Westwater Canyon for three days is an ideal balance of mellow bird watching, exhilarating whitewater rafting and perfect camping. Part of the time you will drift leisurely at the rivers pace; at night you will relax at beautiful camp site near the Colorado River. The rest of the time your will enjoy extremely fun rapids as the Colorado River forces its way into the narrow Black Granite Gorge forming renowned rapids like Sock-it-to-me, Funnel Falls, Last Chance and the infamous Skull Rapid.

The first part of this adventure places you in the midst of dazzling and dramatic desert landscapes. The first two days are usually filled with leisure and relaxation. Lunch will be on the riverbank where you assemble your deli masterpiece. As we proceed downstream, the imposing red sandstone cliffs become the backdrop to shiny black granite walls as the Colorado River descends into the Black Granite Gorge. As early evening approaches the guides pull to the river’s edge to set-up a charming campsite. After camp is set, you can participate in a guided hike or relax in camp.

This stretch of the Colorado River is wild and free flowing, resulting in a variety of water levels through out the rafting season as the snows melt and run off from the Colorado Rockies. Each water level produces different whitewater challenges. Three-day trips allow for more hiking and a better sense of a comfortable “wilderness” experience.

Westwater Canyon was first run by famous river pioneers Bert Loper and Emery Kolb in 1919. Few white men settled here, and fewer wrote about it. There are lots of legends leaving questions about the facts. Your guides will share stories of the gold miner's cabin, the outlaw cave and the secret grave a half-mile from the cave. The Old West comes alive as you walk through these sites and contemplate the legends.

There are two sections to Westwater Canyon providing great distinction between the serene solitude of the upper canyon sandstone walls and the surreal black granite and impressive rapids of the lower canyon. The narrow canyon of 1.7 billion-year-old black schist rock is a sharp contrast to the red rock cliffs preceding and following the whitewater section. Indian pictographs, and other relics of human and natural history are some of the hiking highlights. In day two the guides navigate the rafts down a series of rapids with names like Sock-it-to-Me; Funnel Falls, Last Chance, and of course, the infamous Skull Rapid. After the rapids, there will be time to high-five and relive the past few hours with the other guests. This evening is sure to be filled with conversation about the exhilarating run through “Last Chance.”

Westwater has all the components of a classic river trip: great whitewater, wonderful camp sites, lots of good hikes, remote wilderness canyon, excellent opportunities for mud baths and water fights, flat water to practice inflatable kayak skills and more. This river trip leaves you wishing for more. The awesome landscape and exhilarating rapids motivate you to release your busy life and embrace an adventurous positive outlook.

10 years and up