Cataract Canyon Water Rafting


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Much of America’s desert southwest is defined by one river, the Colorado. Born of snow pack high in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado River courses its way south and west into the state of Utah, becoming at once a creator and a characteristic of the magnificent scenery of the Colorado Plateau. This region is renowned worldwide for its superior national parks, including Arches, Bryce, Zion, and Canyonlands – vast, rugged terrain of red and tan rock cliffs, sculpted spires and deep canyons. This area brims with Native American and Old West history, not to mention scores of adventure opportunities: rafting the Colorado, hiking or horseback riding through a picture-book setting of dramatic buttes and pinnacles; mountain biking on Moab’s notorious Slick Rock; 4x4 touring Utah’s splendid, remote backcountry, and much, much more.

No matter what you’re looking for in a vacation, Canyonlands National Park has it all: exhilarating whitewater; big-beach camping; phenomenal side-canyon hikes to geologic and historic wonders of Cataract Canyon; and astounding views from the back roads of the Needles region. Prehistoric Puebloan ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs are common along the river’s shores and in canyons—inspiring visions of a wilder North America. Ancient history is likewise on display in the many fossilized remains embedded in former seabeds. Many species of wild animals are found along the river’s edge, drawn to the only major source of water in the area. Finding shelter in riverside tamarisks, willows and cottonwoods, bighorn sheep, deer and great blue heron can be seen, as well as ring-tailed cat, fox, beaver, and bobcat.

The rapids in Cataract Canyon are rated Class III in April, September and October, Class III+ in August, Class III+ to IV in July, and IV to V with peak water usually occurring during the last week of May and the first week of June during maximum snow melt.

Why Cataract Canyon?
Less famous than the Grand Canyon a few hundred miles downstream, Cataract Canyon is, nonetheless, a premier southwest destination. Come experience the best of Canyonlands National Park with O.A.R.S. this season and you’ll understand why we are excited to offer this trip.

Details

Price Includes

(WR-24877-P)

Skilled professional guide service

5 nights catered camping

All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 6

Expedition equipment, including 2-person shared tent and dry bags

High quality inflatable rafts and related river equipment including paddle and personal flotation device

All transfers from river and back, including the flight from Hite Marina to Moab on the last day

Price Excludes

Transportation to and from Moab

Pre- and post- accommodations and meals

Sleeping bag & pad (these items may be rented from O.A.R.S.)

Insurance of any kind, including travel insurance

Alcoholic beverages

Items of a personal nature (an equipment list will be provided)

Gratuities

Suitability / Level

Class III (Beginner)

Minimum Age

Itinerary & Highlights

Sample Itinerary

We pride ourselves in running a relaxed and always flexible schedule. Every trip is different depending upon the group, other trips on the water and sometimes the weather. The following is a sample of what your trip might be like.

The Day Before Your Trip…

We meet at 7:00 pm in the conference room of the Gonzo Inn for a pre-trip meeting. This is an opportunity to meet your fellow travelers and guides, and ask any last-minute questions. Your guides will give you a thorough trip orientation, then pass out your waterproof river bags so that you can pack your belongings that evening.

Day 1
We drive south of Moab to our Colorado River put-in at Potash. The scenic 40-minute drive follows the river into Meander Canyon where the walls rise majestically above our heads, and serve as a backdrop for innumerable petroglyphs. Upon arrival at Potash our guides give a thorough safety talk and orientation to our boats and gear. Pushing off from the shore, we leave the familiar behind and begin our unique adventure through Canyonlands National Park.

The first 50 miles of your river trip, gleaming in its peaceful and rugged beauty, will orientate your senses to a land about as far from urban living as one can get. You will be astounded by the absolute redness of the sandstone looming skyward, by the bright green willows thriving beside the river, and by the fairest of desert blue skies. The cooling breezes and inviting cool of the Colorado conspire to relax, to calm, and to invigorate. At a pace pleasantly different from our nation’s highways, geologic panoramas slowly develop and change before you.

Our first day generally sets the pace for our time on the river. Typically, we spend a few hours on the water in the morning, sometimes stopping for a great hike or a visit to a historic site. Come lunchtime, we pull over to a sandy beach and enjoy a delicious picnic. After feasting and relaxing on the beach (or perhaps swimming, a game of Frisbee or a nature walk) we get back in our boats for more exciting whitewater. Mid- to late-afternoon, we stop and make camp; you grab your bags and set up your tent while we take care of the kitchen and “living room”—camp chairs and the site for tonight’s campfire (if permitted). Before long you’ll be savoring pleasing hors d’oeuvres and the beverage of your choice! Read, nap, or just sit back and laugh with friends and family as we prepare dinner. After another satisfying feast, the evening is yours to spend however you wish. Maybe music, stories or jokes will bring us together tonight; maybe the popping of the fire, the whisper of the river and the clarity of the big, star-filled sky will encourage silent reflection on the amazing wilderness that is, for now, our home.

Days 2 – 6
Depending on the time of year we tackle Cataract Canyon, the pace of the trip will vary. Whether you experience the thrilling spring run-off of May and June or the more subdued waters of September, the same 100 river miles await. Canyonlands begs to be explored on foot, allowing the rafts to introduce you to spectacular side canyons, prehistoric ruins, seasonal waterfalls, and incredible vistas.

