San Juan White Water Rafting
Perhaps the best way to explore this extremely rich area is upon one of the rivers partly responsible for its creation. A major tributary of the Colorado River, the San Juan is a watery path through some of the world's most splendid wilderness. A calm, congenial river, the San Juan offers a relaxing float trip livened up by fun Class II rapids. Terrific hiking opportunities, warm weather and water, and a high concentration of accessible Anasazi ruins & 15,000 archaeological sites exist in this river's home county & make this a rewarding river trip for a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts. It's also a great vacation for families with children as young as five.
2 1/2 and 4 Day trips are also available.
1-209-736-4677 |
Itinerary / Highlights
Sample ItineraryWe 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 may be like.
The Day Before Your Trip¦
We'll meet at 7:00 pm at the Recapture Lodge in Bluff, Utah, 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 and pass out your waterproof river bags so that you can pack your belongings that evening.
Day 1
We begin our day with a scenic drive from Bluff to our put-in at Sand Island, where your boats and your O.A.R.S. crew await you. After a thorough safety talk, our journey begins. We'll peacefully float for a few hours, getting to know our fellow travelers and soaking in the majesty of our surroundings. Our first stop is Butler Wash, where we'll be amazed by petroglyphs dancing across a sheer rock wall. The figures depicted here are believed to be "Kachinas," or gods. This is an excellent introduction to rock art we'll see during the next week. We'll also see "moki steps" that were carved into the cliffs at least 800 years ago.
Our first day generally sets the pace for our week on the river. Typically, we spend a few hours on the water in the morning, sometimes stopping for a great hike, a visit to a waterfall or a prehistoric ruin, or a refreshing swim.
At 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 and watch the desert panoramas slowly develop and change as we peacefully float down the river.
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). This is the perfect time for you to lounge on the beach with that book you've wanted to finish forever. Before long you'll be savoring pleasing hors d'oeuvres and the beverage of your choice & delicious as these refreshments are, they always taste better after a day on the river! 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 2-3
Your day begins with the morning light turning the cliff walls the colors of sunrise. Fresh coffee and tea are waiting for you when you get up; grab a cup, sit back and take in the glory of the awakening river. Soon breakfast is served & omelets made to order, blueberry pancakes, sizzling bacon, fresh fruit, toast and juice are among the treats you will indulge in each morning. Once you've eaten your fill, you pack up your things as the guides break down camp, then our new day's adventure begins.
An excellent short hike awaits us only 6 miles into our journey & River House, a well-preserved prehistoric cliff dwelling. We might also explore the Hole in the Rock on the famous Mormon Trail.
On Day 3 we reach Mexican Hat. This is the ending point of the 2 1/2-day trip. Those leaving will return to Bluff; while the rest of us stay on for the remainder of the 6-day trip. Having enjoyed the camaraderie of past days and the magnificence of the river corridor, we say our goodbyes and head downstream.
Days 4-6
As the San Juan carries us further into this majestic geological corridor, we begin to see evidence of the earth's activity & slow and steady or sudden and violent & over the course of its 300-plus-million-year existence. Within the first 10 miles, the river crosses the Comb Ridge monocline, a gigantic upwarp that extends unbroken for over 50 miles. A hike to the Mule Ear diatreme reveals an eruptive ground vent and a rubble mass of rocks from the earth's mantle. Then it's back to our boats to begin our descent into the upper San Juan canyon, where we meet our first whitewater, Four-foot Rapid. Eight-Foot and Ledge Rapids also spice up our tranquil float as we enter the upper "Narrows," a particularly tight gorge carved out of the brilliant rocky layers by the very river upon which we drift. All along, we keep our eyes out for bighorn sheep near the water and Prehistoric Puebloan ruins hidden atop cliffs.
The more aggressive hikers in our group may tackle the steep and strenuous climb up the Raplee anticline. No matter the effort involved in reaching the top, that which awaits us is well worth it, and we'll take some time to soak up the incredible views of Monument Valley and Mexican Hat rock. Back on the river, we'll float past the town of Mexican Hat and enter the Mendenhall Loop, the beginning of the famous Goosenecks of the San Juan River. This snake-like stretch of river twists and turns so tightly, we cover seven river miles through a section measuring just two miles as the crow flies! Winding back and forth, we'll pass exquisite works of water and rock like the Tabernacle and the Second Narrows.
A favorite activity on the San Juan is a visit to Slickhorn Gulch for a much-needed swim in its natural plunge pools. This beautiful canyon holds many little surprises, including fossils, maidenhair ferns, and waterfalls.
Our trip draws to a close on Day 6 as we reach the Clay Hills boat ramp. Feeling as if we've temporarily left our modern age for the past six days, and having grown so close to our guides and fellow travelers, the bus ride back to Bluff and "civilization" is bittersweet. However, it doesn't take long to realize that although we've left the river, the river will never leave us.
Other Details
Accommodation Details
Reservations & Deposit
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, please 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/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 medical conditions, including pregnancy, should have a 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 can 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.
Liability Waiver
Everyone is required to sign a standard release form 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.
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