Travel writer and author Linda Ballou takes us into the wild heart of Desolation Canyon in southwest Utah, rafting 89 miles of the Green River through one of the largest roadless wildernesses remaining in the American Southwest.

Hear about it on this episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Lost Angel Travel Adventures” Podcast with Linda Ballou below or listen / download the audio version on Podbean.

Buckled up in a small plane flying over the largest, roadless wilderness remaining in the Southwest, I could see a barren, seemingly lifeless plateau stretching to the horizon. The Green River snakes through the mesa on its way through the vast desert to join the Colorado River. A bumpy landing on a dirt airstrip brought us to the takeout point where four rafts piled high with supplies for a week on the river awaited us. Thirteen seasoned outdoor enthusiasts and four OARS Whitewater Rafting guides were eager to begin our journey through Desolation Canyon.

The first 25 miles of the 89-mile run is flat water. The rafts were bound together into a motorized flotilla to spare our guides a taxing row on the first day out. As the miles slipped by, the canyon walls grew taller. Massive shelves of striated rock, stacked one upon the other, formed towers closing in on us. Drifting slowly into the embrace of the battlements on both sides, the outside world slipped away. The silt-laden Green is lined with willows and the invasive tamarisk, blocking the view of side canyons begging to be explored. While delivering life to a thirsty canyon floor, it cuts the rock of ages even deeper, revealing the past.

Our first sandy beach camp shaded by cottonwood trees was a welcome sight. There were plenty of level, protected sites for us to pop our tents. Once settled, our guides took us on an easy march up to a panel of pictographs painted by the Fremont people. Contemporaries of the Ancestral Puebloans, they thrived here from 800-1250 CE. They lived on the plentiful game, supplemented with crops of maize and squash. The Fremont people vanished around 1250. The Ute Indians came here to hunt in winter months and became the dominant human mark on the land.

In 1869, J.W. Powell was the first European to raft the Green through what he dubbed Desolation Canyon. What he saw was a vast, untamable wilderness that did not provide the supplies he needed for his men. Today, the isolated canyon is a sanctuary for a wide array of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, mule deer, and a healthy bear population. Birds like the bald eagle, osprey, and big blue herons are more common and easier to spot. Most of the region is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, but the river's left bank is part of the Unitah & Ouray Indian Reservation.

By day two I had settled into river time. Drifting to sleep with the ceaseless lullaby of the river and the whisper of the cottonwoods lifting in a soft wind. The cascading lilt of the canyon wren was my wake-up call. An early rise let me walk up a side canyon in the cool morning. The scent of sage wafted over a wheat-colored meadow on our hike to a magnificent arch hidden in the cleft of a side canyon sculpted by wind and rain.

Another favorite hike led to petroglyphs left by the Utes, tracing one of the few year-round freshwater creeks in the region. The shady glens beside Rock Creek beckoned. OARS's policy is that outings are optional. If you choose to opt out, a guide will escort you back to camp. I chose the slow meander back along the creek with guide Ethon, who seemed to enjoy the slower pace as much as I did.

As you drift deeper into the ever-evolving panorama of rock art, your mind begins to wander aimlessly among the towering cliffs. Floating chalk-white clouds suggest cartoon images. The celestial movements are dynamic, changing swiftly from brilliant blue heavens to murky monsters threatening a deluge. We were caught off guard by a heavy downpour on our first day out, so Mother Nature had our attention. For the rest of our expedition, temps hovered around 95F, cooling to the 70s at night with a smattering of showers here and there.

Our broad, sandy beach camp at the foot of the tallest tower in Desolation Canyon was magical. Sunrise cast ethereal light on the massive tower. At 6,000 feet, it is taller than any in the Grand Canyon. Only one long, dusty road and one dirt airstrip access the canyon, so it has remained relatively untouched. A ranch once raised prize-winning cattle, but delivering the product was too difficult, so it failed. Butch Cassidy hid cattle he had stolen in the side canyons, and moonshiners profited here during Prohibition. But no one has lived here long-term for over 40 years. Only river rafters and other boaters visit, and they must obtain permits from the BLM.

The 89-mile run from Sand Wash to the Swaseys Boat Ramp features over 60 rapids ranging from Class 2 to Class 3. It is an intermediate river with no life-threatening rapids and hiking options out of each beach camp into side canyons. In the spring, the water is higher and the rapids more energetic. You will likely meet families at that time of year with children as young as 7. I ventured here in August and shared the journey with retirees aged 65-80, all of whom were in better condition than I was!

OARS Whitewater Rafting provides a sleep kit, a tent, and all transport to and from the river from Moab. After manning the oars for hours a day, leading us on hikes, and delivering three scrumptious meals a day, our guides brought out their guitars and serenaded us under the stars. They were wonderful, and all the equipment provided was in good shape.

Note: The steep, rocky hike down to the canyon floor from the airstrip is optional. You may ride down in the van that delivers the group's bags to Sand Wash. I had trouble with the hike, but no one else in our group did. Be confident in your level of physical activity before committing to this outdoor adventure.

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