Cataract Canyon

The run

The first 47 miles from Potash near Moab through Canyonlands National Park are flatwater - slow, silty, red rock towers, no rapids. The Green River joins from the north at the Confluence at mile 47. Then the character flips: 14 miles of Class III-V rapids through Cataract Canyon itself, from Brown Betty at mile 52 to Big Drop 3 at mile 64. Between Big Drop 3 and Hite it's 36 miles of Lake Powell flatwater that has been filling in with sediment since Glen Canyon Dam went up in 1963. Most parties motor or get towed across the lake; some paddle.

The permit

NPS-issued permit through recreation.gov. Year-round, no lottery - reservations open for specific dates and go fast for core weeks. Midsummer weekends book 4-6 months ahead; shoulder season often available 2-4 weeks out. Cancellations are common; a monitor finds weekend openings a few days out through most of the year.

Timing

Spring runoff (May-June) brings flows of 30,000-60,000 CFS - the rapids become massive and Big Drop 3 is a wave train that flips every kind of boat. Summer (July-August) drops to 20,000-25,000 CFS, which is the classic Cataract window. Fall (September-October) settles at 8,000-12,000, and the Big Drops get technical and hole-y rather than big. Winter permits are available but cold water and short days make it specialized.

Logistics

Put-in is Potash Boat Ramp, 20 miles south of Moab off UT-279. Take-out is Hite Marina at the head of Lake Powell, 150 miles of driving from Moab via UT-95. Shuttle is $600-900 with a company. A jetboat tow across the lake from the rapids to Hite adds $800-1,200 but saves a day of flatwater paddling. Book the tow when you book the permit.