Grand Canyon Raft Adventure

TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: You will use 18-foot oar rafts that carry 4-5 passengers, as well as a paddle raft with 4-6 passengers. A river guide paddles the oar raft, whereas all passengers paddle the paddle raft. An average day’s travel consists of 3-5 hours of paddling. Travel distances vary from 10-20 miles per day with the exception of scheduled layover days. No previous experience is needed to complete this trip, however, if you are not used to camping outdoors, you may wish to try a shorter Wilderness Inquiry trip first to make sure you like it. To protect the environment, Wilderness Inquiry uses “Leave No Trace” minimum impact camping techniques.

WEATHER: Temperatures range from 50 F (evenings) to 95 F (days) in August/September. Be prepared for unpredictable weather, such as sudden thunderstorms or gusty winds.

YOUR GROUP: The group size ranges from 14 -16 participants, plus 6 to 8 staff from Canyon Explorations and Wilderness Inquiry. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities. Our trips are cooperative in nature. Staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can.

ACCOMMODATIONS: This is a camping trip. At night, we will have the option of sleeping in 2-person dome tents or staying out under the stars. Bathroom facilities consist of a comfortable, private commode in a scenic location. This fragile environment requires us to carry out all waste. We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.

MEALS: The kitchen will be the center of each camp! The guides do all the meal preparation, but we encourage you to get involved in the fun. You can expect meals like pancakes, eggs to order, and french toast with fresh coffee in the morning. Deli style lunches include fresh fruit, hummus and tabouli, and tortilla salad. Dinner will be from the dutch oven, grill, or skillet. Meals include plenty of fresh meat, fruit, vegetables right up to the last day! If you have special dietary restrictions, be sure to list them on your registration.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: We provide all necessary rafting and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and toiletries. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation.

COVID POLICY: We continue to monitor and update our COVID-19 policies. Wilderness Inquiry strongly encourages everyone to be fully up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination and take other necessary steps for the health and wellness of all. We ask you to self-screen for any signs of illness prior to your trip’s departure. Please contact Wilderness Inquiry if you are exhibiting signs of illness. We will also continue to follow all guidance and requirements of locations that we travel, keeping in mind some international destinations do require vaccinations and/or negative covid tests. We will update this policy as new information and guidance becomes available.

SAFETY WHILE ON TRAIL:  Though not required, some individuals may choose to wear a mask, and we expect all participants to respect this choice. Please ensure proper hygiene including, but not limited to, hand-washing and/or sanitizing before eating and after using the restroom. Individuals who become ill or test positive for COVID-19 during a Wilderness Inquiry experience will be isolated to the best of the group’s ability and are responsible for their own transportation and expenses to depart the trip.

Though the canyon itself is geographically quite young, dating back only 4-6 million years, the underlying rock through which it cuts is considerably older. The oldest layer, the base of volcanic rock on which the river now runs, is 2 billion years old – some of the oldest exposed rock on earth. This bedrock is the remains of an ancient mountain range which at one time reached as high as the Himalayas of today. Over 500 million years these massive mountains eroded, bringing them nearly level with the surrounding terrain. During the following 1 1/2 billion years, succeeding layers of sedimentary rock were laid down faster than counterbalancing erosion could carry them away. This created the variegated layers which are now exposed to people running the river.

In the arid environment at the bottom of the canyon, the river supports a wide variety of life. The river is a popular source of water for deer, coyote and many smaller mammals The squaw fish is an endangered species and native to the Colorado and Green Rivers. Catfish and crappie are common river inhabitants as well. The Colorado Plateau area is a popular winter home for bald eagles and a major migratory corridor for waterfowl and a number of neo-tropical birds.

Willow trees and cottonwoods are native to the area, and many varieties of flowers and ferns thrive hundreds of feet up along water seepage lines in the cliffs. However, an increasingly prominent plant is the tamarisk tree or ‘salt cedar’, so named due to the plant’s ability to rid itself of salt content in the soil by pumping the salt out to its leaves. An interesting ecological tale accompanies the tamarisk tree and its fellow environmental members. Tamarisks are native to the Mediterranean region and Asia. Some hypothesize that they may have found their way to this area with the Spanish expeditions between 1540 and 1750. The first recorded tamarisks in this area date back to the late 18th century, but it wasn’t until the 1930’s that people began recognizing the colonizing tendencies of tamarisks.

Suggested reading list:

Belknap, Buzz. (1969) Grand Canyon River Guide. Westwater Books: Boulder City, Nevada.

Lavander, David. (1985) River Runners of the Grand Canyon. University of Arizona Press: Tucson, Arizona.

Wallace, Robert. (1973) The Grand Canyon. Time Life Books.

If you have other suggestions please let us know–there are many, many books about the Grand Canyon.