In addition to the time spent on the rafts with your guides there will be opportunities to choose from a variety of activities. Spend a morning floating as you watch the red rock walls changing in color each hour of the day, or maybe lounge in the shade during lunch, a fresh veggie pita in one hand, and that novel you’ve been yearning to finish in the other. Others may take an afternoon hike to ancient Indian dwellings. You might just have that urge to explore growing alongside your confidence that you have come to the right place.

Your group may walk to Lathrop Ruin and view ancient pictographs of what is believed to be a solstice calendar, and painted outlines of ancient Anasazi hands that ‘grab’ your attention. Another day offers the opportunity to explore Indian Creek Canyon where fascinating Anasazi ruins and a stunning seasonal waterfall await you. Rest assured whatever hikes you and your guides take, the views will inspire more than just a few snapshots. The first refreshing days on the river, spent splashing and playing, storytelling and laughing, carry us past Pyramid Butte, the mighty Goose Neck, and Dead Horse Point. (This spectacular spot, immortalized in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise, is where the movie’s heroines launch themselves and their car over the cliff and into our imaginations.)

After the mighty Colorado winds us through The Loop (an exceptional example of the river’s convoluted twists and turns and a venue for another great hike) we reach The Confluence. Here the waters of the Green River join our party and Cataract Canyon begins, hinting at the whitewater to come. The Green River merges with us as it leaves Stillwater Canyon and ends its 300+-mile journey from Wyoming. In a slow mix, the clearer waters of the Green take some miles before they concede to the browner Colorado. Our anticipation grows.

About three miles beyond the Confluence is Spanish Bottom, on the verge of our first major rapid. Here we find a fading 1893 inscription from the steamer, Major Powell, where it turned around twice, not daring to take on the rapids immediately below. We are in the Maze District, and nearby rock formations are shouting to be explored. We may take a hike 1,500 feet up to the Doll House, with astounding views in all directions. Walking amidst the giant boulders and eroded rock wonders places the human body in a different scale of surroundings. Look back across the Colorado to the Needles region or climb to the Beehive Arch, both another intriguing examples of geology in action.

During spring runoff Cataract Canyon boasts some of the largest whitewater in North America. Summer and autumn trips are less harrowing, but with rapids like Mile Long, Capsize and the legendary Big Drops, this section still offers plenty of excitement. As we begin the next morning and drop into Brown Betty Rapids, the preceding days’ anticipation of Cataract explodes in cool water and huge smiles. Whatever the water level or the type of boat you are in, the rushes of adrenaline with each new rapid are balanced by the knowledge of your guides’ experience and focus on safety. In between the thrills, ask your guide to tell the tale of John Wesley Powell’s historic 1869 first descent through these formidable rapids.

All this goes without saying how delicious our cuisine will taste each night, our day’s adventures stirring up a hearty appetite. Perhaps you will enjoy grilled salmon with orange zest, wild rice, and a fresh, mixed salad. Or maybe a lean, juicy steak with mushrooms. With the excellent care our guides provide, you’ll notice we do genuinely want this to be a memorable experience, right down to the making of new friends and the magnificence of the wide desert sky.

On the last day, we arrive at the end of Cataract Canyon and near Lake Powell. As we travel toward Hite Marina, it is difficult not to imagine the wonders drowned in Glen Canyon below us. The bittersweet ending is now here. Thankfully, the scenic flight to Moab grants a bit of time to reflect, as we trace our path backwards through Cataract Canyon from high above, looking down on the beautiful landscape with a birds-eye perspective.

Accommodation & Centre Details

Reservations & Deposits
A $250/person deposit is required at the time of reservation. The balance is due 60 days prior to departure.

Cancellations, Transfers & Refunds
If you find it necessary to cancel your trip, notify us as soon as possible. The cancellation fee after you’ve made your deposit can range up to the entire trip cost, based upon the number of days prior to your trip that we receive your cancellation notice. We regret we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies. For this reason, we strongly urge you to investigate trip insurance (see Insurance).

Cancellations 60 days or more prior to the trip earn a full refund less a $100/person fee. Cancellations 59 days or less prior to your trip are not refundable.

If you transfer from one trip to another, there is a $50 per person charge up until 60 days before the trip. Transfers made after this time will be treated as cancellations.

Medical
Under most circumstances, if you are of an adventurous spirit and in reasonably good health, you should have no problem enjoying an O.A.R.S. trip. People with heart trouble and pregnant women should have their physician’s approval before taking an adventure travel trip.

Insurance
Although every effort is made to insure a safe trip for all, we strongly recommend that you protect yourself, your belongings, and your vacation through the purchase of a short-term traveler’s policy. A trip cancellation policy covers your non-refundable payments in most cases, should you have to cancel your trip at the last minute due to illness or injury. Trip participants should realize that in the event of illness or injury on an adventure travel trip, evacuation could be prolonged, difficult and expensive. Personal belongings and cameras are carried entirely at the owner’s risk, and O.A.R.S. accepts no responsibility for lost, damaged, delayed or stolen property.

Acknowledgement of Risk
Everyone is required to sign a standard Acknowledgement of Risk before the trip, acknowledging awareness that some risks are associated with the trip. Safety is of the utmost concern on our trips. However, due to the nature of the activities, a condition of your participation is that you will sign this form and return it to our office before the trip begins. Anyone who refuses to sign the form will not be allowed to participate, and consistent with O.A.R.S. cancellation policy, there will be no refund of the trip fees at that time.