Colorado River Raft Trips
Vacation Ideas

The area around Moab is home to both the Dead Horse State Park and also Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. These fine recreational areas and the Colorado River have made Moab one of the top outdoor vacation ideas.

You can plan your vacation around a river raft outing and include some of the many other activities available here.

This section of the Colorado River where you will be rafting includes rapids that are rated Class I (Moving Water), Class II (Splashes) and Class III (Wet & Fun).

One of these is Western River Expeditions. Since 1941 they have been providing rafting trips for families, singles, couples and groups. One example is their week long Grand Canyon Rafting Trip that covers 187 miles and 60 rapids. You will camp overnight in tents setup along the river banks. Tasty and nutritious meals are cooked on campfires by the skilled guides.

The rafting varies from exciting rapids to leisurely floats. There are side trips to explore numerous pools, canyons and waterfalls along the way. At the end, a helicopter ride returns you to civilization.

There is a wide range of rapids here so that there is something for everyone including beginners and advanced rafters. High above the river whitewater, the gorge is traversed by a spectacular 1260-feet long suspension bridge that was built in 1929. Two of the top companies that offer rafting trips here are Royal Gorge Rafting and RaftMasters.

And Black Canyon is a very unique and beautiful spot. It’s located just below the Hoover Dam so you will be getting a great water level view looking up at the dam. In fact the rafts launch from the base of the dam. At this point the canyon walls are 2,000 feet high above you. This part of the river is located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area which presents wildlife viewing opportunities. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is home to the Great Blue Heron and Big Horn Sheep. The whole trip is very photogenic so bring the camera. This is a perfect vacation idea for families and it is a very close to Las Vegas.

The dam here is not as big and impressive as the Hoover Dam but it’s a close second and provides a great scenic setting to launch the trip. This stretch of the river borders the Grand Canyon National Park and is considered to be one of the most beautiful landscapes along the river. There is a lot of Native American history here and your guide will tell you about it along the trip. You will get a chance to see Petroglyphs made by many years ago by the natives. For a quieter and longer tour, Canyon Country offers trips on small non-motorized rafts where you can relax and the guide rows the raft down the river.

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