Grand Canyon rafting trips in July and August amazing—here are 5 reasons why!

Perhaps our most asked question in the Hatch office is: “When is the best time to go rafting in Grand Canyon?” 

In truth, when you will most enjoy rafting depends on who you are, what you need, and what you want. But we’re here to tell you we actually LOVE rafting in July and August. Here’s why:

1) Hot weather makes cold water feel better!

July and August are the hottest months in Grand Canyon. We know that might sound unappealing… stay with us. The water of the Colorado River is pretty cold year round—water temps average around 47-52°F. 

What’s the best way to warm up after getting splashed with 50 degree water? How about a dose of warm air and sunshine? Even though air temperatures exceeding 105 degrees might sound pretty hot, they’re actually kind of perfect for getting splashed all day! 

Plus, with the river nearby, it’s so easy to cool off anytime you want!

2) Monsoons mean a chance to see something rare

Have you ever heard of a rim fall? It’s a waterfall that forms on the edge of the canyon’s rims. These phenomena are rare, occurring only when we have significant rainfall. This kind of rain is most likely to come during the monsoon season of July and August. So, if you want a chance at seeing something even regular Grand Canyon rafters rarely do, book your Grand Canyon trip during monsoon season. 

Don’t worry about being under a rain cloud for your whole trip. Monsoon storms usually only last an hour or two before they move on. 

3) The long days of July and August give you more time to experience Grand Canyon

Camping somewhere remote like Grand Canyon means you don’t have a lot of access to artificial lighting. So, when it gets dark, there’s not much left to do but go to sleep. Booking your Grand Canyon rafting trip in July or August means you are signing up for more hours of daylight—that means more hours to spend hiking, rafting, or just hanging out in camp with your new river friends. 

4) You can probably book a private charter trip with your friends

We often work with groups to help them charter entire trip dates (all of a trip’s 29 spaces) so that they can travel with only the people they want—whether that’s friends and family, members of a club, university students or alumni, or business employees for a company retreat. 

Although we are happy to book a private charter trip any time of the year, if you’re trying to travel in May or June, you’ll likely be competing with a lot of general booking guests. Once there are a few people booked on a date, it’s no longer available to charter. Our July and August dates tend to book up later, meaning they stay available to charters longer. In some cases, you may even be able to get a one boat trip in July or August, meaning you only need 16 people to have the trip to yourself. 

5) It’s cheaper!

Because July and August tend to be slower to book, we sell our Full Canyon Motorized trips at a discounted rate during these months. Look for our July-Aug “midsummer” rate to find out how much you could save by booking your Grand Canyon rafting trip in July or August.