This page features photos of the Green River in Labyrinth and Desolation canyons in eastern Utah.
The Green River, the main tributary of the Colorado River, flows through some of the nation’s most remarkable canyon country as it winds across the Colorado Plateau.
Labyrinth Canyon, spanning nearly 40 miles and located near Canyonlands National Park, can be floated nearly year-round, except when occasional ice sheets form in winter. The canyon’s bright red sandstone walls drop hundreds of feet to the river’s famous green color, and its rims are covered by towering spires. This deep and slow-moving flat-water section of the Green River is relatively accessible due to its lack of whitewater, making it perfect for kayakers, canoers, paddleboarders and anglers of all abilities.
Desolation Canyon, named during explorer John Wesley Powell’s 1869 journey down the Green and Colorado rivers, cuts through the rugged Tavaputs Plateau. Unlike Labyrinth Canyon, Desolation Canyon includes over 50 class II and III rapids, making it an ideal destination for adventurous, multi-day trips.
Learn more:
- “Appeal challenges federal approval of water contract threatening Utah’s Green River,” Center for Biological Diversity, August 16, 2021.
- Max Roth, “Three Utah rivers show real-time impact of drought,” Fox 13 Salt Lake City, May 25, 2021.
| Date | October 2020 and April 2021 |
| Location | Labyrinth Canyon (map) and Desolation Canyon (map), along the Green River in Utah |
| Credit | Ted Wood/The Water Desk |
| Rights | Free to reuse under Creative Commons license. |
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