Raft the Grand Canyon
WHY? To see the great gorge from a completely different and rare angle. Looking down on the squiggle of the Colorado River from a mile upon the rocky rim, it seems impossible that this river could have carved the gargantuan Grand Canyon. Of course, it’s had about two billion years to do so, slowly slicing through the “black red orange purple strata” to create one of the natural wonders of the world.
And this is why seeing the canyon from water level is the best way to appreciate it the experience offers a far more intimate encounter than peering in from the top, as well as a close up of all that glorious geology. The official launch point for a full run is Lees Ferry, at the north-east of Grand Canyon National Park; the end is at Lake Mead, 443km further on. Enroute are side canyons, Puebloan sites, swimming holes and sandy beaches, not to mention plenty of wild water. So, all good–it’s just getting authorization to enter that’s the problem. There’s a ‘weighted lotteryʼ system, with a waiting list of several years, to secure a private rafting permit. Fortunately, commercial tour-op trips which range from one-day to three week floats are available, but even these need booking in advance if you want to guarantee your rendezvous with all this ancient rock.
The best time to raft the Colorado is May to October. Overall, the river is graded a IV (intermediate), with many I-III rapids, plus some Vs.
WHY? To see the great gorge from a completely different and rare angle. Looking down on the squiggle of the Colorado River from a mile upon the rocky rim, it seems impossible that this river could have carved the gargantuan Grand Canyon. Of course, it’s had about two billion years to do so, slowly slicing through the “black red orange purple strata” to create one of the natural wonders of the world.
And this is why seeing the canyon from water level is the best way to appreciate it the experience offers a far more intimate encounter than peering in from the top, as well as a close up of all that glorious geology. The official launch point for a full run is Lees Ferry, at the north-east of Grand Canyon National Park; the end is at Lake Mead, 443km further on. Enroute are side canyons, Puebloan sites, swimming holes and sandy beaches, not to mention plenty of wild water. So, all good–it’s just getting authorization to enter that’s the problem. There’s a ‘weighted lotteryʼ system, with a waiting list of several years, to secure a private rafting permit. Fortunately, commercial tour-op trips which range from one-day to three week floats are available, but even these need booking in advance if you want to guarantee your rendezvous with all this ancient rock.
The best time to raft the Colorado is May to October. Overall, the river is graded a IV (intermediate), with many I-III rapids, plus some Vs.