
The NPS asks one-day trips to launch early enough to avoid reaching the Split Mountain ramp between noon and 4 pm because of congestion while others de-rig and load. It names 10 am to 2 pm as the ramp's busiest hours in general.
A raft at low water
A couple in kayaks and packrafts found the 1,200 to 1,400 cfs level easy for their boats but expected it to be a pain for rafts.
From American Whitewater
Counting on the old spare counts
The kayaker's account of one spare per three boaters differs from the monument's March 2025 document, which says one spare PFD per 10 people or one per boat, and one extra helmet per 5 small craft. Read the current document before you pack.
From American Whitewater and National Park Service: Boating in the Monument
Gear questions for Split Mountain
Can I camp on a Split Mountain daily trip?
Not on the river. The NPS says camping is not permitted at Rainbow Park or in Split Mountain Canyon. People camp before launching at the Rainbow Park campground or at the Split Mountain campground after the take-out.
From National Park Service: Boating in the Monument and Recreation.gov
How much is a Split Mountain daily permit?
The NPS lists a $20 one-day permit fee plus a $15 application fee. Park entrance fees are separate.
From National Park Service: Boating and Rafting Permits and National Park Service: Boating in the Monument
Can I bring a dog on the Split Mountain daily section?
No. Per the NPS, the river is closed to dogs and any other pets.
What time should I launch for the Split Mountain take-out?
Early enough to avoid reaching the Split Mountain ramp between noon and 4 pm, according to the NPS. One club's report mentions staying at campsite C and visiting the exhibit gallery.
From National Park Service: Boating in the Monument and Wasatch Mountain Club
Do I need a helmet on Split Mountain?
If you paddle a kayak, canoe or paddleboard, yes, through all named rapids. The NPS strongly recommends helmets in other craft too.
Can I run my own shuttle for Split Mountain?
Yes. A canoe party and a kayaker both did it by mountain bike, while one club hired a shuttle company. A quote for one vehicle was $150 a day.
From American Whitewater and Wasatch Mountain Club
Sources
- Boating and Rafting Permits · National Park Service · Agency
- Boating in the Monument · National Park Service · Agency
- Dinosaur National Monument - Split Mountain Permits · Recreation.gov · Agency
- Split Mountain Canyon trip reports · American Whitewater, Shannon Syrstad and Jacob Cruser · Trip report
- Split Mountain Daily · Wasatch Mountain Club, Kay Tran · Trip report
- Riding the rapids in Split Mountain Canyon · Handstands Around the World, Diana · Blog