Grand Canyon - Phantom Ranch to Whitmore Wash

Beginning your rafting adventure at the South Rim of Arizona's Grand Canyon, you hike 9.7 miles down the beautiful Bright Angel Trail where we meet you at the Colorado River’s edge. After repacking your rafting gear, we hop into our rafts and head straight into some of the biggest whitewater rapids of our rafting trip on upper Granite Gorge.

This exciting start to our Grand Canyon rafting adventure is followed by a week of visiting beautiful side streams and falls, watching the rock layers rise and fall and running fairly large rapids regularly.

Spectacular side hikes pierce the shadows of the deep Inner Gorge: The emerald paradise of Elves Chasm, the 100-foot drop of Deer Creek Falls, the limestone chutes of Matkatamiba Canyon, the blue-green pools and numerous waterfalls of Havasu Canyon, and many other unique Grand Canyon adventures.

We finish our journey by rafting the notorious Lava Falls – North America’s most renowned big drop. On the final day, we arrive at Whitmore Wash where a helicopter whisks you to the rim to continue by small plane and van back to Las Vegas (or continue on to Diamond Creek).

O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc. is an authorized concessioner of Grand Canyon National Park.

1-209-736-4677

Itinerary / Highlights

The Day Before Your Trip. . .
Arrive at the South Rim. Deliver your duffel to the Livery Barn (see Duffel Drop-off above). Purchase
your breakfast and lunch including at least 2 quarts of water for your hike the next day. We’ll meet at
7:00 PM in the lobby of the Maswik Lodge on the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park. You will
have the opportunity to meet your hike escort, others on your trip, and ask any last-minute questions
about the hike.

Your Trip Begins. . .
• Rise early (5:00-6:00 AM) for your hike. Descend the Bright Angel Trail. We’ll meet you at the river at
approximately 1-2:00 PM. After a safety talk, we’ll load the rafts. Slip into lifejackets and start down the river. Immediately in big water we are drenched and exhilarated. The desert’s warmth quickly dries us
again before we pull over to camp.

The Adventure Continues. . .
• Sensational rides and dramatic pictures are produced in Granite, Hermit and the rapids of the “Jewels” –
Crystal, Sapphire, Turquoise, Ruby and Serpentine. We camp after a refreshing swim in the pools and
waterfall at Shinumo Creek.
• Those with sharp eyes and quick cameras may be rewarded with shots of desert bighorn sheep in this
portion of the Canyon. The emerald paradise of Elves Chasm, with its chain of linked pools and
waterfalls, invites us to explore and swim. A sand and gravel floor serpentines through the cool narrow
slot of Blacktail Canyon. Here we have an up close look at the Great Unconformity where ancient
erosion removed millions of years of rock to create a gap in the Canyon’s geologic record.
• Fluted walls of jet black schist enclose us for a few miles before Bedrock and Dubendorf rapids. We
drift lazily through Granite Narrows (a mere 65’ wide!!) and soon come to Deer Creek Falls, a 125’
cascade that tumbles almost directly into the river. A hike above the falls brings us to an oasis with a
huge open patio. En route we discover handprints on the side canyon walls, evidence of those that
visited this canyon centuries ago.
• We begin our morning gliding through some calmer stretches of river as we marvel at the walls towering
overhead. A few quick strokes of the oars pull us into the mouth of Matkatamiba Canyon. We venture
up the narrow limestone slot canyon into an overhanging amphitheater. Wading through the warm
waters we explore the beautifully carved channel and relax in the coolness of its grotto. Back on the
river we conquer Upset Rapid and then stop to camp for the night.
• Before sunrise we snack on yogurt and granola while packing sandwiches, fruit and candy for our
lunches. An early start gives us a long day to enjoy the blue-green pools and numerous waterfalls of
Havasu Canyon. Some linger all day at the pools near the river while others hike to see the falls several
miles away. (A day pack or fanny pack are a “must” on this day.) After dinner the evening stars pale as
our guides tell us tales (some real, some perhaps only “tall”) of the Colorado’s most legendary stretch of
whitewater, Lava Falls. Tomorrow comes our turn in this fabled rapid.
• Pulling our rafts to shore, we follow a short, steep trail to scout this whitewater giant. Each raft in turn is swept into the churning, spitting power of the largest rapid in the Grand Canyon, battered by huge
waves and flushed into calmer waters. Knuckles still white, we beach below the rapid to laugh at our
fears and relive each shudder.

The Last Day of Your Trip
• The morning of your last day on the river our boats will reach Whitmore Wash. You'll unpack your gear
from our waterproof bags and repack it into your own duffel bag, which you initially packed in the bottom
of your river bags. Shortly after you finish this repacking, a helicopter will arrive to lift you to the rim.

For those of you not spending the night in Las Vegas, there are shower facilities available at Bar 10
Ranch. After everyone has made the flight to the rim, a charter aircraft will fly you to the North Las
Vegas Airport, where a passenger van will meet you and take you to the Las Vegas McCarran
International Airport. You will usually arrive there between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. DO NOT, however, plan
your flights out of Las Vegas before 5:00 PM.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

April 8-16

May 5-12

June 23-June 30

$3540 - $3703

1-209-736-4677