ON THE ROCKS Presents

Yampa River and Green River Float Trip

June 1 to June 5 2026

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Come join your intrepid RMAG friends on a five-day/four-night float trip on the Yampa River and Green River next June! Outfitted by O.A.R.S. and our trip will depart and return to Vernal, Utah. Dr Gary Gianniny, professor emeritus at Fort Lewis College, will provide thrilling technical content he has provided on previous RMAG On the Rocks float-trips.

Day one we will depart in vehicles for a three-hour drive from Vernal to the launch point at Deerlodge Park boat ramp at the eastern edge of Dinosaur National Monument. Through the first outcrops along the river are Cretaceous, we will quickly descend stratigraphically through Jurassic  and Triassic strata into steep-walled canyons of Permian and Pennsylvanian rocks, where we will spend most of the trip. Predominant Paleozoic strata we will see are the Permian 1000ft-thick Weber Sandstone and the thinner Pennsylvanian Morgan Formation/Round Valley Limestone. The Weber Sandstone hosts the billion-barrel Rangely Field, and we have many opportunities to observe Weber Sandstone facies and also comparable fractures to those that aid production in the subsurface. 

In addition to fascinating stratigraphy and sedimentary geology, we will see at least three jaw-dropping, eye-popping structural features: the Mitten Park Fault, the Island Park Fault, and the Split Mountain Anticline! Once we cross the spectacular Mitten Park Fault, just beyond the Green River confluence in Echo Park, rocks at river level are the ancient rift-filling red beds of the Precambrian Uinta Mountain Group in Whirlpool Canyon. We will continue floating up through the Cambrian Lodore Formation, overlain by the Mississippian Madison Limestone and the overlying Carboniferous strata with which we have become familiar! The Madison Limestone has produced over 1.1 TCF from Madden Field. Floating across the Island Park Fault takes us briefly out of deep and steep canyons of the upthrown side back into downthrown Mesozoic strata, but we quickly cross back onto the upthrown side and back into steep Paleozoic-walled canyons as we float through the flank, and then down the axis of the stunning Split Mountain Anticline. In the core of the anticline, strata as old as Mississippian at river level, before the Green River exits the steep south flank of the fold and we arrive at our takeout in the soaring cliffs of the Weber Sandstone, near the Permian/Triassic contact at Split Mountain boat ramp.

On Day Five, we will take out at the Split Mountain boat ramp for the half-hour drive back to Vernal, Utah. We expect to be back to Vernal by late afternoon and recommend securing accommodation in Vernal for the night.

Hotels:

Hotels at the start and end of the trip are not included in the price and are the responsibility of the participant to arrange. RMAG and OARs are not responsible for these arrangements.

Hotel Discounts are available at the following hotels in Vernal:

• Dinosaur Inn & Suites - https://www.dinoinn.com/
• Microtel - https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/microtel/naples-utah/microtel-by-wyndham-vernal-naples/overview
• Holiday Inn Express – https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/vernal/velut/hoteldetail/amenities

 Contact the hotels directly to make your reservation.

Cost

$2,900 Members

$3,200 Non-Members (not a member? Join Today)

The member price includes:

• All meals, snacks, camping equipment while on the river.
• Transportation to the launch from Vernal and back from the pull out
• Miscellaneous – tips for the boat men, guidebooks, and booking fee

Deposit of $1000 is due upfront to hold the spot, the remaining $1,900/$2,100 is due by February 15^th 2026, we can arrange an additional payment plan as necessary.

If you need to withdraw we will work with you to fill your spot so that you can get your money back but without substitution you could lose the entire amount, so travel insurance is recommended.

Liability Waiver and Medical Emergency Information

All registrants must fill out the Medical Emergency, Waiver and Release of Liability form. Those who fail to complete the form will not be permitted to attend the field trip.