September 17, 2026

Loma and Horsethief Put-In Day Prep (Western Slope)

The Loma boat launch is the usual put-in for the Ruby-Horsethief stretch of the Colorado River, through McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area west of Fruita. Before you go, decide which trip you mean. A day at the Loma boat launch is one thing. An overnight canyon float needs its own camping permit.

Open the official BLM McInnis Canyons and Ruby-Horsethief pages and the Recreation.gov permit page. Plan for Clean, Drain, Dry and the ANS rules for any boat. Pack for heat and for cold water on the same valley day. Keep fog and wind in mind as reasons to wait or stay off. Check fishing rules on CPW or eRegulations, never from a blog table.

This is trip prep, not a fishing report and not a promise of a fish. Operations, alerts and permit rules on this stretch change. Check the official pages again the morning you leave.

What this page covers

This is prep for a put-in day. It covers which official pages to open and how day use differs from overnight camping permits. We don't make up bag limits or claim the fish are biting. River class ratings here are never a go signal.

Upstream in the valley: Fruita section day-use prep · River paddle and small-boat safety.

Open these first

Confirm day use or overnight before you leave. The live Recreation.gov and BLM pages say overnight camping permits are required year-round for camping on Ruby-Horsethief. Day use is handled separately and doesn't need an overnight camping permit. Check the live wording. Don't guess fees, group limits or reservation windows from memory. Read the live permit tables.

If a link ever gives a 404, start on the McInnis Canyons NCA page and find Ruby-Horsethief and Loma access from there.

Fire closures, burn scar limits, bear alerts and temporary river notices do show up on agency channels. Assume any blog summary is out of date the morning you go. Read the live BLM and Recreation.gov alerts.

How Loma and Horsethief differ from the Fruita and Robb units

  • Loma sits west of the Robb units. Fruita is a CPW James M. Robb unit. The Loma put-in for Ruby-Horsethief is on the BLM McInnis Canyons NCA side of the valley. Robb park hours, camping and lake boat rules don't carry over.
  • A day at the put-in or an overnight trip. Say the plan out loud. Practicing from shore or with a short launch at the ramp isn't the same as a multi-mile float with no take-out until Westwater. Recreation.gov notes Ruby-Horsethief is remote, cell service is spotty, and rescues take a long time. Read the live "Need to Know" before you commit.
  • Permits. Overnight camping needs a permit through Recreation.gov's live page. Day use doesn't replace skill, flow, weather or take-out planning.
  • Mixed traffic. Agency pages note that motorboats and boats you paddle or row share this stretch. Ramp courtesy, no wake at landings, and being seen all matter. Upstream motorized rules change at the Colorado and Utah line. Read the live BLM and Recreation.gov pages. We don't make up which rules apply where, and nothing here is a go signal.
  • What's downstream. Going on into Westwater Canyon takes a separate permit and a higher skill level. Check the live agency pages. We don't give class ratings here as permission to go.

Before you launch

  • Day or overnight. Confirm which trip you're actually running. If you want to camp, get the permit through Recreation.gov's live page.
  • Ramp courtesy. Get your gear together, move vehicles off the ramp quickly and leave room for other boats. Follow the live BLM etiquette.
  • Flow and weather. Check the current streamflow and forecast that morning. The agency "Need to Know" warns about changeable spring weather, strong afternoon headwinds in places, hot summer days with little shade, and cold muddy runoff. Read the live text again. Don't take a CFS cutoff from a blog.
  • Heat and sun. Valley air can run hot while the river is cold. Bring water, shade, sunscreen, polarized glasses and a spare dry layer.
  • Fog and wind. Low visibility or wind picking up in the morning means you wait on shore. Read the fog, wind and wind go or no-go guides before you commit.
  • Pets, waste and Leave No Trace. Follow the live leash, waste and fire rules for McInnis Canyons and Ruby-Horsethief.
  • Tell someone. Cell service can drop out here. Share your put-in, your planned take-out and when you'll be back.

Clean, drain, dry if you launch

Boat days on this river still move mud, plants and water from one place to the next. Follow the official CPW inspection and Clean, Drain, Dry steps. Don't make up your own shortcuts. Read the live ANS and inspection pages again the morning you tow or load the car.

Fishing rules

We don't publish bag, possession or size limits on this site. Rules change by water and season. Before you fish, check the official sources:

If you end up in the water

Hot desert air doesn't mean warm water. In spring and fall, and along the river's edge, the water can chill you fast. The same day can bring heat illness risk on the bank. Wear a life jacket in any boat, or have one ready. Know when fog, wind, current or heat means you stay off the water.

Related trip notes

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Plan the day

Match this water in Trip Builder. Then look at the James M. Robb Shore & Park Kit or the Western Colorado trip checklist. Check access and regulations with CPW or the land manager before you go.