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Floating the Dirty Devil River

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Floating the Dirty Devil River The best water levels and time Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) of year to float the Dirty Devil The Dirty Devil River corridor travels through two The biggest dilemma one faces when planning BLM Wilderness Study Areas, the Dirty Devil KNOW a float trip down the Dirty Devil is timing a WSA and the Fiddler Butte WSA. These WSA’s trip when flows are sufficient for floating. On have been designated as such to preserve their wil- BEFORE average, March and April are the only months derness characteristics including naturalness, soli- YOU GO: that the river is potentially floatable. Most tude, and primitive recreation. Please recreate in a people do it in May or June because of warm- manner that retains these characteristics. Floating the ing temperatures. It is recommended to use a hard walled or inflatable kayak when flows Dirty Devil are 100 cfs or higher. It can be done with “Leave-no-Trace” River flows as low as 65 cfs if you are willing to Proper outdoor ethics are expected of all visitors. drag your boat for the first few days. Motor- These include using a portable toilet when camping ized crafts are not allowed on this stretch of near a vehicle, using designated campgrounds The name "Dirty Devil" tells it river. when available, removing or burying human waste all. John Wesley Powell passed in the back country, carrying out toilet paper, using by the mouth of this stream on Another essential consideration for all visitors camp stoves in the backcountry, never cutting or his historic exploration of the is flash flood potential. Do not attempt the tearing live vegetation, carrying in your own fire- Colorado River. When someone Dirty Devil if there is a potential of flash wood and using a fire pan for all open fires. Carry- asked whether it was a trout flooding. Remember, the skies can be clear ing out more trash than you carry in will help keep stream, a boatman shouted back, where you are, but a cloud burst upstream the canyon clean. Please be courteous to all users. "No she is a dirty devil", and the may send a wall of turbulent water down the This means not blocking launch sites with vehicles river has been known by that or excess equipment, not leaving litter, which in- name ever since. Are permits needed? cludes organic waste, not yelling in the canyons unnecessarily, and traveling in small groups. At this time no permits are needed for small pri- vate groups either from the Bureau of Land For more information and other Management or National Park Service. NPS floating opportunities land is entered about two thirds of the way down the float (Glen Canyon National Recreation Do to the inconsistency of water flows it is always Area). It is always prudent to contact your local advised to come prepared with alternative plans if BLM and NPS offices regarding permit infor- the water levels turn out to be too low. Contact the mation prior to your departure. BLM office in Hanksville for other recreational activities in the area. A Special Recreation Permit is required from the BLM when anyone intends to make recreational 380 S 100 W use of the river for business or financial gain or Hanksville, UT 84734 for educational or scientific purposes. Group (435) 542-3461 sizes are limited to twelve members. Contact the Hanksville BLM Field Office for clarifica- tion. How do I access the put-ins/ Maps The Float trailheads and where do I obtain the maps I need? We highly recommend purchasing BLM Surface The section from Hanksville to Poison Springs Management Status maps (1:100,000 scale) sold at includes class I & II rapids. This includes Hanksville Put-in most BLM offices in Utah. These maps show the regular waves, easy rapids, and does not usu- complex of non-paved roads which lead to the put- ally require scouting. The section from Poison Most boaters choose to put in at the end of 650 Springs to Hite can include class III rapids if ins. The two maps that cover this float are Hanks- East Road (Landfill Road). To reach the put-in the water flows are right. Class III rapids can drive approximately 3/4 mile south of the Chev- ville and Hite Crossing. include rapids, irregular waves, narrow pas- ron gas station in Hanksville on UT-95. Turn sages, and scouting may be necessary. The The USGS 7.5 inch quad topographic maps needed left (East) on 650 East Road and drive about entire section from Hanksville to Hite is 80 four miles to the end of the road (4X4 required). to cover this stretch of river are: Angel Cove, An- miles (about 50 miles from Hanksville to Poi- The road will fork twice before hitting the Dirty gel Point, Burr Point, Stair Canyon, and Hite son Springs and 30 more miles to Hite) and Devil, take the right fork both times. North. These maps can be purchased at some pri- most people do it in 7-14 days depending on vate outlets, visitor centers, online at the number of day trips up the many tributar- Poison Spring Put-in/Take-out www.usgs.gov/ or at the BLM office in Hanksville, ies. UT. Other attractions The turn off for Poison Spring is at mile marker 17 south of Hanksville on UT-95. Head east on The real attractions of the Dirty Devil are the the Poison Springs road for 16 miles to reach many side canyons. The first major one is the the Dirty Devil. This is the only motorized ac- wide Robbers Roost Canyon and its many cess point between Hanksville and Hite and re- tributaries, which cut through Navajo sand- quires high clearance 4X4 and is frequently im- stone. Further south, No Mans Canyon is passable; check current road conditions at the dominated by the Kayenta formation. Larry BLM office in Hanksville: Canyon, Twin Corral Box, and Sams Mesa 380 S 100 W Box have Wingate walls. And finally, you Hanksville, UT 84734 pass Happy, Hatch and Fiddler Cove canyons. (435) 542-3461 All of these tributaries come from the east. Only two major tributaries drain to the Dirty Hite Take-out Devil from the west, Poison Springs and Beaver Wash; both of which would be worth The Hite take-out is located approximately 50 while to explore. miles southeast of Hanksville on UT-95. The take-out has ample parking spaces, toilets dur- ing the high use seasons provided by the NPS, Discharge of the Dirty Devil River in cubic feet per second (cfs) and a boat ramp. The take-out is on the south for a 50 year period at Poison Spring Canyon side of UT-95 before crossing the Dirty Devil JAN FEB MAR APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC River. AVER- 99 135 138 105 82 67 51 88 85 126 125 94 AGE CFS .
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