What a thrill. Just got back from the 8 day motorized raft trip! Been waiting my whole adult life…read morefor this trip and it did not disappoint! Our guide Adam was the best. He knew the river and canyon backwards and forwards. He was a great storyteller and a wonderful guide and boatman. I always felt safe and he got us the best camping spots and the knew the best side canyons to explore. Swamper Orion was awesome. He was a great cook and a hard worker. We were never hungry! Both these guys were the best.

What can you say? This was glamping beyond my wildest expectations! The food was fresh every day,…read moretwo hot meals and a cold lunch each day, cold juice and soda beverages at any time. The guides, Glade and Hannah, were terrific, like personal chefs there to assure you had a great time and were safe. They aimed at the best part of every rapid- a real E-ticket ride. Some advice: 1. bring more alcohol-it was hot in August, probably 100, we are not big drinkers but 3-4 cold beers a day would sure have been nice, we ran out on day 6 2. wear light colored clothes if the weather is going to be warm 3. bring a walking stick, very helpful on the hikes scrambling over boulders and rocks 4. bring more alcohol 5. a waterproof day pack to have some gear readily accessible on the raft would have been nice 6. Have a set of river shoes, and a set of hiking shoes for shore excursions. My river shoes were great on wet rocks in the river, but tenuous at best when hiking 7. bring more alcohol 8. I balked at the sarong idea and regretted it, sarong would have been great to keep cool on the raft and to provide additional sun protection 9. Gel or spray on deodorant would have been nice, I brought body wash but it did not really cut it. 10. Consider going in May-mid July time frame when river is running clear. Once monsoon season starts in Arizona the river runs silty. Still a great trip. GCE is one of the few companies that provides cots and sleeping pads and sleeping bags as part of the experience, other companies might charge extra.

Our 7-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon with Wilderness River Adventures (June 12-18) was…read morean experience my kids (Elise and Jake) and I will never forget. From start to finish, it was everything we hoped for--and so much more. The scenery was, of course, jaw-dropping. Towering canyon walls, hidden waterfalls, star-filled skies--it felt like stepping into another world. But what made the trip truly exceptional were our guides. Billy and Lori led one boat, and Kale and Hollywood the other. These four didn't just steer us through the rapids--they brought the river to life. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the geology, history, and wildlife of the canyon. Their storytelling kept us all engaged, and their cooking? Surprisingly fantastic for a remote river trip--think fresh fruit, fish tacos, fajitas, smoked salmon, guacamole, and even brownies one night! Elise, Jake, and I have all done trips like this before--this was my fourth, and their second--and we agreed this was one of the best. The guides struck the perfect balance between adventure and comfort, creating a fun, relaxed atmosphere while keeping everything running smoothly and safely. Wilderness River Adventures runs a tight, professional operation with just the right amount of laid-back charm. If you're looking for a meaningful, memory-making adventure with your family, this is it.

Just took a trip through the Grand Canyon with Wilderness River Adventures. To say it was the trip…read moreof a lifetime, is an enormous understatement. Kale, Hollywood, Billie & Lori are the best guides ever!!! They really know their sh*t.

We did the morning Half Day Family Slot Canyon Tour at Lambs Knoll, and our guide Forrest made the…read moretrip. While some of us had rappelled before, none of us had been canyoneering. Forrest struck the perfect balance -- fun, knowledgeable, and great with kids -- so everyone felt completely safe and comfortable while still having an amazing time. Our 9- and 11-year-olds crushed 50-foot rappels and were so proud of themselves. Highly recommend, and we'd book with Forrest and Zion Adventures again without hesitation. We also rented our Narrows gear through them, using the new Virgin location instead of Springdale. It was more convenient for us since we were staying in Hurricane, making it easy to pick up gear the night before. Easy process, and Maile made sure we had everything we needed plus all the info necessary to stay safe on the hike. One tip: if you're not staying in Springdale and are booking a canyoneering tour, book the Virgin location. It's right by Kolob Canyon Road where Lambs Knoll is, so it saves you the drive into Springdale.

