About Hatch River Expeditions
Grand Canyon White Water Tours
We Love What We Do
“Best part: Every day you get a reward. Someone comes in and says, ‘Hey, we took your trip twenty years ago. Is it still as much fun as it always is?’ We say, ‘Yeah, come on, let’s go.’ That’s the best part: running the river and still being down there. That’s worth a fortune to anyone that owns a company or loves the canyon like we do.”
– Ted Hatch, GCRG Oral History Project
Grand Canyon White Water Tours
We Love What We Do
“Best part: Every day you get a reward. Someone comes in and says, ‘Hey, we took your trip twenty years ago. Is it still as much fun as it always is?’ We say, ‘Yeah, come on, let’s go.’ That’s the best part: running the river and still being down there. That’s worth a fortune to anyone that owns a company or loves the canyon like we do.”
– Ted Hatch, GCRG Oral History Project
Hatch River Expeditions
Our History
First-Ever Commercial Rafting Trip
Bus Hatch led the first-ever commercial rafting trip in Vernal, Utah on the Green River.
The Grand Canyon
Bus ran his first trip through the Grand Canyon.
The Middle Fork
Bus was one of the first people to run the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho.
First Woman
Bus took the first woman Eva Hatch (Bus’s wife) down the Yampa River.
First National Park Service River-Concession Permit
Bus Hatch was given the first National Park Service river-concession permit in the country and allowed to run commercial trips through Dinosaur National Monument.
The Indus River
Pakistan, Bus was the first descent of the Indus River.
A River Running Legacy
Bus continued to run rivers until he died in 1967.
A Family Operation
When Bus died in 1967, Ted gave up his job as the principal of Manila High School and took over the family business along with his late brother Don.
Utah & The Grand Canyon
The two split the company 10 years later, with Don taking over the Utah operation and Ted running the Grand Canyon operation.
Sale of Utah & Idaho Operations
The Idaho and Utah operations were sold to large companies outside of the Hatch family.
A Family Operation
Bus’ grandson (Ted’s son), Steve Hatch, and his wife Sarah started running the Grand Canyon operation.
Passing of Ted Hatch
Ted Hatch passes at age 76. Ted Hatch is praised for his active role in the professional guides association and in working with the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management to win favorable regulations for commercial guides on western rivers.
A Grand Canyon Rafting Legacy
Hatch River Expeditions, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, which operates within the Grand Canyon, is currently the only Hatch family-owned and operated river rafting company in the world.
Testimonials
Souvenirs & More
Gear Up
Find some great souveniers on our Hatch River online store!
Testimonials
Stay Up-To-Date on Everything Hatch