It’s no secret that the desert gets hot in the summer. In Moab and the surrounding areas, we’re talking well into the triple digits hot. Now why exactly would that be appealing? Well, if it’s that hot, then the river is the place to be.
We have a theory that every season for river trippers comes with it’s own set of pros and cons.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Spring | Air temps – cooler, great for hiking River flows – higher, less paddling | Weather – can be unpredictable: plan for rain, snow, wind, and 70 degrees & sunny Crowds – boat ramps can feel busy, especially on weekends Water temps – frigid, too cold to swim |
| Summer | Water temps – in the 70’s – 80’s, perfect for swimming River flows – low water = great sandbar camping Crowds – less than spring or fall | Air temps are high – not good for hiking Bugs can be a concern on high water years Weather – monsoon season can mean strong rains that come up suddenly |
| Fall | Weather – Perfect. Warm days, crisp nights River flows – low water = great sandbar camping | Weather – monsoon season can extend into September. Freezing temps at night can come into play as soon as mid-October. Crowds – The most popular season, harder to find solitude. Make your reservations in advance. |
As you can see in the table above, although Fall is the most popular season for flat-water river trips in and around Canyonlands National Park, summer is when you should go if you like warm water for swimming, and less crowds. However, there are a few things you need to know to have a successful summer river trip, so read on.
How hot is “hot”?
From June to early September, you can plan on daytime highs that will vary from 95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to be hazardous under certain conditions – it is possible to experience heat exhaustion and even heat stroke if you don’t take the proper precautions.
And what are those proper precautions?
How to stay cool
Have access to a cooling source – this means stay close to the river during the day. The water temperature will be between 70 and 80 degrees, which means you can cool off with river water. You can do this by simply swimming, or by getting your clothes wet so that they cool you down as they dry.
Since the humidity in our area hovers between 5 and 20 percent most of the time, you can get your shirt, hat, sarong, or handkerchief wet and put it on. The evaporative cooling effect from the moisture in your clothing evaporating next to your skin will cool you down – often more than you would think.
There is a phrase in the outdoor world “cotton kills” that came about due to cotton garments tendency to give their wearers hypothermia from the evaporative cooling effect. In the desert summer heat, you can use this to your advantage. Cotton garments take longer to dry than synthetics, and because of that, the effects of the evaporative cooling are extended. Cotton can be a lifesaver when used to cool you down.
Stay hydrated – The benchmark recommendation is 1 gallon of water per person, per day. Since the air here is so dry, your sweat evaporates quickly – often before you even feel that you are sweating. If you drink 4 liters (1 gallon) of water a day, your body’s ability to sweat and stay cool will be much greater. Please don’t try to survive off of strictly coffee and beer.
Electrolytes are a useful tool in hot environments, but try not to overdo it. A good rule of thumb is to add electrolytes to about half of the water you consume. If you are eating lots of salty snacks, reduce the electrolytes you add to your water. If your diet is low on salt, increase the electrolytes you add to your water.
DO NOT DRINK DISTILLED WATER. Distilled water has zero electrolytes, and will actually leach the salts out of your system over time. Drinking distilled water can lead to dangerously low levels of salt in your body – a dangerous condition known as hyponatremia.
Seek shade – Staying in the shade makes it a lot easier to stay cool. Shade can be provided on the water by a wide-brimmed hat, a long-sleeved shirt, an umbrella, or a sarong. Shade can be sought out by choosing campsites that are protected from the sun’s rays by the shade of the canyon walls during the heat of the afternoon. If you are going to hike in the heat, try to choose routes that you know will have shade – you don’t want to be caught out in the heat of the afternoon with no shade nearby.
Avoid strenuous exercise during the heat of the day – this one is fairly simple. Don’t set out for a strenuous hike with no shade at 2pm. In the summertime, your afternoons should be spent lounging in the shade, swimming in the river, building sandcastles on the beach, or sipping cold drinks in camp while you wait for the sun to drop below the rim of the canyon. If you start to feel faint, weak, or woozy, you should sit down in the shade, wet down your clothes, and cool yourself off.
Summer crowds
At the beach? Maybe.
In Stillwater Canyon? No.
Of the 8 months out of the year that we shuttle and outfit river trips, July and August tend to be the quietest. We often find empty boat ramps, and our customers frequently report going their entire trip without seeing another group on the water. If you come to the desert to find solitude, then summer is your season.
