This page from my master list of all Las Vegas articles I wrote while developing Vanabode as the best travel vehicle for cheap easy long term road trips.

Rafting the Colorado River

Rafting the Colorado River can be super fun right out of Las Vegas. The huge canyons are close to the action for river raft adventures. You can make arrangements on your own, though I do not advise it due to the complexity of this particular excursion. I advise using the tour companies listed on this page as they are competent, affordable & worth every penny you spend with them.

The Colorado River is very, very close to Las Vegas which makes for a nice day trip when you want to get out of the city and into nature.

The shortest and cheapest trips are one-day float trips. These are nice for those short on time, those uncomfortable being away from the hotel room for long, those who do not like camping outdoors, and those who tire being on the water for longer than 4-5 hours. These shorter one day rafting the Colorado River tours are easier on the wallet too. So if you haven't been on anything like this before do a short trip first, see it you like it, then pop for a bigger adventure if you want.

Ask the tour company about the actual things you will experience on the shorter trip as most offer plenty of deep canyon views, historical points of interest viewing, some wildlife sightings and even a little whitewater rafting. Many tour companies also run multiday tours lasting from two days one night all the way up to 15 days long through long portions of the Grand Canyon.

One nice trip is the tour through Black Canyon to Willow Beach on the Arizona side of the river. You'll drift through towering dark canyons interspersed with sandy beaches. You will pass hot springs and cool waterfalls along the way. Some tours stop for lunch where you go ashore and wander around, swim (its cold water) and eat lunch. The guides will usually point out wildlife along the way as well. These kind of one day trips usually cost about $70-$80 for adults and about half that for kids.

The Colorado River Discovery Tour covers 15+ miles of the river below Glen Canyon Dam and goes all the way Lee's Ferry, where people actually crossed the river in frontier times. This tour is managed from Page, Arizona where you ride a bus to the boat launch site and back.

The rafts stop at a beach for lunch. These tours use 20 seater rafts and launch from near the dam. You will see 1,000+ foot cliffs of wildly colored rock. You may see eagles and hawks and you can hike into a canyon that has ancient petroglyphs. These tours run year round with some dates launching twice daily. They cost a little less typically than Black Canyon run.

The Northern Arizona Hualapai tribe runs one-day float trips that have 3 to 6 rated whitewater rapids. This trip takes you all the way through an awesome 38 mile long portion of the Colorado River. You will actually be on Indian reservation land. The tour starts at Peach Springs, Arizona. The bus ride is bumpy and fun for some, not so fun for others. I think it is well worth it though because it is a less crowded trip.

You will definitely get wet on this ride. Most tours include a helicopter ride 4,000 feet up to the tribe's Skywalk. This run costs more than the others but it also includes a lot more than just Rafting the Colorado River.

American Road Trips - reviews & pictures of places we visited on $20 a day - food, gas and lodging.

Home     Contact Us    Copyright © 2007-2016    Free Guide    They Hate Me

    Privacy Policy     Terms and Conditions    Media Press    Affiliate