Rented e-bikes for the day to ride around in zion. All of the employees are wonderful and you can…read moretell really love working there, but just wanted to shout chandler out for helping our group out. We had never ridden e-bikes before, and he was so helpful in answering all of our questions and making us feel comfortable with the bikes before we took off on our adventure. He was so friendly and charismatic and made our experience go smoothly and a great time.

If you're looking for a "dip your toes in and call it adventure" kind of trip, this ain't it. This…read moreis the real deal and Arizona River Runners delivers it with a throttle. I went the motorized raft route, and I'll tell you straight, it's the perfect balance of thrill and sanity. You've got young guns, older folks, everybody laughing, holding on, and living the same moment. One minute you're punching through rapids, the next you're cruising those calm stretches at a steady clip, maybe 8 mph, just soaking it all in. And that's the beauty of it, you cover serious ground without sacrificing the experience. If you don't have 10 days to disappear into the canyon but still want to feel it in your bones, this is your move. Now listen, getting on the water in Grand Canyon isn't something you just wake up and decide to do. Permits, reservations, planning...this is high demand, bucket list territory. You do your homework, plan ahead, and you can make it happen. You wait till the last minute? Good luck. This isn't your local float trip. And then there's the part nobody really prepares you for. The canyon messes with you in a good way, mostly. I swear this is the second time I've felt like I saw Bigfoot out there. Not joking. Starts making you wonder, is it one Bigfoot, multiple, is he just pacing the canyon like he owns it? Add in a little déjà vu, the silence, the scale of it all, your mind starts wandering places you didn't expect. Daytime, it's raw. Sun beating down, heat cooking you alive, jumping into the river whether it looks crystal clear or straight up brown just to cool off. Nighttime, whole different world. Stars like you've never seen, Milky Way stretched across the sky, dead quiet except for the river and a crackling fire. Cold drink in hand, swapping stories, realizing you're sitting in one of the most unreal places on earth. But don't get it twisted, this place demands respect. The canyon is massive, and it'll remind you quick how small you are. People make it through just fine until they don't. Heat, terrain, isolation, it's not forgiving. There are spots out there where if something goes sideways, you're not just hiking your way out. That's part of what makes it real. End of the day, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. There's something about finishing a trip like this, grateful, a little humbled, maybe a little paranoid about Bigfoot, but knowing you just experienced something most people never will.

I cannot say enough good things about this company. We did a "hikers" trip and it was amazing. The…read moreguides were great. They were knowledgeable, safety conscious, friendly and so much fun. The food was amazing. We were all impressed with the guides organizational skills and their cooking . We heard all the stories about the formation of the Grand Canyon and the history of its exploration. We got to hike to some spectacular locations. We rafted 6 days from Lees Ferry to Pipeline Beach then hiked out on Bright Angel Trail. We are already making plans to return and raft from Pipeline to the end. Our trip was everything we had hoped for and more. Highly recommended!!! Arizona River Runners does a spectacular job!

We did the half day rafting boat on the Colorado river through Horseshoe Bend. It was a blast and…read moreBill our guide was so sweet and full of so much information. We got to doc at one place to get out and do a little hike to learn more. They had water to refill your bottles and gave everyone a Gatorade on the ride back. Don't forget to take lunch or goodies, cause you can eat on the boat. Instead of taking the bus in from Page, we camped out right there and met them at the doc. So glad we ended up doing the rafting. We got to see so much without doing all the kayaking work.

Griffin and Megan were our guides and they made the trip what it was. They worked great together…read moreand I thank God we got them both for Out trip.

So great...I'm doing it again (4th time). The challenge, the…read moreorganization, the food...a great experience!

