Types of Grand Canyon River Rafting Trips (and How to Choose!)

Types of Grand Canyon River Rafting Trips (and How to Choose!)

 

 

Rafting in Grand Canyon is at the top many a list of aspirational vacations. But, if you’re just starting to do your research on this, you might be surprised to find just how many options for Grand Canyon river rafting trips there are out there. Let’s break things down so you know where to get started planning your adventure.

 

Factors to Consider

When you decide what type of trip is a best fit for you and your group, you’ll have several factors to consider as you narrow down your options:

• How long of a trip do you want?
• What style trip do you want to take? 
• When would you like to travel?
• Where in the canyon do you want to go? 
• Who are you traveling with and what are their preferences or needs?

You’ll probably find that one or two of these factors is really important and the others have to fit around those. That’s good, because Grand Canyon river rafting trips are strictly regulated by the National Park Service, which means that availability of certain options can sometimes be limited. 

 

Length of Trip

The length of the trips offered is actually limited by the geography of Grand Canyon. It’s deep and there are limited entry and exit points. The Grand Canyon National Park Service also doesn’t allow helicopters to fly into the canyon (other than search and rescue). That means you have to be ready to either commit at least a week to go from Lees Ferry to Whitmore Wash, or commit to a mandatory, strenuous hike into or out of the canyon in order to have a shorter trip. The Bright Angel Trail hike should not be underestimated: up to 9 miles in full sun and heat and either gaining or losing 4,400ft in elevation. It’s tough for even experienced hikers.

If you want a Grand Canyon river rafting trip shorter than four day though – like a half day or 1 or 2 day trip – you’ll have to look for options outside the boundaries of the national park. 

 

Hiking Intensity and Trip Accessibility

As described above, some trips involve intensive hikes. Some are the shorter trips where that’s the only way to access the river. Other trips are focused on getting in extra hikes for those who want to explore even more of the canyon.

If you don’t want or can’t do those hikes, a full canyon trip is your best option. Lees Ferry is a drive-up put-in point where all rafts launch from, and Hatch lodges our guests in the area so it’s only a 15 minute drive to the river in the morning. At the end of the trip, everyone helicopters out at Whitmore Wash to nearby Bar 10 Ranch. From there you’ll return to either Las Vegas or Marble Canyon, and Hatch includes all the exit transportation in the price. These trips are excellent for those who aren’t up for a major hike or just want a less intense trip.

For those with young ones, Hatch’s full canyon motorized trips are for guests 8 years old and up. For all other trip types – including upper or lower canyon – the minimum age is 12.

 

Raft Type

There are two main types of Grand Canyon river rafting trips: motorized and non-motorized. In the latter category there are even more options: oar powered (where only the guides paddle), paddle trips (where guests participate in the paddling), dory, kayaking…

The type of raft you pick will also impact the length of the trip. While motorized rafts can cover about 30 river miles per day plus stops and exploring, all non-motorized options literally go with the flow of the river. That amount to 7 versus 12 days to cover the same distance between Lees Ferry and Whitmore Wash.

At Hatch, we offer motorized and oar powered trips. The exception to this though is our hiking focused trips, which are motorized but 12 days long so that there’s plenty of time for hiking.

 

When to Go

When you go can depend on a number of things, but especially Grand Canyon weather, the trip and raft type you want, and guest schedules (work time off, school breaks, before your kid gets married, etc.). The river season for Hatch lasts from mid-April when we begin with hiking focused trips to mid-September when we end with our final oar trip. Our hiking focused and oar powered trips are limited each year, so that will also impact when you can go on those particular trips.

Grand Canyon NPS limits when motorized rafts can run, which is generally April through September. If you’re looking for a trip outside those months, you’ll be limited to non-motorized options.

 

Which Part of the Canyon

We often get asked which part is better: upper? lower? full canyon? Our answer: all of it!

The entire Grand Canyon is going to be amazing no matter which part you see. There will be plenty of rapids covering the entire 1-10 scale through out the canyon. The upper half will be more narrow and deep, cutting through red limestone before you get downriver a bit and begin to see all the layers. The lower half opens up more so that you can see more of the wide iconic vistas, but there are still narrow areas cutting through old gneiss and schist though it is shallower from rim to river. No matter what Grand Canyon river rafting trip you choose, it’ll be a trip of a lifetime!

 

Hatch Trip Options

If you choose to travel with Hatch (and we hope you do!), you’ll get to choose from our 9 basic offerings:

Motorized

By far the most popular way to go with the most availability. For Hatch, there will be a maximum of 29 people on two large rafts for each trip.

• Full Canyon Motorized (7 days)
• Upper Canyon Motorized (4 days)
• Lower Canyon Motorized (4 days)
• BONUS: In 2025, we are also offering a Geology Focused Trip!

Oar Powered

Hatch offers these on a limited basis, usually in the spring and fall. Our trips max our at 24 guests and use several smaller rafts that fit four guests and one guide each. 

• Full Canyon Oar Powered (12 days)
• Upper Canyon Oar Powered (6 days)
• Lower Canyon Motorized (7 days)

Hiking Focused

These motorized trips top out at 29 people and allow for more time to go on more hikes. This is great for experienced hikers who want a little more out of their trip.

• Full Canyon Hiking Focused (12 days)
• Upper Canyon Hiking Focused (6 days)
• Lower Canyon Motorized (7 days)

 

Full Canyon Motorized is by far our most popular trip style, and as such it is offered multiple times per week throughout almost the entire rafting season (May-September). These trips travel 188 miles between Lees Ferry and Whitmore Wash in 7 days, and they end with a helicopter ride out of the canyon.

If any of our other trip options spark your interest, be aware that most are only offered a few times each year. You may need to book early and be flexible with your preferred dates if your heart is set on an oar trip, a hiking focused trip, or an upper or lower canyon option. 

Additionally, if a hiking focused trip or one of the upper or lower canyon options seems more your style, you’ll need to make sure that you (and all others traveling with you) are prepared to hike the challenging trails in Grand Canyon. This means training prior to your trip to ensure that you can hike long distances on rough and rocky trails that change in elevation. 

 

How to choose

Consider what is most important to you, and talk to your group about what is most important to them. If it’s the time of year you travel, start your search by looking at the dates that work best for your group—you may find multiple types of trips offered, but it could be that only one style is available then. If trip style is what matters most to you, search for the style that interests you then see when it is offered. If trip length is your critical deciding factor, look at the lengths of each style and determine whether your group is equipped to meet its requirements. 

OR ask our office for help! We are always happy to talk through your needs and help you find a trip that will best meet them. We are happy to answer your questions via phone or email, so please reach out!

 

Our recommendation for first-timers

Maybe you’re thinking, “I’ve never done this before! How am I supposed to choose?” We get it—making all these decisions about a place you’ve never been and a type of trip you’ve never done can be overwhelming. 

Of all the Grand Canyon river rafting trips we offer, the one we most recommend to first-timers is the 7 Day Full Canyon Motorized. This trip is a great option for people of all ages (8 and up) and abilities. As long as you can meet some basic physical requirements (climbing onto and off of the rafts and navigating Grand Canyon’s sandy beaches and rocky trails, for example) you’ll have a blast on this trip. 

 

Ready to book your adventure?  Or compare all the details about the Grand Canyon river rafting trips Hatch offers.