Recreation Opportunities

If you are interested in a calm float trip, this is the river you should try. The White River is a relaxing run on one of Utah's best canoe-camping and kayaking rivers. Groves of cottonwoods make pleasant places to camp. Permits are not needed for private boaters, but please be responsible and keep a clean camp and follow proper river etiquette. Bureau of Indian Affairs requires parking and overnight and long-term parking permits at the take out point (Mountain Fuel Bridge--permits available at local tribal office).

Recreation Sites

No developed facilities. Launch point is at the Bonanza Highway Bridge (40 miles south of Vernal) and takeout is at the Mountain fuel Bridge, 40 river miles down stream. The shuttle between the two bridges is only 20 miles on graded dirt roads. Both the confluence and Mountain Fuel Bridge takeouts are on Ute Indian land; the tribe requires a permit to park or boat on Indian land (below Mountain Fuel Bridge); contact the Ute Indians at Box 190, Fort Duchesne, UT 84026.

Wildlife

You will see a variety of rodents, songbirds, raptors, bats, lizards, bobcats, and coyotes, along the river. Mule deer, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, and black bear can also be seen. Ducks and geese nest along the river.

Geology

White River gets its name from clays in the Tertiary lake sediments. Born from snowmelt in mountain headwaters above Trapper Lake in western Colorado, the White River flows due west in a serpentine search for its confluence with the Green River. Near the Utah-Colorado border, the river course turns spectacular-canyon style. Near the highway, the river swings in looping meanders inherited from a time before canyon-cutting began, when it wound lazily across a nearly flat surface. For 100 miles between the town or Rangely, Colorado and the rivers's confluence with the Green River, the White River cuts a rugged scenic trough into the high desert plains of the Uintah Basin.

For additional information contact:

 Bureau of Land Management
Vernal Office
170 South 500 East
Vernal, Utah 84078
(435) 781-4400

For more information visit the Utah Bureau of Land Management website