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Wonderful clear emerald water and several fun easy rapids, make this a perfect 1/2 day exciting float around Flaming Gorge.
Itinerary:
Meet FRIDAY NIGHT (carpooling)
Lehi - (Emily's 1482 W 300 S) - 2 pm
Springville - (Marilyn 433 N 700 W) 2 pm
Campground near Dutch John - 6 pm
SATURDAY
8am - Meet at Raft Rental found onsite at Dutch John Campground (behind the Dutch John Resort restaurant/gas station). Take thier van shuttle.
9am - Spillway Boat Launch Put in
930-1 pm - Float river Little Hole
1:30 pm - Little Hole Rec Area Take out
2:30 pm Shuttle returns to Campground
3:00 pm Head Home
7:00 - 9:00 pm Home (depending on car stops)
Optional* Second River Run (can have upriver winds) - $10 more for shuttle. Can decide 1 week prior.
7:00 pm Shuttle returns to Campground
7:30 pm Head Home
11:30pm - 12:30 am Home (depending on car stops)
Directions: Dutch John Campground, Dutch John, Utah
Spillway Boat Launch Put in
Little Hole Rec Area Take out
Activity:
Float Dutch John - Section A - (3-4 hours / ~ 7 miles) Section A starts just below the dam and continues down to Little Hole through Red Canyon. This section is the most popular and most fished. The crystal clear water is said to contain 11,000-15,000 fish per MILE. This area contains the most rapids, with a seemingly endless supply of Class II rapids to play in. Most are beginner friendly but keeps an eye out, there are plenty of boulders to wrap a raft on and ruin your day.
The action starts from the get-go. Keep an eye out for Mother-In-Law Rapid, which has a sign on the right before it. At maybe Class II+, this rapid is likely the most difficult in this section, but not particularly hard. Trip Report
Rapids:
Anticipation - Class II
Bridge - Class II
Rollercoaster - Class II
Skinny Dip - Class II
Mother-in-Law - Class II+
take river LEFT (there is a sign "Mother in Law" on the right shore before the rapid)
Dead Man - Class II
Dripping Springs - Class II
Red Creek - Class II
Gear: thin T-shirt, thin long-sleeve shirt, rain jacket, shorts or hiking pants, swimming suit, running shoes or sandals - NO FLIP FLOPS, 2 L water in water bottle with carabiner to attach to raft - NO CAMEL BAKS, 3-4 snacks plus lunch in gallon ziplock bag, dry bag, water shooters, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, hat, first aid kit., waterproof phone case, dry bag, raft (provided), lifejackets (provided), paddles (provided), electric pump - essential to pump up from car (Dutch John filling up for us), hand pump (provided), patch kit (provided), throw bag (can rent)
Rentals:
*For this trip, rentals, shuttle & campground are what make up your $37 fee.
Tips:
Dutch John Resort Campground. Rafts: 6-7 man rafts - $70/day includes paddles, lifejackets, hand pump and patch kit, bailing bucket. (NOTE - MAKE SURE THEY INCLUDE THESE - especially the bailing buckets if the raft is not self-bailing. They blow up rafts for you. Shuttles - Shuttle that launches you and picks you up for Section A - $80 for 8-10 people; Indian Creek longer route $150 for 8-10 people.
Dutch John drives your vehicle to drop you off and pick you up, straps raft to top of your car $42/car.
Campground - Group Tent Site $250/night, includes 10 tents and 10 cars. Individual camp sites $35.Tent sites include Picnic tables, fire pits (BYO wood or get at convenience store), Porta Potties (at group site) Restrooms available on the campground, shower house, laundry, acess on site: Bar & Grill, Steakhouse, Gas Station, Convenience Store, Ice Cream Shop, Sporting Good Store Fishing Flies & Tackle. Cabins range $59-279/night.
