Dinosaur National Monument - Split Mountain Permits
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Welcome to the Split Mountain daily section permit site for Dinosaur National Monument -- home to the Green and Yampa Rivers, two of the west's premiere whitewater rivers. This is where you can obtain rafting permits for one day trips launching at Rainbow Park and taking out at Split Mountain.
The last section of the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument is the nine miles of Split Mountain Canyon beginning at the Rainbow Park boat ramp and flowing swiftly downstream, punctuated by notorious rapids, assorted riffles, and stunning views as the river cuts swiftly through the mountain before reaching the take-out at the Split Mountain boat ramp.
As with the rest of the river corridors within Dinosaur National Monument, this is a proposed wilderness and consequently managed as such. This means you will not hear motors or see vehicles anywhere along your trip.
Primitive camping facilities exist at the Rainbow Park launch site and are quite popular in the summer months. The Rainbow Park Campground has only four sites that hold eight people each. There is no running water available at these sites, but there is a vault toilet. The launch location has been kept fairly primitive to help the visitor transition to the wilderness environment of the canyon. Due to the remoteness of the area and long drive times, many groups camp at their launch site the night before their river launch.
At the Split Mountain take-out, there are reservable group campsites (flush toilets seasonally, no showers) as well as vault toilets year-round and a seasonally operational groover dump site. Nearby is the world famous dinosaur quarry where you can see 149 million year old dinosaur bones encased in the rock.
Permit & Season Information
Boating within Dinosaur National Monument is by permit only. This permit allows the permit holder to float the Green River, Split Mountain Daily section. Permits are non-transferable and are for one launch only.
Important Dates
Dates | Information |
---|---|
March 6, 2025 | Permits from March 7, 2025 to March 6, 2026 become available starting at 8 a.m. MT |
March 6, 2025 - May 11, 2025 | Low Use Season, one launch per day allowed |
May 12, 2025 - September 12, 2025 | High Use Season, two launches per day allowed |
September 13, 2025 - March 6, 2026 | Low Use Season, one launch per day allowed |
How Does the Quota Work for this Permit?
Individuals can only hold one permit at a time.
March 6th – May 11th – one permit issued per day
May 12th – September 12th – two permits issued per day
September 13th – March 6th, 2026 – one permit issued per day