Grand Canyon Rafting
Rollin’ on the River
The different methods and routes of Grand Canyon river rafting serve adventurers with a wide range of skill sets, time, and resources. At the core, however, they all offer the most intimate and powerful perspective possible on the canyon and its life’s blood, the legendary Colorado River. It’s a rare traveler who comes away from rafting the Grand Canyon without being at least suitably awed, if not changed forever.
Sixteen professional river outfitters are licensed by the National Park Service to guide rafting trips within Grand Canyon National Park. Most trips are suitable for complete beginners. Even non-swimmers are welcome, since life jackets are required for all. And on all but float trips, you’ll encounter rapids from amusingly mild to thoroughly hair-raising, so thrill seekers will not be disappointed.
There are two basic choices to make when selecting a Grand Canyon white water rafting trip: how far to travel, and what manner of raft to use. While time and distances vary from company to company, generally an unmotorized “full canyon trip” takes from 10 to 21 days, and departs from Lees Ferry. Partial canyon trips depart either from Lees Ferry or Phantom Ranch, where rafters must hike in from the canyon’s rim with their personal equipment. These take anywhere from 3 to 10 days, and rafters must be in good enough shape to handle a lengthy and steep hike down Bright Angel trail, often in very hot weather.
Once the trip length is selected, you need to pick your power: arms or motors. Motorized pontoon rafts accommodate about a dozen people, and are powered entirely by low horsepower outboard motors. These have the advantage of covering more river miles in a shorter amount of time and are an excellent choice for families or other groups traveling together. Another raft option is the smaller, inflatable oar or paddle raft. These hold two to four passengers and are rowed by a guide. The third option is the hard-shelled dory, a wooden canoe-like boat crafted specifically for river running. These also typically carry only a couple of passengers and are rowed by a guide. Because they lack the flexibility of the rafts, they’re more responsive to the river’s currents, and can really launch off big rapids, making for a less efficient, but much more dynamic ride. Dory trips tend to take longer over the same territory as raft trips, but have an enthusiastic following among river runners.
Most trips involve from 3 to 5 hours of actual rafting time per day. The rest of the time involves exploring nooks and crannies of the Grand Canyon seen by precious few people. Scrambling over rarely-traveled paths, swimming in brilliant clear pools, and encountering breathtaking scenery and wildlife are all on the agenda, as well as lots of lovely downtime and hearty meals. Not only are rafting guides expert camp cooks, they live and breathe the Grand Canyon every day, and are wonderful sources of information and advice. Some companies design tours around specific interests with guides trained in areas such as history, geology or photography.
If you’re dying to run the river, but the thought of white water turns you a little green (or you have children younger than 8), consider a “float trip.” These are rapids-free meanders that run from Page, AZ to Lees Ferry and take about half a day.
Ready to get wet?
