The Best Colorado River Grand Canyon Adventures

The majestic Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. Grand Canyon National Park hosts an average of 4.7 million visitors annually. The canyon awes and inspires all who come into contact with its magnitude; 277 river miles up to 18 miles wide and 1 mile deep. Partaking on an adventure that leads you through the canyon on the Colorado River is one of the best ways to experience the canyon in its fullest. Depending on your schedule and place of departure, it would be worth your time to complement your Colorado River adventure with a trip to the top for spectacular views of the canyon you just floated through.

Western River

Offering both Colorado River Rafting Trips and Grand Canyon Rafting Adventures, Western River allows you to choose between trips that are three to seven days in length. The shorter trip covers 100 miles of the lower canyon and the longer trips top out at 188 miles with a total of 60 rapids. Trips include side hikes, all meals from departure to finish, camping and a helicopter at the end to return you to the point of departure. Trips are family friendly (typically 9 years and up) and run from April through September.

7258 Racquet Club Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
(801) 942-6669
westernriver.com

Wilderness River Adventures

Wilderness River Adventures embraces a philosophy of environmental stewardship by performing acts such as recycling all aluminum, glass and plastic used on the trips, using re-usable plates and silverware and carrying out all solid waste to be treated by a licensed third party. It offers the following four Grand Canyon adventures: The Best of the Grand Canyon, The Canyon Tradition, Upper Canyon and Lower Canyon. Trips are motorized or oar driven and range from three-and-a- half to 16 days. Minimum age is 8 years.

P.O. Box 717
Page, AZ 86040
(928) 645-3296
riveradventures.com

Arizona Raft Adventures

Arizona Raft Adventures offers six to 16 day rafting adventures in the form of motorized, oar or hybrid (oar and paddle) adventures. Along with its traditional trips, it also offers specialty trips such as Natural History, Hiker's Discovery and Yoga Discovery. Trips run April through October and are open to ages 10 and up for motor trips, 12 and up for hybrid trips and 16 and up for paddle trips. Group sizes range between 13 and 24 participants with approximately two to seven crew members on each trip.

4050 East Huntington Drive
Flagstaff, Arizona 86004
(800) 786-7238
azraft.com

Diamond River Adventures

Run by Pat Diamond and her daughters Helen, Laurie and Leslie, Diamond River Adventures offers motorized and oar trips between four and 13 days long. The rafting trip season runs from April to October and trips are divided into Full-Length, Upper and Lower Grand Canyon adventures. All adventures will take you past side canyons, spectacular scenery, amazing geology and a wide array of animals and plants.

916 Vista, P.O. Box 1300
Page, Arizona 86040
(928) 645-8866
diamondriver.com

Resources

Grand Canyon

Article Written By Kay Hammer

Kay Hammer has been a freelance writer since 2009. She has a B.S. in Retailing and Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona and an M.A. in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University. She has written for various publications through school such as the Turning Leaf and Demand Studios such as Golf Link.

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