Other Rental Options: 5-6 man raft - $60 BYU Outdoors Unlimited includes paddles, life jackets, hand pump and patch kit; $65 UVU Outdoor Adventure Center includes paddles, life jackets, hand pumpand patch kit; $85 U of U Outdoor Adventures includes paddles, life jackets, hand pumpand patch kitThrow Bag - $5 BYU Outdoors Unlimited UVU Outdoor Adventure CenterDry Bag - $6 109 Liters BYU Outdoors Unlimited; $4 small, $7 large UVU Outdoor Adventure Center; $4 small, $7 large U of U Outdoor Adventures Electric Pump - $15 BYU Outdoors Unlimited
Cost:$37 includes campsite, rafts, life jackets, paddles & shuttle there & back;
Additional - gas for your driver; your own food; tip for guide.
DUTCH JOHN COST BREAKDOWN:
https://dutchjohnresort.com/
Lodging/Camping Options:
Group Campsite - (what we used. Good for 30 - 80 people) - $200/night
Cabins - $625 - $50/night 15 - 4 people
RV site - $40
Tent site - $30
Raft Rental Cost: (Includes paddles, lifejackets. Did NOT include a patch repair kit,
travel pump nor throw bag to rescue. Would recommend renting these ahead of
time at BYU.)
7 man raft(would recommend. easier to navigate.) $69/day
4 man raft $49
10 man raft $99
12 man raft $119
15 man raft $139
You can also rent inflatable kayaks.
Can also rent ebikes and fishing boats.
Guides: Not necessary to book. When in doubt, especially on the Mother-in-Law
rapid, stay to the LEFT. We did not fish, maybe worth a guide for fishing.
Shuttle Cost:
Option A) $15.
DIY. Strap down rafts on your own car or trailer. Take down to dock. State
entrance fee to the dock $15/car. Have drivers then got station cars at the
take out point and then drive one car with drivers back to put in point.
Option B) $42
Dutch John Resort employee drives your personal vehicle to the put in with
the raft(s) strapped to the top of your car or in a trailer you brought. Drops
you off and then picks you up in your own personal vehicle at the take out
point.
Option C) $80/15 packer van (What we did. Would recommend)
Dutch John Resort employee drives your group in a 15 passenger van.
Includes trailer for the raft. They drop you off and pick you up 3 hrs later (or
time you agreed upon) at the pull out point for Section A.
Option D) $150/15 packer van
Above were quotes for Section A, most popular section of the river. This
quote is for same as Option C, just you float both Section A & B and they
pick you up further down the river at Section B take out point. An addition 4
hours added to your rafting trip, so 7 hrs total. Largely a river float. Biggest
rapid is on this route though rapid not necessarily worth additional 4 hour
float.
Green River Grill Breakfast Cost:
*Would recommend what we did which was pre-ordering a week in advance breakfast
for a large group. Kitchen had it ready to go for us at 7:30am.
Main reason I would recommend this is because on the recon trip we found the wind
picks up around noon on the river and you have to fight it. More enjoyable to be done
by noon. You can rent rafts as early at 8am. After camping overnight, we enjoyed
having a warm breakfast in a nice restaurant. No need to wait for servers to bring
checks, just preordered and paid that morning. David, owner gave us a 10% discount
we didn’t expect.
Breakfast Sandwich $7
Breakfast Burrito $12
Waffle Breakfast $15
Large portions everyone pleased. They even brought hot water for our friends who
brought their own oatmeal from home. Though they added on an 18% gratuity for
large grouop and taxes as well
Grill open all day serves lunch and dinner and has an ice cream parlor.
Dutch John Contacts:
Dutch John Resort - (435) 848-8000 main (435)849-8354 other line
Owner of the Group Camp site. (970)620-1943 at 9-10pm at night guided our gals to
the campsite in the rain.
Campground at Dutch John Resort (they also have cabins)
Drive to the Spillway Boat Launch
Boat launch and floating the upper river
Optional Stops - grotto river rt with mild cliff jumping/wooden walkways river left/lunch stop after Mother in Law rapid river rt
Rapids
Floating (Motherin-Law rapid caught our raft and pinned it on a boulder -always go river LEFT on that rapid)
Little Hole Pull Out