Top Ten Kid-Tested Rivers

(Melissa Gray)

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The Green flows first through high desert administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and later through the utterly magnificent sandstone depths of Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons within Canyonlands National Park.

Many dry, mysterious side canyons will entice you to explore on foot. Anasazi ruins, sometimes perched magically on vertical rock walls, are often visible from the river. Coyotes, deer, and desert bighorn sheep come to the water's edge to drink.

From the town of Green River, Utah, you can paddle 23 miles to a take-out at Ruby Ranch, or 68 miles to a take-out at Mineral Bottom. You can put in at Crystal Geyser and avoid the town and the first five miles of river. No permits are required above Mineral Bottom. The river flows approximately 52 miles from Mineral Bottom to the its confluence with the Colorado, and through the Park where a permit is required (cost, $10).

Practicalities

When: October is perfect—the water runs low and it's not too hot.

Canoe rentals and shuttles are available in Moab.

For more info: Bureau of Land Management, San Rafael Resource Area, 900 North 700 East, Price, UT 84501; (801) 637-4584

Canyonlands National Park, 2282 SW Resource Blvd., Moab, UT 84532; (801) 259-5277