|
White
River
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.
Management
For additional information contact Bureau
of Land Management, Vernal Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah 84078,
(435) 781-4400.
Information Provided By The Utah
BLM
|
