The Geology and Human History of the San Juan River

NHI Touchstone Tours Presents

This is a river trip of legendary proportions! Join us on an exclusive multi-day river adventure that explores the rich human history and geology of the Colorado Plateau while floating 27 miles on the scenic San Juan River. Few have the privilege to float down this iconic stretch of river with experienced specialists like Flemming Mengel and Reuben Ellis. This unique adventure will take you through upwarps and anticlines, pondering Ancestral Puebloan life and stories of the past. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity, and register soon!

The river trip will begin at the Sand Island Group Campground, located near Bluff, Utah, and will end in Mexican Hat. This section of canyon country offers spectacular scenery and an abundance of pre-contact sites.

The river has varying levels of calm water and fun Class II rapids. Participants will paddle a rubber raft or have the option to ride in an oar boat. Each day will include structured and unstructured activities, such as hikes that cater to all levels of difficulty, giving you a chance to fully appreciate the human history and geology of the canyons.

Our trip package includes all the gear required for river rafting, but you need to bring your personal sleeping equipment and appropriate clothing. And the best part? You'll get to indulge in three delicious meals per day prepared by our river guides. This educational adventure is perfect for everyone, so book your spot now and get ready for the experience of a lifetime!

Where: San Juan River – Sand Island to Mexican Hat

When: June 8, 2024 through June 11, 2024

Number of Days/Nights: Four days and three nights

Transportation: Vans depart 8 am Natural History Institute, Prescott; return 8 pm Natural History Institute or provide your own transport

Group Size: Maximum 20

Age Group: Adults and youth 16+

Cost per Person: $985

Equipment: You provide your own clothing, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and related personal camping equipment. Tents are not provided but are available for rental. We will provide all river gear, including a waterproof gear bag. You will be provided with a thorough packing list.

Meals and Drinks: The river guides and crew are seasoned river runners with many decades of guiding experience on Western rivers, including the San Juan. They will provide 9 wonderful meals, beginning with dinner on June 8th and ending with lunch on June 11th. The crew will provide potable water and a limited supply of cool drinks, such as sparkling water. There is space in the coolers for participants to bring canned drinks — no bottles, please. Alcoholic beverages are allowed on the trip, and participants are expected to consume those beverages in a prudent manner as we will be days away from medical care.

The Boats: We will use three oar rigs for carrying gear and food. Participants have two paddling choices: joining five other participants on a guided paddle raft or limited seating is available on an oar rig.

Programming: Our river adventure explores 27 miles of the scenic San Juan, which varies from calm water to fun Class ll rapids. Each day will include structured and unstructured activities focused on geology and human history. We will offer hikes, both casual and challenging, for you to choose from. We will secure a Navajo Nation permit that will allow us to hike up Chinle Wash. Other possible destinations are the Big Kachina panel near Butler Wash, River House ruin, San Juan Hill at Comb Ridge, Fossil Camp, and more.

Emergencies and Communications: Our guides are certified Wilderness First Responders with decades of experience and carry industry-standard satellite communication devices on board for use in emergencies.

Transportation: We will provide van transportation to and from the San Juan River. The program will begin the morning of June 8th and end the evening of June 11th, 2024, at the Natural History Institute on Marina Street in Prescott, AZ. Participants are welcome to drive themselves and meet the group at the Sand Island Group Campground in Bluff, UT.

June 8th

• Leave the Natural History Institute in Prescott, AZ
• Drive to San Island Campground near Bluff, UT (6 hour drive)
• Meet non-van participants and shuttle personal cars to Mexican Hat
• Geologic interpretation of the San Juan River Rincon
• Dinner provided by guides

June 9th

• Launch from San Island
• Big Kachina panel near Butler Wash
• River House Ruin
• Camp near Chinle Wash
• All meals provided

June 10th

• Hike up Chinle Wash
• View Mule’s Ear Diatreme and the Monument Upwarp
• San Juan Hill at Comb Ridge
• Class II rapids
• Camp near Fossil Camp
• All meals provided

June 11th

• Leave Fossil Camp
• Arrive at Mexican Hat
• Goodbyes and leave Mexican Hat
• Drive to the Natural History Institute in Prescott, AZ (6 hour drive)
• Breakfast and lunch provided

*The itinerary is subject to change due to river conditions and group interests.

Reuben Ellis, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Woodbury University in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the NHI Board of Trustees. As a writer and scholar of Southwestern American and modern exploration literatures, Reuben is passionately interested in the representation of pre-contact indigenous cultures in literature. Among his publications is Stories and Stone: Writing the Ancestral Pueblo Homeland, an anthology of literature focusing on the pre-contact Southwest.

Flemming Mengel, Ph.D., is a retired geologist who spent the first part of his research career on the evolution of Paleoproterozoic orogens in Labrador and Greenland. After many field seasons in the Arctic, he switched gears and worked as a petroleum geologist with both large and small oil companies in Midland, Houston and Denver.

This program is offered in collaboration with Prescott College, a commercial permittee on the San Juan River through the Bureau of Land Management, to provide you with experienced guides and leadership for your time on the river.

Cancellation Policy:

1. Participants who cancel more than 30 days before the Program (on or before May 9, 2024) will receive a full refund, minus a 10% administrative fee of the trip cost.
2. For cancellations with less than 30 days left before the 1st day of the Program (after May 9, 2024), no refund will be issued.
3. Any refund under this Agreement will be paid within 14 business days of NHI’s receipt of the refund request.
4. No refund for the Program will be available solely because of dissatisfaction with the presentation or contents of the Program. I understand and agree that no credit or refund for the Program shall be available if I cancel on the arrival day, if I do not show up, or if I leave the Program early for any reason.
5. All notices of cancellation and refund requests shall be made by contacting NHI via email [email protected] or by submitting notice in person or by mail to: NHI, 126 N. Marina Street, Prescott, AZ, 86301.

Host or Publisher Natural History Institute