Colorado River Loma to Westwater Fall 2026

Dates:  September 19-20,2026

Class I river float

Trip Coordinators:

Sign up with Mark Flora (msfloramd@yahoo.com or msfloramd53@gmail.com) Mark is the pre-trip coordinator.

On-river Trip Coordinators are Mark Flora and Elaine O’Reilly.

Float Plan:

Most paddlers will arrive in the area on Friday night.  No group campsite is arranged for Friday.  Options are to stay in motels in Fruita, camp at Fruita State Park or the Colorado National Monument.

Saturday September 19:  Meet at 8 a.m. at Loma boat ramp to off load all boats and river gear then start the shuttle to Westwater.  (Shuttlers follow I-70 west into Utah for 19.5 miles.  Take the Westwater Exit 227 and follow BLM 192 and 191 to Westwater Ranch Road for about 4.6 miles.) Non-drivers will rig the boats.  Launch from Loma around 11 a.m.

We will camp around 12 miles downstream, landing between 3 and 4 p.m.  Sunday morning launch target is 9:30 a.m. We expect to arrive at Westwater BLM Ranger Station around noon on Sunday September 20, 2026.

Preferred craft:

Boats suitable for Class 1 paddling, such as solo or tandem canoes, recreational, river or sea kayaks.  Some ripples around Black Rock can splash some water kayaks without spray skirts. Check with your trip coordinators if you have concerns.  We currently plan to limit paddlers to 14 boats, but if there is enough interest, we may do another trip the same weekend or the next.

Gear:

Standard overnight canoe camping gear and your own food.  Pack a little something to share for a late afternoon/early evening happy hour Saturday.  Carry human waste out.

Utah regulations:

Take the Utah Aquatic Invasive Species test online and put one copy of the certificate in your car and one in your boat.  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources – Online Exams

ACA Liability Insurance

This is a trip with ACA liability insurance.  If you are a current ACA member on September 20, 2026, you are all set. Non ACA members need to purchase an “Event Membership” and pay the ACA’s $10 fee.

You can print (NEW ACA WAIVER) in advance or fill out the form your trip coordinator has at the put in. Pay $10 cash or pay by check payable to the ACA to the trip coordinator before you get on the water. Minor waivers are at: AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION, INC

Another option is to use the new ACA Online event waivers.  When doing the on-line waiver use the event name: Fall Loma.  Use the date:  September 19-20, 2026. After you have communicated with your trip coordinator, you can sign an Event Waiver online using this link:  https://aca.sport80.com/public/wizard/a/1370/home.  This wizard will have you create an account with the ACA without becoming a full-fledged ACA member.   This waiver will not collect the $10 fee in advance.  Take $10 cash (or a check to ACA) to the put in.  If you want to create an Event Waiver and pay the fee directly to the ACA, use this link:  https://aca.sport80.com/public/wizard/a/1371/home. Again, you will be creating an account with the ACA just for the purpose of signing and paying for an event waiver.  Warning: No refunds if you pay the ACA for the event waiver in advance even if the event is cancelled.  The Trip Master should be able to give the trip coordinators a list of all who have done online waivers on or before September 15, 2026, and use the correct event name and date.  You should also print your waiver receipt and bring it to the put in.

Safe Paddling Guidelines

In order to maintain our liability insurance, it’s important that all members and guests read and follow our safe paddling guidelines. Here’s a link  https://rockymountaincanoeclub.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/RMCC-Boating-Requirements-and-Recommendations-2020.pdf