Rim to River: Canyonlands National Park

Of Utah’s five splendid parks, Canyonlands National Park is the state’s largest yet least visited preserve. The area’s rugged terrain, sinuous river courses, labyrinthine canyons, and geologic anomalies present countless logistical tribulations for overland explorers. The permitting, access, and remoteness requires a high degree of organization and backcountry savvy to successfully navigate. Roaming 175 miles through the park without a motor alongside two of your best girlfriends via bicycle and river raft is the method I recommend.

In May, during spring runoff season, I headed south with my ladies Re and Abby for a 7-day, human-powered escape into Canyonlands. The first three days elapsed astride our mountain bikes as we navigated the precipitous edges of the White Rim Trail only to trade the bikes for floatables and point ourselves downriver to bust through the whirling rapids of Cataract Canyon. The contrast between the two modes of motion would provide a perspective of the park only experienced by a lucky few.

Such an unusual itinerary is only possible with the help of Utah’s Holiday River Expeditions, a 55-year-old, family owned outfitter that manages the permits and logistics while imparting knowledge about the geology, ecology, hydrology, and sustainable and responsible recreation. The eve before departure, we three met at Holiday’s HQ in Green River, Utah. We became acquainted with our fellow trip mates and guides while grabbing enormous dry bags to be jammed with 7-days’ worth of camping gear, bike trappings, river regalia and Wild Rye kits.

The next morning found us saddled on our bikes atop the Island in the Sky District with seven fellow adventurers and three Holiday guides. This zone in Canyonlands National Park is a skyscraping wedge of rock sculpted by eons of time, thrust upward by the earth’s crust and anchored between the Colorado and Green Rivers. In short order we were descending 1,500 feet down the White Rim’s Shafer Trail, a series of switchbacks etched into sheer sandstone cliffs by the Atomic Energy Commission’s thirst for uranium in the 1940s and 50s.

We pedaled through the high desert to our first view of the Colorado River coiling through a canyon below. We set our bikes aside to admire Musselman and Mesa Arches as the miles slowly melted behind us. Our campsite at Gooseberry Canyon was a welcome sight, as was the eventual arrival of our Holiday River Expeditions support van, piloted by our tail guide. We settled into a sumptuous dinner prepared by our guides followed with a visit by a trio of wild bighorn sheep strutting along the cliffside at twilight. A myriad of stars emerged as we tucked into our sleeping bags and wrapped up our girl talk.

“Hot coffeeeeeeeeeeee!” shouted in harmonic chorus by our early-to-rise Holiday guides was the ritual that greeted us each morning, serving as a delightsome alarm clock. This day would hold much hotter temperatures under a searing desert sun as we curled northwest along the White Rim Trail and passed through Monument Basin. A grueling climb up the ledges and loose rock of Murphy’s Hogback was punctuated with a savory lunch prepared by our guides. I was grateful for the lightweight sun protection offered by my Remi Shirt and the thick padding of my Eleanor Chammy on my saddle weary bum as we munched on chicken wraps. 

The afternoon beheld a stunning overlook of a Green River gooseneck that could only be enjoyed upon leaping over a geologic anomaly dubbed “The Black Crack.” It was a thrill to spy ancient Native American granaries along the river while waving to a flotilla of river rafters far below. Our guides led us to a stellar campsite near Candlestick Tower and fed us another lavish meal. Us ladies closed out the night with whiskey on a cliffside above the Green River, contemplating the prospect of floating past this point in the coming days.

Day three had us tracing seven huge river bends on our bikes and one final, monumental climb up and over Hardscrabble Hill. The blissful thought of jumping in the cool river water was the motivation we found to pedal through the sweltering heat. Our beloved bike guides deposited us along a riverbank near Taylor Canyon where four fresh Holiday River Expedition guides awaited us on jaunty white river rafts. We bid farewell to our bike guides as they departed with the support van studded with our bicycles and shoved off into the next phase of our journey.

Jumping into the Green River after three days of rugged biking was utter bliss. We scrubbed the dirt, dust, and sweat off our bodies while our river guides laughed and worked the oars. Watching the landscape we had just pedaled through from the fresh vantage point of our river raft added a surreal element to the sudden change of pace. Four days on the river allowed us to slip into a contented rhythm marked by sunrise coffee and cool nights sprawled on the beach sand.

Meandering down the placid surface of Stillwater Canyon allowed us to enjoy hikes to ancient ruins and prehistoric petroglyphs. We took turns paddleboarding or kayaking alongside the rafts as the Green River joined the Colorado at the mighty confluence. It was an idyllic way to unwind after grinding on bicycles. But soon, the river would plunge downward through a series of rapids with daunting names like North Seas, Capsize, Ben Hurt, The Big Drops, Little Niagara, and Satan’s Gut.

Wild Rye Packing List for Rim to River

Multi-day Bike Trip

• Eleanor Chammy
  
• Galena Gel Bike Gloves
  
• Riley 10" Bike Short
  
• Sloane 3/4 Jersey
  
• Rita 6" Bike Short
  
• Lil' Party Shirt
  
• Parker Action Dress
  
• Wild Rye Bike Socks | 6"

Multi-day River Trip

• WR x September Camp Towel
  
• WR x SEPTEMBER Moana Top
  
• WR x SEPTEMBER Lucky Bottom
  
• Sawyer Sunshirt
  
• Parker Skort
  
• Lucille Sports Bra
  
• Remi Shirt
  
• Pungo Cap

Check out Lexi, Re, and Abbys route below!

Written by: Lexi Dowdall