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Cataract Canyon (western)
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Canyonlands National
Park,
2282 South West Resource
Boulevard, Moab, Utah 84532;
+1 801 259 3911,
fax +1 801 259 8628.
Grand County Travel
Council,
P.O. Box 550, Moab, Utah
84532;
+1 801 259 1370
800 635 6622,
fax +1 801 259 1376.
Location: Through
Canyonlands National Park in
southeastern Utah (about 200
miles southeast of Salt Lake
City; about 65 miles
southwest of Grand Junction,
Colorado).
Length of trips:
96 miles in three to six
days. Shorter trips are also
available.
Season: March
through October but busiest
from May through August. The
water flow usually peaks in
May and June.
Weather: Early
spring days are warm (65° to
85°F), the nights cool (40°
to 60°). Summer temperatures
range from 85° to 110°, with
occasional thunderstorms and
flash flooding in the side
canyons in late summer.
Daytime temperatures in
autumn range between 75° and
85°. Mosquitoes can be
pesky, so bring insect
repellent.
Lodging:
Excellent campsites on wide, sandy beaches when the water is
low.
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Boats: Kayaks, motorized
pontoon boats, oar boats,
paddle rafts.
Rapids: Class II, III, and
IV (Class IV and V during
spring runoff). During the
spring runoff the rapids
rival those of the Grand
Canyon; by late June they’re
more moderate but still
thrilling. The later in the
summer you go, the tamer the
rapids become. The water is
silty and cold during the
spring runoff. |
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attractions
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Special features:
- Combination of heart-pounding white water
and relaxed drifting, including a float into Lake Powell on the
last day.
- Deep, rugged slickrock canyon sprinkled
with cactuses and wildflowers.
- Geologist-explorer John Wesley Powell and
his men gave Cataract Canyon its name in 1869.
- Outstanding hikes in Canyonlands National
Park, famed for its geological formations dating back millions of
years.
- Some Anasazi cliff dwellings and
petroglyphs are visible from the river, but most are accessible
via short hikes into the side canyons.
- Great swimming.
- Bobcats, muskrats, mule deer, desert
foxes, coyotes, desert bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, collared
lizards, great horned owls, bald eagles, golden eagles, hawks,
peregrine falcons, ravens, canyon wrens, American dippers,
mergansers, hummingbirds.
- Wilderness solitude.
- After the water level drops in summer, this is a good trip for families,
seniors in good physical condition, novice rafters, and the physically
challenged who are comfortable in and around the water. Check with your
outfitter about age limits for children.
Nearby excursions:
- Lake Powell.
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
- Canyonlands National Park.
- Arches National Park.
- Dead Horse Point State Park.
- John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River.
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