Many people find it easier to take large chunks of time off in the summer, whether that’s because school is out of session, or summer is the traditional time that most people take time away from work. Either way, most of our customers have an easier time coordinating large groups in the summer, as our shuttle schedules are a bit more open, and people’s work schedules are a bit more flexible.
Bugs
The bugs that river trippers on the Green and Colorado Rivers most often encounter are mosquitos, greenheads, and no-see-ums. Compared to places like the boundary waters of Minnesota or the north woods of Maine, our bugs pale in comparison, but it is still worth preparing to encounter them.
Bugs are often a concern in the summer, but they tend to be more of a problem on high-water years, that is years when we have a large snow pack. The high snow pack leads to high river flows during spring runoff, and the runoff floods all the backwaters and eddies along the banks of the river. When the water recedes, it leaves pools in these backwaters, and this creates prime habitat for mosquito and fly larvae.
However on low water years – such as this one, in 2026 – bugs are much less of a concern. River trippers should still pack bug spray and long sleeves – just in case – but many trips go off without so much as a mosquito bite.
The best defense against bugs is full coverage: pants, long sleeves, and mosquito netting over the face will make even the most apocalyptic bug swarms bearable. A sarong draped over the shoulders and head can create a loose covering that will keep flying bugs from being able to access your face and neck. Most of the time you can get away with bug spray – products containing DEET are the best. On low water years, sometimes none of those methods are necessary, but it’s still wise to come prepared.
Cooler management
Keeping food and drinks cool for the duration of a five day trip can seem like a tall order, but there are ways to optimize your coolers performance and keep those food and drinks cold.
Start with quality – Make sure that the cooler you choose for your river trip is up to the task. Leave the old vintage coleman at home, and choose a modern cooler with rotomolded plastic construction and thick foam insulation.
Block Ice – Filling a cooler with food or drinks then sprinkling cubed ice over the top is a great way to pack a cooler if you’re headed to the beach for an afternoon. Multi-day river trips in the summer heat require more strategy. Use block ice – big solid blocks of clear blue ice. They stay cold and frozen for much longer than small ice cubes.
Keep food and drinks separate – If you’re bringing perishable food, keep it in a cooler that you won’t be opening unless you’re preparing a meal. Opening the lid on a cooler allows heat to get in, and cold to get out. Having a separate cooler for drinks will ensure that people aren’t opening the food cooler throughout the day, so you can keep the food fresh through the end of the trip.
Protect the coolers – Try to keep your coolers out of direct sunlight. You can cover the cooler with a wet sarong, or put your day-bags on top of the cooler to keep it shaded. Some people even make custom covers out of reflective insulation for their coolers – just be warned, there is a point of diminishing returns with this eventually. Just try to keep the direct sunlight off of it.
Weather
By weather, we mean monsoons. In the late summer to early fall, the American Southwest can experience monsoonal weather patterns – these are localized rainstorms that build throughout the day, deliver a quick blast of soaking rain, then disperse. It can be an awesome sight to witness, but make sure you’re in a safe location if they pop up.
The photos above show a flash flood pouring out of Red Lake Canyon below the Confluence. You can see that a river trip camped in the mouth of that canyon or directly downstream of it during the flood would have a bad time, but directly upstream of the canyon is nearly unaffected.
Be prepared
Preparing for monsoons is simple: pack a river map, and some rain gear.
Even though we’re in the desert, you should still bring a rain jacket on your trip. You never know when a rain storm could pop up, even if it’s not in the forecast. This is true of all our seasons, not just the summer. A monsoon can deliver an inch of rain in under an hour, so having good rain gear that you can rely on is essential.
The river map comes in useful for being aware of your surroundings. If it’s actively raining, you’ll want to avoid hanging out directly downstream of any large drainages or side-canyons. If a flash flood occurs, it can produce severe affects in the mouths of these drainages and directly downstream of them. But if you put some space between yourself and the drainage, the flood will have time to disperse into the river channel as it moves downstream, and the effects won’t be as severe by the time it reaches you.
Regardless of the weather, don’t ever set your camp up or tie your boats up in the mouth of a drainage. It doesn’t have to be raining on you for the drainage to flood – water can flow a long ways in the desert.
Summary
Summer river trips in southeast Utah can be a blast, as long as you come prepared and aware. Proper planning and preparation will help ensure that your summer river trip is a welcome respite from the heat. If you have the proper clothing, pack your coolers carefully, bring plenty of water, and avoid hiking during the heat of the day, you’ll be set up for success. Summer river-trippers will find a quiet canyon where solitude is plentiful, swimming is the main activity, and the sandbars welcome you with night after night of peaceful canyon camping.
