UTAH - CANYONLANDS/GREEN RIVER AREA - Swimming across the Green River

[JanLedo]

Hey all,

I’m planning a backcountry hiking trip and considering a swim across the Green River somewhere south of the town of Green River, UT, but north of Canyonlands National Park. I'm not motorized, so I'm looking for places that are accessible on foot via trails or old jeep roads, not by car.

We're hiking Westbound from the Moab Airport towards Goblin Valley (and then further on). For now, I'm contemplating hiking down Spring Canyon, crossing around Bowknot Bend and hiking back up the other side through Two mile canyon, close to Colonnade Arch. I'm confident about the hiking into and out of the river, just not sure about the river crossing itself...

Another option is further up north, through Tenmile Canyon and then exiting through Keg Spring Canyon on the other side.

I'm aware of how remote and potentially hazardous this area is—I've done multi-day desert hiking trips before and take river crossings seriously (PFD, scouting, etc.). Still, I'd love to hear from anyone who has actually swum across the Green River in this region, especially:

• Where exactly did you cross?
• What time of year?
• What were the water conditions like (current, depth, temp)?
• Any gear you recommend or precautions?
• Would you do it again?

Thanks in advance for any info or warnings. Happy to share more trip details if helpful!

 

[LarryBoy]

Packraft. Not only is it obviously safer, but if you misjudge conditions beforehand, your trip isn't ruined if you get down to the river and realize that it's a lot more hazardous than you thought. Plus it expands options to paddle downstream instead of doing a really terrible rock-hop along the river.

 

[Udink]

I've only swam across at Swasey Beach north of the town of Green River. It was late July 2013, I was wearing a PFD, the water temp was fine, flow wasn't very fast, and I don't even remember not being able to touch bottom.

I've run Labyrinth several times in a canoe and I wouldn't hesitate to swim across the Green (but would probably always wear a PFD if I did cross). I've waded out into the Green many times to bathe on river trips and it never felt unsafe.

If you go down Spring Canyon, there's an old road that goes downstream along the Green and it looks like you can easily get into the river at 38.597220, -110.042909. About 3,000' downstream at 38.592342, -110.051614 there's a campsite where you can land and I can confirm you can access the Twomile trail from shore just a few hundred feet away.

I've heard that Keg Spring is a brushy thrash to get to any of the trails that exit out to the rim so I'd definitely recommend Twomile over that. Or, you could exit at Wolverton Canyon (the next small side canyon up from Keg Spring). In 2016 I was able to land a canoe at the mouth of Wolverton and walk up the watercourse to the old road that climbs out.

 

[regehr]

yeah I've walked Keg Spring Canyon from the Andy Moore trail to the Green and it was a thrash from hell, there are plenty of better alternatives. lower Keg Spring is nice, though -- like the bottom mile maybe.

looks like I posted some pics here:

triangular float trips

So I got a little bit obsessed with finding float trips that don't require a car/bike shuttle. Over the last three days some buds and I hiked down Keg Spring Canyon starting at the Andy Moore trail, floated the Green around Bowknot Bend, then exited Twomile Canyon and cross-country back to the...

backcountrypost.com

I'd 100% not try to swim the Green in spring, that's for sure, when we floated it in May the river was wide and fast. there's plenty of data available about typical flows, 2000 cfs in October vs 20,000 cfs in May or June is going to be night and day.

 

[Udink]

I'd 100% not try to swim the Green in spring, that's for sure, when we floated it in May the river was wide and fast. there's plenty of data available about typical flows, 2000 cfs in October vs 20,000 cfs in May or June is going to be night and day.

Hah, yeah, I should clarify my comment about not hesitating to cross. Definitely wouldn't do it at high flow. When I did swim across at Swasey Beach it was running at 1,250 cfs.