Two Trips, Two Worlds, Two Years Apart: Returning to Raft in Dinosaur National Monument

“Best four days ever!” my seven-year-old son, Noah, exclaimed only 15 minutes into day one of a four-day river trip.

We were floating down the Green River. The cold water was mostly clear though, in the sunlight, the surface gave off a green hue. High, reddish-brown sandstone walls towered over us. The water was still relatively calm; the perfect opportunity to jump out of the boat, life jackets on and take our first swim.

Noah’s enthusiasm set the bar high, but I was excited as well. My three kids and I would be spending the next four days in Dinosaur National Monument rafting down the Green River. Vernal, Utah-based Dinosaur River Expeditions (DRE) would be taking us on the highly sought-after “Gates of Lodore” trip. 

We live in Texas, by the Gulf Coast. A week out of the humidity and a chance to see high peaks and experience whitewater rapids was exciting enough that I didn’t need to sell the trip to the kids. My three kids, ranging from 7 to 16, packed up their own bags using DRE’s handy packing list and we boarded an early morning flight from Houston to Salt Lake City. By late afternoon, we were in Vernal at the DRE office’s sitting in on our river orientation.

Our first visit

Rafting on the Green River was our second trip to Dinosaur National Monument but a completely different way to experience the place. The first time we visited, in July, 2017, Dinosaur was a half-day stop on a three-week road trip through the national parks of the American West. Wanting to visit as many parks within that time frame, we took a slight detour and sandwiched a one-day DNM visit between Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, and Grand Teton National Park near Jackson, Wyoming.

During our 2017 visit, we visited the Dinosaur Quarry and the kids joined in a ranger presentation and my two younger kids participated in the junior ranger program. We had the opportunity to hold a real fossil. I had never held a real fossil before, and I was more excited at the opportunity than any of the kids. When the ranger placed the fossil in my hand, I still remember the surprise I felt at its weight. The fossil was much heavier than I imagined. Noah bought a dinosaur at the museum gift shop and promptly named him Sven. Sven was an active participant during the rest of our trip, accompanying us on all our hikes.

Afterward, we drove along Cub Creek Road, stopping along the way to look at petroglyphs, pictures carved out of the rocks hundreds of years ago. We also stopped and explored the Josie Bassett Morris ranch. Altogether, we spent less than five hours in the park before our overnight in nearby Vernal. It was a great overnight stop on a fast-paced road-trip itinerary, and I did not imagine I’d be back anytime soon.

The return to Dinosaur

Now, we were back in the expansive monument and the quarry was nowhere in sight. We were down by the Green River on the Colorado side of the park. By the end of our trip, we’d be back in Utah, taking the only available route directly connecting the two sides of the park — the winding river. 

We’d never rafted before and while videos of whitewater looked exciting, I wasn’t sure Noah could handle it. By July, we learned, the water levels are low enough that DRE takes kids as young as six years old. There is still plenty of whitewater, though.

On the first day, Dinosaur River Expeditions picked us up from our hotel early that morning and dropped our gear and us off. During the two hour drive to the river, we got a chance to get to know our fellow travelers. As we approached the river, we could see glimpses of the canyon below us. While I couldn’t see the river from the road, I noticed small waterfalls along the way, building my sense of anticipation.

Owner, Tyler Callantine, and his guides met us at the river.

Once our gear was packed on the boats and safety rules explained, we were off. Noah and my 12-year-old daughter, Layla, rode in the raft with Tyler and myself, while my 16-year-old son, Eesa, kayaked in the “ducky” alongside us.

Spending four days along the river was a truly immersive experience and every day on the river we discovered more of the parks secret and enjoyed different types of water. There were calm moments where we had a chance to spot wildlife along the river. We saw bighorn sheep and deer. Above us, the kids spotted osprey, hawks and bald eagles flying over the canyon. Layla and Noah gave them all names.

Our imaginations went wild as our guide, Callantine, pointed out certain rocks that looked like bears or monkeys. There was even a part of a canyon wall that looked like a pirate.

While I wasn’t looking specifically for an educational trip, the river trip was an opportunity for the kids to expand their world. In addition to the raft, Callantine and his guides pointed out safe parts of the river for kayaking and paddling through the whitewater. The kids jumped off rocks into the water and swam and floated through the river’s currents.

Callantine would often pull the raft over to the shore to point out interesting spots along the canyon, including descriptions of those historic trips and the inscriptions they left behind. Noah, impressed by the information, later told me, “Early explorers were incredible! They went in whitewater in a wooden boat! They didn’t have all this!”

Callantine talked about his own connection to the river, including a great uncle, whose name is on one of the inscriptions on the canyon walls and different great uncle who was a renowned paleontologist in the area. In addition to his knowledge of the river, Callantine was able to interpret the different formations we saw, the geology, and wildlife.

As we floated down the river, beautiful red sandstone gave way to limestone and then sandstone again. With every turn of the river, wide breathtaking expanses opened up before our eyes.

Near Echo Park, Callantine rowed over to the canyon wall and asked the kids to yell the word “echo” on the count of three. A few seconds later, they could hear the words “echo” ringing back. A true echo, not something we had ever experienced before.

At times, shadows from the high canyon walls provided cool relief from the hot July sun. Other times, after being drenched by ice-cold water after going through the rapids, the warm sunlight felt good, helping us warm up and dry off. 

I gained an appreciation for the river. Floating on the cold water kept us cool in the hot weather. We played in the water; we used it for washing. The river was a beacon not just for people, but for all types of life. In calm parts of the river, we would float by animals, like bighorn sheep drinking from the river. Another time, we saw a bird swoop down to catch a fish. One evening, as we were setting up camp, we saw a beaver swim up onto the shore.