Still glowing from the experience, what a ride, what a ride ! 8 day moto raft trip was fantastic…read more Like many folks, I had looked down on the Grand Canyon from the rim, but this trip is full immersion! ... ha ha, sometimes literally ! GCW does a great job, providing camping gear, food, and the cool rafts. It is not "glamping", you gotta help unload the rafts, set up your camp etc, but all part of the experience. The trip leader (Rachel was super!) and guides are pretty great, working hard to make sure everyone is safe, well fed, and having a good time. Having a nice quiet Honda motor moves the rafts along, the 8 days was just right. We passed various oar trips that take longer and maybe have more cache, but looking at their faces, I think we were having a lot more fun! Going solo was interesting, met some nice folks, some goofballs, but all Good! Definitely recommend, gotta be a bit adventurous, but what a way to experience one of the natural wonders of the planet!

Though it was a bit confusing to find, and there was a bit of a search for staff, we ended up…read morehaving a great time. Bill was our guide, and he was very great at his "job". You can tell when someone enjoys what they do! I feel like we could've spent hours out on the water if it didn't get quite choppy with the wind trying to head back to the dock. We lucked out and it was just the 3 of us out on the water for the tour, me and my sweetie in a double canoe. Bill took pictures of us and while crunched in a canoe with a life vest isn't a flattering look for me, I certainly didn't care at the time. We even helped clean up the area with our haul of trash! The water was warm and we definitely wanted to return but the weather was rainy for the days after. We will return when we can! Thank you so much to Bill and Ken and Josh for such an experience!! It was worth it!! And Bill, you touched our hearts when you said you missed my dad (having only heard stories of him that day!).

First time renting a kayak from them, they're really friendly and helpful. We reserved the kayak…read moreonline and signed the waivers. Their equipment is pretty good and clean.

The experience missed our expectation by a wide margin. The company description needs to be changed…read moreto reflect the amount of effort required of the guests that participate. Let me explain in detail. The Bar 10 dude ranch portion of the trip was excellent as the staff made every effort to insure our satisfaction and especially to see to our comfort. The helicopter ride into the canyon was very cool but only 6 minutes. The rafting in the GC was excellent and the guides were professional and we felt very safe on the water. However, other than the meal preparation, the river staff were not interested in our comfort in any way. While we all struggled each day to set up our own tent and sleeping bags/mats... often the staff would relax on the rafts reading a book. I didn't feel like there was any concern for our comfort or even safety during the very heavy and windy thunderstorm we had the first night or during the sand storm the second night (40 mph winds that tried to collapse our tents). Ten of the 16 people in our group were over 60 which made it more challenging. The river guides were at best cliquish on land if not downright unfriendly. The exception was the group leader, Russell and 2 "volunteers" (Kyle and Maddie) were kind and friendly. The very first day we pretty much had a "land acknowledgement" by one of the river guides which set the tone politically. I was also surprised and unclear about the stringent hand washing policy that was very strictly supervised. It made me think that they must have had a bad norovirus experience at some point? The food was about what you would expect under the circumstances. My biggest issue arose at the takeout. My wife was struggling with a previous and mild leg issue. At the takeout, I wanted her to rest on the air conditioned bus while we unloaded the boat for the takeout. She was not allowed to get on the bus till all the bags had been removed; so she stood in 105 degree temperatures while we were forced to unload not just our personal gear but the company cooking and camping materials as well. We didn't mind helping the 3 staff unload the boat but resented being forced to do it. Overall, the level of service and assistance while in camp left a lot to be desired and didn't live up to the cost of the trip. The "jet boat" ride was fine and the captain was nice for the 75 minute trip to the takeout. Lastly, the 3 hour bus ride back into Las Vegas was inconsistent with the plane ride to the ranch. Though the driver was great, I thought a different mode of transportation that matched the trip to the river would have been better but would have cut into OAR's margins. In summary, I would not recommend this trip to anyone but especially not to older participants unless you like independent camping with little help except for a communal toilet and meal preparation.

My 16-day Grand Canyon rafting trip with OARS was the adventure of a lifetime! The guides are…read moregreat, the food was terrific and I learned so much about this beautiful spot: plants, animals, geology, etc.

