I want to take (possibly by force if necessary) my family on a several night river rafting trip next summer. Preferably in Colorado and/or Utah...but open to elsewhere too (Idaho, Oregon, etc).

Has anyone done something similar and have any recs for outfitters? There are a few primary companies that show up when doing simple searches - but I'd rather have some somewhat first hand reviews.

Looking for some level of glamping - where the guides set up camp, cook, etc. Hopefully some good side hiking excurions etc. Good mix of easy water and some challenging rapids. Not looking for the most expensive/lush deal but not the cheapest either.

Kids will be 11 years old next summer if that matters.

Appreciate any recs.

For more than 1-2 nights you'll have to head further west than CO. Plenty of company's on the Arkansas but 1-2 nights was the max. NW CO has some stuff near Dinosaur, most outfitters based in UT. Moab, Cataract Canyon. Beyond that, Grand, Snake, Salmon etc….OARS is a big outfitter all through the West. Hatch is a good one on the Grand.

A buddy and I did a 3 night float trip on the Yellowstone with Montana Anglers. It was incredible with a decent level of glamping in that they set camp up for us and prepared meals, etc. We were fly fishing but I've got to assume they do normal raft trips as well. Good luck and enjoy the memories whatever you decide!

I knew a guy who did a multi-day raft trip through the Grand Canyon and loved it. They used a guide service that set up camp, cooked, etc.

I doubt you can still find a spot on an Idaho trip for this summer but California offers stuff. South Fork of the American overnighter is probably your best bet. They offer some overnighters on the Arkansas near Salida as well.

Thinking about doing this next summer. Strongly leaning towards Utah as that's most convenient for us. Some of the outfitters I'm looking at are OARS, Western River and Mild2Wild.

Appreciate any and all other recs!

We did a float with Western River down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon....big family reunion on my wife's mom's side....3 days....did the lower 100 because of the age of my daughter (she was too young to do the upper 100). They helecoptered us in.



It books out a year or so out.....and I would recommend May or Late Sept/Oct (we went in May)....all the guides said that during the summer it is ungodly hot.

My biggest tips.....eye drops because it is so dry your eyes won't function.....a sarong to wear and keep you cool but covered from the sun.....pack half the clothes you think you'll need

It was amazing and we will do it again.

We're also looking at possibly another one in Idaho in the future.

Awesome - that's exactly what I was looking for. Haven't watched all of the videos yet but a couple of questions...

Looks like yall were on their "J-Rig" - did you like it? Was it comfortable (how about for people with bad backs, if you had any of those)? Did they have any iunflatable kayaks to use too?

What were the ages of kids? Did they enjoy? Any difficulties there?

Did the guides set up camp, including tents? Or do the guests set their own tents up?

How was the food?

MAS444 said:

---

Awesome - that's exactly what I was looking for. Haven't watched all of the videos yet but a couple of questions...

Looks like yall were on their "J-Rig" - did you like it? Was it comfortable (how about for people with bad backs, if you had any of those)? Did they have any iunflatable kayaks to use too?

What were the ages of kids? Did they enjoy? Any difficulties there?

Did the guides set up camp, including tents? Or do the guests set their own tents up?

How was the food?

---

With young kids, I would definitely go with a company that does the j-rig. There are some companies that do dorry boats, and those are probably a more "authentic", raw, experience.....but my daughter was too young and it wouldn't have worked with the rest of our group.

The j-rig was nice in that there are multiple seating areas - the further back you go, the smoother and drier the ride. My daughter was 11 and my son was 14.....I think the family they combined us with had boys that were 15, 13, 10. The kids sat up on the fingers and rode the rapids like broncs.....the adults picked and chose their adventure level and sat in varying spots depending on time of day, temperature, etc.. Their grandfather was with them and he had a bad back and just sat in the back and was fine.

Our kids had a BLAST - they loved it....my daughter is super gung ho about doing it again

They didn't have any inflatable kayaks - I don't know if that was because no one in our group asked for it or if they just don't offer it. I would imagine they would require some level of experience.

They did all the cooking and set up the toilets.....tent set up was on your own (super basic/simple set up), I never set mine up - just slept on a cot under the stars.

Food was much better than I expected. We had some in the group with dietary restrictions and they accommodated with no issue. You could bring your own adult beverages and they'd keep'em cold for you.

If you click on that Youtube channel from the video above, my wife did a whole series on packing, the trip, and tips for next time.

I've done the Rogue River in Oregon with ROW Adventures both times. They were both work related boondoggles and we weren't sure how comfortable some of the group would be with camping. Rogue has two old mining / fishing camps with rustic lodges along the route. So, we would row for several hours each day, ROW would provide lunch at a stop along the river, and the two different lodges along the river provided dinner each night and breakfast before we pushed off (3 day, two night). If your group likes adventure, but values a hot shower and sleeping in a bed, it's a pretty good setup.