River permits › Ruby-Horsethief
Permit GuideRuby-Horsethief Permit
Twenty-five miles of easy water between Loma, Colorado and Westwater, Utah. It is the best first private multi-day trip in the region. The permit is straightforward, but it contains one rule that catches people out every season: your dog counts as a person.
Overnight camping permits are required year-round and become available 60 days before your launch date on Recreation.gov. No permit is required for day use. Groups are limited to 25, and that 25 includes your dogs, with a maximum of two. Fees apply from May through September; from November through April only the reservation carries a fee.
At a glance
- Managing agency
- BLM
- Permit required
- Overnight camping only. None for day use.
- Booking window
- 60 days before launch, rolling
- Length
- 25 miles, Loma (CO) to Westwater (UT)
- Difficulty
- Class I to II, mostly flatwater
- Group limit
- 25 "heartbeats" including dogs, max 2 dogs
- Motorised craft
- Permitted in Ruby Canyon
- Gauge
- USGS 09163500
- Contact
- (970) 244-3000
- Book at
- Recreation.gov permit 74466
The 25-Heartbeat Rule
BLM limits Ruby-Horsethief groups to 25 "heartbeats," and means it literally. Adults, children and dogs all count toward the 25, with a maximum of two dogs per group. Dogs are also assessed fees exactly as people are. A party of 24 humans with two dogs is over the limit.
This is the detail that most trip reports and blog posts leave out, and it is a genuinely awkward one to discover at the ramp. Count your animals when you count your people.
Fees Change by Season
| Season | What you pay |
|---|---|
| May to September | Fee for both the overnight camping permit and the reservation. Children aged 16 and under camp free, year-round. |
| November to April | Permit still required, but a fee is charged for the reservation only. There is no camping permit fee. |
| October | Call the field office to confirm |
BLM publishes fee rules for May to September and for November to April. October is not covered by either. If you are launching that month, call (970) 244-3000 to confirm which schedule applies.
Flows Matter More Than the Rating Suggests
Class I to II makes Ruby-Horsethief sound uniformly gentle. At high water it is not, particularly for open canoes. BLM publishes unusually specific flow guidance for this section, and it is worth following:
| Flow (CFS) | BLM guidance |
|---|---|
| Above 30,000 | Extra care needed with any type of watercraft |
| 20,000 to 30,000 | Canoes not recommended at all |
| 10,000 to 20,000 | Highly experienced canoeists only |
| Below 5,000 | Best conditions for family raft trips |
Check current flows at USGS gauge 09163500 before you commit. Spring runoff also carries heavy debris and turns the water muddy.
BLM is blunt about this stretch: cell service is spotty to non-existent, there are no take-outs between Loma and Westwater, and rescues are long and cumbersome. Easy water does not mean a forgiving situation if something goes wrong 15 miles in.
What Else to Expect
- Motorised craft are permitted in Ruby Canyon. Expect to share the water with powerboats as well as rafts and canoes.
- The Black Rocks are the highlight. Vishnu schist dating back roughly 1.7 billion years, the same formation exposed in parts of the Grand Canyon.
- Wildlife is abundant: great blue herons, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, mule deer and desert bighorn sheep. Look for nests in the old cottonwoods.
- Keep half a mile from eagle nests. Approaching within that distance, or harassing the birds in any way, is prohibited.
- Camping is limited along the 25 miles, which is precisely why the permit system exists.
Ruby-Horsethief Permit FAQ
Do I need a permit for a Ruby-Horsethief day trip?
No. A permit is only required for overnight camping. Day use needs no permit.
When can I book a Ruby-Horsethief permit?
60 days before your launch date, on a rolling daily window through Recreation.gov.
Do dogs count toward the group limit?
Yes. The 25-person limit counts "heartbeats", adults, children and dogs together, with a maximum of two dogs per group. Dogs are charged fees just as people are.
Is Ruby-Horsethief suitable for canoes?
It depends entirely on flow. BLM does not recommend canoes above 20,000 CFS at all, and considers 10,000 to 20,000 suitable only for highly experienced canoeists. Below those levels it is a fine canoe trip.
Do children pay?
Children aged 16 and under camp free, year-round. They still count toward your 25-heartbeat group limit.
How long does the trip take?
25 miles, most commonly run over two to three days. Flow makes a substantial difference to how fast you move.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 2026. Permit rules, fees and dates change annually. Confirm with the managing agency before you plan around anything on this page, and if you find something out of date, tell us.