Salt River Full Day Rafting Trip With Lunch - Arizona
About this activity
Highlights
- More rapids per mile than any Arizona River!
- A hands-on paddling trip great for all experience levels.
- Quality equipment and Class III certified guides that exceed state requirements.
- A true wilderness trip through remote backcountry
- A lesser known gem and true wilderness experience 2 hours from Phoenix.
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Professional, Interpretive & Entertaining Guides
- Helmets and Coastguard approved Personal Floatation Devices
- NRS wetsuits, booties, and splash jackets
- Roundtrip transportation from the meet location
- Industry-leading river equipment
- Safety orientation and paddle instruction from the meeting location
- Delicious riverside lunch with dietary accommodations
- Gratuities
Important information
Know before you book
- Water level fluctuate dramatically on the Salt River, so age restrictions will increase when the water levels increase. Ages 8+ are welcome during low water, and ages 12+ during high water.
- Rafting is not recommended for people who are pregnant or have underlying heart or pulmonary conditions.
- We reserve the right to switch river/locations based on current conditions.
- This is an active trip, paddling is required!
Know before you go
- · The Salt River Canyon is a wilderness area. Thus, electricity, running water or cellular phone service is nada!
- · We can only communicate from our main office via Satellite communication to the Salt River guides, which means our communication is limited. Plan accordingly when traveling to the river. Late arrivals cannot be accommodated.
- · Wetsuits are included on all of our Salt River Trips. Wear your swimsuit to the river under your clothes.
- · Age limits may increase at high water levels. This will be communicated to you prior to your trip if it becomes an issue.
- · The meet location is about 50 miles from the nearest towns of Globe and Show Low, be sure to have enough gas to get there!
- · Expect the Salt River Canyon to be about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix.
- · Bring cash to tip your guides, credit card for souvenirs
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
6 days: Desolation Canyon was definitely an adventure and one I won’t forget anytime soon! First, the food. Dinners and appetizers were really good, and after a long, HOT day on the river, they definitely hit the spot. Lunch, however, could use a little love. Most of our lunch stops didn’t have much of a place to sit, and the beaches were often wide open, muddy, and sometimes came with that special "eau de" river smell. Lunch locations and setup would go a long way. The campsites were good overall. The kitchen and “living room” areas were generally nice and flat,offered a lot of shade, which made hanging out in the evenings comfortable. Games were brought out, and it was fun seeing guests and guides sitting around playing together. Now, we need to talk about the groover. 😂 It worked, but if I’m going to sit on a toilet in the middle of Desolation Canyon, I feel like I deserve a VIEW. Put that thing somewhere scenic! And while we’re making requests, can we please retire the pink and go with black? There are some things in life that simply do not need to draw attention to themselves. The groover is one of them. And then there was the HEAT. It was sooooooooo hot and it made me question some of my life choices. We needed a lot more opportunities to dip in the river and some actual swim time. When it’s that hot, getting in the water isn’t just part of the fun, it becomes part of survival! More swim stops on those extreme heat days would have made a huge difference. Now lets talk about the guides who really made the trip. Caleb: Love, Love, LOVE Caleb. I loved hearing your laugh throughout the day. He had some great stories, lots of laughs, knowledgeable, and just plain fun to be around. One of my favorite moments was the evening he shared his poetry book with us. It was unexpected, personal, and such a cool addition to the trip. Thank you for keeping us laughing and entertained along the way. Jackson was that quiet, humble soul who didn’t need a lot of fanfare. He just quietly got things DONE. I loved watching you cook it up at every meal, and anytime something needed to happen, it seemed like you were already on top of it before anyone even had to ask. Lenny, while I didn’t get to spend as much time on your boat, I absolutely noticed and appreciated your strength and determination and how hard you worked to make the most of our trip. Overall, Desolation Canyon is beautiful, wild, ridiculously hot at times, and absolutely an experience. There are definitely a few things that could make the trip even better, like more swimming on brutally hot days, better lunch stops and setup, and, of course, a groover with a million-dollar view. Because really, if you’re going to poop in the wilderness, you might as well have something beautiful to look at.
Very enjoyable
Had such a fun time!! I have some experience kayaking and paddle boarding, so I kind of knew what I was getting into and gosh was it a blast! It was a hot one, 104°, but being on the water and getting splashed really helped everyone cool down. If you do not have experience kayaking I do recommend signing up for the raft that way you are with people. The guides were amazing! Really informative and had plenty of jokes, and brought a big’ol jug of water for us to stay hydrated. 10/10!