4 Things To Do in the Grand Canyon River Rafting Off Season

4 Things To Do in the Grand Canyon River Rafting Off Season

Though winter seems like a slow time for the Grand Canyon river rafting industry, that is not always the case. The off season can provide the perfect time for planning for next season. Here in the office, 2025 and 2026 bookings are in full swing and showing no signs of slowing down. Our guides and warehouse staff have been busy with winter work which includes deep cleaning boats, gear, and lots of repairs. We hope winter is treating you well and wish to offer a  few tips to help get through the wait before getting back on the river in a few months.

Craft

Want to relive the magic of the river trip you went on? Make a photo album, a scrap book, or a painting from one of the photos you took! Write some haiku capturing the feelings the Canyon evoked and share them in a social media post. The best way to make the memories live on is to share them with others. Feeling particularly inspired? Send us your river story for a chance to be featured in our blog!

Here’s our reservationist’s haiku about jumping from Elves Chasm:

The chasm of elves

Green fern sweeping down red rocks

We mimic the falls

-Kiki Turnbull

Shop

Winter can be the perfect time to load up on river essentials. Sales come about often during the slow season, so keep those eyes peeled for important river gear. Black Friday has passed, but there are plenty of holiday sales to come this spring! Plus, an REI dividend check at the end of the year will probably be burning a hole in your pocket. For packing questions, please check out the gear checklist in your Activity Manager. Remember that sales and inventory dwindle as the season gets underway, so planning ahead can really help!

And don’t forget to check out the Hatch River Store online!

Read

One of the best ways to get excited about your upcoming Grand Canyon river trip is to lose yourself in the accounts of others’ experiences in this magical place. Go back in time by reading “The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons” by John Wesley Powell.  Learn the geology of the Canyon with “Grand Canyon Geology” by Stanley S. Buess. Delve into the history of Hatch River Expeditions by reading “Riverman: The Story of Bus Hatch” by Roy Webb.  For more modern reads, see “There’s This River – Grand Canyon Boatman Stories” by Christa Sadler to find out more about these infamous boatmen. Read “The Emerald Mile” by Kevin Fedarko for a thrilling recount of the fasted boat ride through Grand Canyon. Learn about the two women botanist’s journey through the canyon in 1938 in “Brave the Wild River” by Melissa L. Sevigny.  See our Pre-trip education page for a full list of suggested reading.

Plan

Start making those other travel arrangements. Whether it is a flight to Las Vegas or a rental car from Phoenix, it’s best to make these plans in advance. Remember also to contact Bar 10 if you are booking either shuttles from Las Vegas to Marble Canyon or flights from Las Vegas to the South Rim (for those on a Lower Canyon trip). The logistic of this trip can get tricky, so be sure to give the office staff a call if any questions pop up!

Hopefully these tips help in getting through the off-season with ease and anticipation for the river season to come!

Haven’t booked a 2025 or 2026 trip yet? What are you waiting for?! We’d love to have you on the river with us!