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Welcome to the wild and remote canyons and rivers of Eastern Utah, where approximately 10,000 people float the Westwater Canyon section of the Colorado River each year. This 17-mile stretch of the Colorado River is surrounded by the Westwater Wilderness Study Area.
The Westwater Group Site is located near the ranger station and put-in. This site is ideal for large groups looking to camp along the river.
The Colorado River is known world-wide for extraordinary whitewater trips from the Ruby-Horsethief section up river of Westwater Canyon to Cataract Canyon and the Grand Canyon downstream. Westwater Canyon offers boating excitement for experienced adventurers to test their skills navigating the 11 named rapids ranging in difficulty from class I to class IV.
While rafting down the canyon, the area offers views of incredible geology, hiking with glimpses of abandoned settler cabins and caves, as well as opportunities for camping. Just north of the site, many motorized and non-motorized trails can be found paralleling the rim of canyons and traversing technical slick rock.
Westwater Canyon employs a permit system to protect it from excessive human impacts. This area is extremely remote and rugged, and it's important to keep it this way. To help protect the purity of the area and as a part of the protection plan, we ask that you learn and practice "Leave No Trace" Ethics.
The group site includes a shade shelter with picnic tables and a fire ring where large groups of up to 30 people can gather. Parking spaces for up to 10 vehicles are provided as well as a vault toilet.
The site is adjacent to the Colorado River as it meanders through a valley. Views of Navajo Sandstone walls surrounding the valley can be seen from the site.
Moab, UT is located 70 miles southwest, where Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are nearby. Grand Junction, CO is located 35 miles east, where McInnis Canyon and Colorado National Monuments are nearby.
**Please contact the BLM Moab Field Office for assistance with changes and cancellations at 435-259-2100.**
**Cancelling a Reservation**
Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center (using the call center incurs an additional fee). You may also contact the BLM Moab Field Office for assistance. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below).
**Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window**
* If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee.
* There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit the recreation fee for the day of departure.
* There is no change fee if the customer wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility.
* For reservations made that include dates at the end of the available booking window (also known as the sliding window), you are not able to make changes or cancel your reservation until the site is available to the general public for four days.
**Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window**
* Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
* **Changes or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window:** Once a reservation date has begun, customers cannot change a reservation using the online system or through the Call Center, however, the BLM Moab Field Office may be able to assist you.
**No-Shows**
A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time (Noon) on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time (Noon) on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 Recreation.gov service fee and forfeit the first night’s recreation fee.
**Early Departures**
* If a customer departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund.
* Please notify the BLM Moab Field Office if you depart early to allow others to use the site.
* If a customer requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time has passed, the customer will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used.
**Interagency Pass Discounts**
Pass discounts only apply to individual campsites. Interagency Pass discounts do not apply to group reservations.
**Refunds**
* Customers may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation.
* **Fees:** Applicable fees, such as the Recreation.gov reservation fees, service/cancellation fees, lottery application fees, and change fees, are non-refundable.
* **Debit or Credit Card Purchases:** Refunds for debit or credit card payments made after October 1, 2018 will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. In the event that a customer has cancelled this card, they will need to contact their card company to have the funds released. We cannot issue refunds to any card other than the one used to pay. If a customer paid with a debit or credit card prior to October 1, 2018 their refund will be issued in the form of a Treasury check.
* **Emergency Closures:** In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within your Recreation.gov customer profile.
**From Grand Junction Colorado (westbound traffic):**
Take I-70 from Grand Junction for approximately 35 miles to exit 227. Turn south at the stop sign and proceed for nine miles to the Ranger Station and put-in.
**From the west (eastbound traffic):**
Take exit 227 on I-70, then head south at the stop sign. Proceed for nine miles to the Ranger Station and put-in.
$100 per night per site
It gets a little crowded with boats, but not too bad. Camping is nice too.
An excellent campground and ranger station! Bob, the head ranger, went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed to fix a bike issue riding the Kokopelli Trail. Truly above and beyond!
