Cataract Canyon is home to some of North America’s most impressive springtime rapids — but that’s not the only reason to visit this magnificent river canyon. In fact, the highlights of this trip are its phenomenal side hikes. During the first three or four days of your journey, as the river meanders through the heart of Canyonlands National Park, side hikes reveal 300 million years of natural rock sculptures on permanent exhibit. The most impressive of these displays is the amazing Doll House, where the tall, twisted rock formations look like chiseled chessmen standing upon a pink playing board. Only after the river flows past the confluence of the Green and Colorado do you find the whitewater. This is when you’ll encounter Cataract’s 26 rolling rapids. The grand finale is performed by a notorious threesome, The Big Drops, at the end of which you’ll have descended 30 feet closer to sea level. In spring and early summer, the whitewater is massive. Mid to late summer is an ideal time for families, since the rapids slow to a fun and forgiving Class III.
O.A.R.S runs more oar-powered trips in Cataract Canyon than any other rafting company. They even offer special one, two and three-day departures for those with less time.
Trip Details
Duration
4 or 6 Days
Location
Colorado River
Season
April - October
Trip Type
Paddle & Oar
Nearest City
Moab, UT
Physical Condition Required
Good
Destination(s)
Utah, United States
Rated Classes
III-V
Guest Capacity
24
Minimum Age Limit
7
Distance Traveled
100 Miles
Additional Activities
Hiking
Dining
All Meals Included
About Liquor
Beer/Wine Provided and/or BYOB for Evening
Rates
$1,368.00 - $1,564.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Additional Rate Info
These prices include an optional $115/person transportation package for a flight from the take-out back to Moab after the trip. This charge can be deleted if you prefer another option.
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Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Drive south of Moab to the Colorado River put-in at Potash. The scenic 40-minute drive follows the river into Meander Canyon where the walls rise majestically above, and serve as a backdrop for innumerable petroglyphs. Upon arrival at Potash, guides give a thorough safety talk and orientation to boats and gear. Pushing off from the shore, leave the familiar behind and begin a unique adventure through Canyonlands National Park.
The first 50 miles of your river trip, gleaming in its peaceful and rugged beauty, will orientate your senses to a land about as far from urban living as one can get. You will be astounded by the absolute redness of the sandstone looming skyward, by the bright green willows thriving beside the river, and by the fairest of desert blue skies. The cooling breezes and inviting cool of the Colorado conspire to relax, to calm, and to invigorate. At a pace pleasantly different from our nation’s highways, geologic panoramas slowly develop and change before you.
Days 2-6: Depending on the time of year, tackle Cataract Canyon, the pace of the trip will vary. From Moab to Hite Marina, whether you experience the thrilling spring run-off of May and June or the more subdued waters of September, the same 100 river miles await. Canyonlands begs to be explored on foot, allowing the rafts to introduce you to spectacular side canyons, prehistoric ruins, seasonal waterfalls, and incredible vistas.
In addition to the time spent on the rafts with your guides there will be opportunities to choose from a variety of activities. Spend a morning floating and paddling with an inflatable kayak, or maybe lounge in the shade, a fresh veggie pita in one hand, and that novel you’ve been yearning to finish in the other. Others may take an afternoon hike to ancient Indian dwellings. You might just have that urge to explore growing alongside your confidence that you have come to the right place.
Your group may walk to Lathrop Ruin and view ancient pictographs of what is believed to be a solstice calendar, and painted outlines of ancient Anasazi hands that ‘grab’ your attention. Another day offers the opportunity to explore Indian Creek Canyon where fascinating Anasazi ruins and a stunning seasonal waterfall await. Rest assured whatever hikes you and your guides take the views will inspire more than just a few snapshots. The first refreshing days on the river, spent splashing and playing, storytelling and laughing, carry you past Pyramid Butte, the mighty Goose Neck, and Dead Horse Point. (This spectacular spot, immortalized in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise, is where the movie’s heroines launch themselves and their car over the cliff and into our imaginations.)
After the mighty Colorado winds through The Loop, an exceptional example of the river’s convoluted twists and turns and a venue for another great hike, you reach The Confluence. Here the waters of the Green River join the party and Cataract Canyon begins, hinting at the whitewater to come. The Green River merges with you as it leaves Stillwater Canyon and ends its 300+-mile journey from Wyoming. In a slow mix, the clearer waters of the Green take some miles before they concede to the browner Colorado. Your anticipation grows.
About three miles beyond the Confluence is Spanish Bottom, on the verge of the first major rapid. Here you find a fading 1893 inscription from the steamer, Major Powell, where it turned around twice, not daring to take on the rapids immediately below. You are in the Maze District and nearby rock formations are shouting to be explored. Take a hike 1,500 feet up to the Doll House, with astounding views in all directions. Walking amidst the giant boulders and eroded rock wonders places the human body in a different scale of surroundings. Look back across the Colorado to the Needles region or climb to the Beehive Arch, both another intriguing examples of geology in action.
During spring runoff Cataract Canyon boasts some of the largest whitewater in North America. Summer and autumn trips are less harrowing, but with rapids like Mile Long, Capsize and the legendary Big Drops, this section still offers plenty of excitement. As you begin the next morning and drop into Brown Betty Rapids, the preceding days’ anticipation of Cataract explodes in cool water and huge smiles. Whatever the water level or the type of boat you are in, the rushes of adrenaline with each new rapid are balanced by the knowledge of your guides’ experience and focus on safety. In between the thrills, ask your guide to tell the tale of John Wesley Powell’s historic 1869 first descent through these formidable rapids.
On the last day, arrive at the end of Cataract Canyon and near Lake Powell. As you travel toward Hite Marina, it is difficult not to imagine the wonders drowned in Glen Canyon below. The bittersweet ending is now here. Thankfully, the scenic to Moab grants a bit of time to reflect, as you trace your path backwards through Cataract Canyon from high above, looking down on the beautiful landscape with a birds-eye perspective.
Notes
Early Season Advisory If you want the biggest whitewater in the Southwest (even bigger than the Grand Canyon), consider a high-water Cataract Canyon trip during May or June, when snowmelt swells this section of the Colorado to a colossal Class V.
Special Departures: Photography Trip 6 Days: May 3 $1814 Join one of our professional photographers on a photographic exploration of Cataract Canyon.
Solo Travelers Trip 6 Days: May 17 and September 6 $1564 Travel with those who share your interests and enthusiasm for adventure.
Astronomy Trip 6 Days: July 19 $1564 An adventure getaway for the starcrazed.
Colorado and Green Rivers Hiker Special 14 Days: September 26 Price: $3437 An in-depth exploration of Canyonlands by raft and on foot.
Reservation Policy
A $250/person deposit is required at the time of reservation. The balance is due 60 days prior to departure.
COMPLIMENTARY VISITOR GUIDES
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