About 27 miles · 2-3 days
Sand Island to Mexican Hat
The approachable upper section with Comb Ridge, cultural sites, broad desert views, and Class II water.
$10 per person in the fee season
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Crew guide
A 102-mile managed river corridor with three classic itinerary options through cultural landscapes, the Goosenecks, broad beaches, and deep desert canyons.
About 27 miles · 2-3 days
The approachable upper section with Comb Ridge, cultural sites, broad desert views, and Class II water.
$10 per person in the fee season
About 57 miles · 4-5 days
The deeper lower canyon through the Goosenecks, Honaker Trail, Government Rapid, and assigned campsite reach.
$20 per person in the fee season
About 84 miles · 6-7 days
The complete common trip, joining the upper cultural corridor and the lower canyon expedition in one itinerary.
$30 per person in the fee season
The managed permit corridor is about 102 miles from Montezuma Creek to Clay Hills. The approximately 17-mile Montezuma Creek-to-Sand Island reach is seldom floated because river access at Montezuma Creek is undeveloped, its permit must be arranged directly with the BLM Monticello Field Office, and it adds about 1-2 days before reaching the developed Sand Island launch. Most boaters therefore begin at Sand Island, and this upstream reach is not one of the three common itineraries above.
Trip map
Sand Island is three miles from Bluff. Clay Hills requires 11 miles of high-clearance dirt road and can become impassable when wet.
Vehicle shuttle
Vehicle shuttles from Sand Island to Mexican Hat or Clay Hills, plus Cedar Mesa hiker shuttles.
Full shuttle: Allow 4-5 hours round trip
Vehicle shuttle
Bluff-based private vehicle shuttle service for San Juan River trips, including Clay Hills.
435-672-2244
Launch staging: Bluff / Sand Island
The San Juan combines approachable Class II-III boating with red-rock walls, the Goosenecks, and meaningful cultural sites.
The full Sand Island-to-Clay Hills trip is a strong fit for crews that want six or seven days of expedition rhythm without nonstop technical whitewater.
Before keeping fish, check Utah rules and advisories. Utah lists a San Juan River catfish advisory, and protected native San Juan River fish must be released.
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