"This is not a vacation...this is an expedition!" was the first thing our fearless captain Josh…read moresaid to us during our orientation - and that's when I knew this was going to be an epic adventure. The week I spent rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon National Park with Hatch was one of the most epic and incredible experiences OF MY LIFE. Firstly - our awesome boatman Josh and his amazing "swamper" (aka second in command) Jeremiah were just all around wonderful human beings - helpful, extremely knowledgeable river/backcountry experts with kind, happy hearts and a deep love and respect for the river and the canyon. They kept us safe, happy, entertained, and surprisingly well fed all week. So, a huge TY to Josh and Jeremiah for giving our group such an epic adventure! Our days would start with delicious coffee around 530am, followed by a substantial breakfast. The options varied each day but included bacon, ham, or sausage, pancakes, French toast, breads, cheeses, fruits, and Jeremiah even cooked our eggs to order each day - however you liked them! He was a phenomenal chef! Then we'd pack up camp and hit the river for a day of running rapids, sightseeing, and side hikes. In between the rapids and adventures, we'd find a magnificent spot to stop for lunch where we'd unload part of the "kitchen" and have various sandwiches, chips, and cookies after exploring the canyon for a bit. By 330-4pm everyday we'd find our camp for the night, unload the boat, and our guides would get to work on dinner while we set up our tents and cots. Dinners were just mind blowing - we had something different every night and the spreads were impressive. They'd start us off with hors d'oeurves of various cheeses, crackers, and accompaniments to hold us over until the main show - Steak, carnitas, pork roast, tortellini, burgers, salmon, and all manner of veggies, salads, and sides. And each night we even had desserts like cakes and puddings! Josh wasn't lying when he said this trip was an expedition. In between all the fabulous meals, our days consisted of loading/unloading all the gear off the boats (and it was a TON of gear), barreling through intense whitewater rapids in water less than 60°F off and on for 6-8 hours, hiking, swimming, setting up camp, and sleeping under the stars! It was one of the most challenging - things I've ever done. And even though Hatch and our guides did a substantial amount of the hard work, I highly recommend you take their preparation suggestions seriously - especially planning ahead for the physical requirements bc this trip is extremely taxing. For almost 8 months ahead of my trip, I did hikes 4-5 days a week with at least 450 feet elevation gain, a mile swim once a week, weight training 3x/week, and once a week I tried to hike close to 1000 feet gain for conditioning. It paid off tremendously on this trip - and helped me to enjoy the experience so much more than if I hadn't prepared. That being said, the hiking they offer is optional and most of your boat-mates will do the heavy lifting if you aren't able. It was impressive how everyone pulled together as a team to help each other out in these extreme backcountry environments. Our camp environments changed each day ranging from sandy beaches to steep rocky ledges right next to the river. The further down into the canyon we ventured, the hotter it got, so sleeping inside the tent was pretty unbearable. Daytime temps ran from mid-90s to low 100s. I ended up sleeping outside under the stars on my cot every night. We did encounter a few rainstorms so we always set up our tent anyway just in case we had to jump in it if the rain was too heavy (which only happened twice). And as for the toilet/bathing situation- this is probably one of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of this extreme backcountry camping for most people. There is no "bathing" really - I brought lots of bath "wipes" and wiped down once or twice a day - and would swim in the river when I could, using an eco-friendly soap if river bathing was available. Sometimes it wasn't based on the extreme topography of the campsite and the dangerous currents/rapids of the river. Toileting is interesting haha! All urine must go into the river (it's the law actually and they take it seriously). So we'd either cop-a-squat in the water or use the pee bucket by the "groover" (aka the poop toilet lol) and then rinse it out in the river. The groover is exclusively for going #2. It's a chemical toilet container fitted with a toilet seat and was relatively comfortable - and always had incredible views of the river haha! Can't be shy on an expedition like this! I learned so much about myself and about one of the world's most dramatic and beautiful natural wonders - tysm to Hatch, Josh, and Jeremiah (and our photography workshop leader Colleen Miniuk) for the adventure of a lifetime!! My goal is to take my son on this incredible journey someday so hopefully I'll get to see you all again!

Great rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. Food, staff and camping were excellent. Side hikes were…read morenot to be missed.