Hello. Anyone have any remote wilderness area camping suggestions in the US?

I am an experienced camper that frequents the BWCA but I have also done a fair share of northern Minnesota rivers. Im looking for suggestions to expand elsewhere to new ecosystems/parts of the US and Canada.

Im a little picky so... :) Bear with me.

I sort of have an addiction to being on a river or any sort of water when camping. I enjoy hiking but feel like you move to slowly. I love paddling and portaging or even paddling and camping river side. The other 'must-have' is SOLITUDE.

I'd LOVE it if I could find large sections of river that is flat-water paddling in the Southwest desert like Utah,AZ,NM that isn’t full of whitewater. Water is hard to come by out there and it seems when you find it it’s RAGING every few miles and meant for rafting. I’m looking to canoe or kayak sections with maybe class 2 or 3 rapids at MOST (or even none at all would be great!). Not sure if ANY rivers out there will fit this criteria.

I’m also considering a trip to the South like FL, AL, GA, MS, or LA to explore swamp land, I’d have to do a lot of research on any of these regions. The whole alligator thing spooks me; As well as a trip to a rainforest-y like place in either WA or OR. Basically ANYWHERE, preferably South or West of MN.

"Im looking for suggestions to expand elsewhere to new ecosystems/parts of the US and Canada."

woodland caribou provincial park...youll find solitude there.

The Everglades. Look it up. Specific canoeing routes and campsites. Very flat water.

Try the Colorado River, putting in on the East side of Grand Junction, and taking out inside Utah at the Westwater Ranger Station. You will go through Ruby and Horsetheif Canyons. You can do between 25 and 60 miles on the water. The entire strech is flatwater, except a small portion (1/4 mile) in Ruby Canyon, Black Rocks. It is just some swirly water, no waves. I boat that section quite often, normally in a raft because we want to take a lot of extra gear with us. We always see some canoes out there. Past the Westwater Ranger Station, it turns to a class 4, so canoes are not recommended, unless it is a whitewater with float bags.

Another option is Desolation and Gray Canyons on the Green River in Utah. It is about 80 miles on the water, and you take out just upstream of the town of Green River, Utah. You put in at Sand Wash, just south of Mynton, UT. It is a class 3 run, with only 2 rapids that would be challenging in a canoe. Both rapids have a sneak to get around them. It is normally a 7 day trip, and is totally isolated. At one point in the trip, the canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon. A permit is required for this trip.

If you want any more specific details, let me know. I'll happilly help you out, just ask.

dave

Dave, I'd like some more information on that stretch of the Colorado My grandchildren live in Grand Junction and so I get out there quite often.
If you can e-mail anything to me I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks
Jason

That sounds very interesting, Dave. My nephew now lives out west. I'll have to call him and see if he would be into either of those trips!

Wow perfect! Just what i was looking for.

I will keep you in mind in the future for more help/suggestions Dave. My friend and I will try and do the Green RIver run in the next year or 2. I've been google earthing and imaging it and I'm getting way to excited! Nice flatwater, solitude in the middle of canyonland/desert NO WHERE! Again thank you this is absolutely, to a tee, EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

Spencer

Jason -
The Ruby/Horsethief stretch has numerous possible put ins, the traditional being the Loma boat ramp. It is just off I70 at the Loma exit, on the south side of the interstate. This is the main portion, going through the 2 canyons, and is about 25 miles. There are numerous other launch sites, all the way east to Palisade. Upstream of Palisade you will encounter a couple dams that need portaging. Currently there is no permit required for any of this stretch, but there is a courtesy sign up sheet at the Loma ramp for campsites.

A good river guide for this is from Belknap, the Canyonlands River Guide. A good map for hiking is the Latitude 40 map, Fruita Grand Junction Trails. There is amazing hiking in the side canyons all the way along. Rattlesnake Canyon has the largest concentration of arches anywhere outside of Arches National Park.

Spencer -
Keep in mind you will need to get a permit for Deso-Gray from the ranger office in Price, UT. You will have to plan far in advance for this trip. You can also get a Belknap guide for this trip - Desolation River Guide. There is another guide book that gives more information on the stretch, Desolation and Gray Canyons River Guide: Green River, Utah, 2003 Edition, Thomas G. Rampton. I suggest checking out both of these if you are serious about this trip. Also, if you want to do any camping or hiking on river left, most of the trip it is on a Reservation, and you will need to get a permit for that as well.

Hope this gives you all someplace to start your searches.


dave

Thanks Dave. We'll probably be heading out there in September or October. I'll check it out.