🚣 River
Yampa River — Echo Park (Dinosaur NM)
About This Permit
The Yampa River through Echo Park is the last major undammed river in the Colorado River system — a wild 44-mile stretch that winds through Dinosaur National Monument past towering canyon walls, the dramatic Echo Park confluence, and technical Class III–IV rapids including Warm Springs and Tepee. The season is dictated entirely by snowmelt, typically running April through June. Echo Park — where the Yampa meets the Green River — is one of the most iconic spots in the American West.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Echo Park?
Echo Park is the confluence where the Yampa River meets the Green River inside Dinosaur National Monument. Steamboat Rock — a dramatic 800-foot sandstone monolith — towers above the confluence. In the 1950s, a proposed dam here was defeated in a landmark conservation battle that helped establish the modern American environmental movement.
How difficult are the rapids on the Yampa?
Warm Springs Rapid (Class IV) is the crux — a powerful technical rapid that should be scouted. Tepee Rapid and several others are Class III. Water levels vary dramatically with snowpack; high water years make Warm Springs significantly more dangerous. Commercial outfitters and experienced self-guided parties run this river.
When does the Yampa permit window open?
The NPS holds a lottery in January for the upcoming season's most popular dates. Remaining permits go on first-come first-served starting in mid-January on recreation.gov. Cancellations occur throughout the spring — PermitAlert monitors for openings.
Key Facts
- State
- CO
- Float Season
- April – June (spring runoff)
- Launch Quota
- 10 launches/day
- Put-in
- Deerlodge Park put-in, Dinosaur NM, CO
- Take-out
- Split Mountain take-out, UT (via Echo Park and Green River confluence)
- Difficulty to get permit
- 4/5(Very hard)
Get an SMS the moment a cancellation opens — we scan every 60 seconds.
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