Rafting and Hiking Cataract Canyon

Fly into Grand Junction Airport (GJT) in Colorado by 3 p.m. You will be picked up by the Adventures in Good Company guides and driven as a group to our lodging in Utah. Time to settle in for the evening before strolling to a Welcome Dinner in Moab at a local restaurant. Moab is an adventure mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, perfect for exploring if you’re considering extending your trip on your own. There are 2,000 arches and counting in nearby Arches National Park! As Edward Abbey said in his book Desert Solitaire after spending time as a ranger in the national parks of Utah, “Wilderness. The word itself is music.” Overnight Moab lodging (D)

Good morning Moab - nothing like a desert sunrise! After a hearty breakfast at our lodging we’ll meet our river rafting guides and receive a detailed orientation on what to expect on the river and how to pack our belongings into waterproof bags. From there we’ll head to our put-in on the Colorado river. The Green River and the Colorado River both flow through Canyonlands National Park where they have formed the park’s canyon mazes and plateaus, unbroken scarps, and iconic sandstone pillars. The Green River merges with the Colorado in the heart of Canyonlands at the Confluence in Cataract Canyon, and from there, the Colorado continues its journey south. We’ll experience the Colorado river at its finest, from the vantage point of a quiet human powered vessel. Hop in an inflatable kayak or onto a stand-up paddle board (SUP) for some added adventure, or settle in on a raft. We’ll lunch on a sandbar and maybe take a short afternoon hike to an exposed petrified wood boneyard. The hike is an easy stroll from the river bank to a remarkable concentration of ancient logs preserved in the canyon’s rock layers. Another possible hike today is to the Lathrop Canyon ruins, a moderate hike to see where indigenous canyon dwellers stored food and painted stories on the walls a thousand years ago. Afterwards, we’ll float through magnificent canyon walls, far below hikers and visitors at Dead Horse Point State Park. Overnight camping on river (B, L, D)

Our first full day on the river! A bright dawn light makes the canyon walls glow like red gold. Listen for the descending song of the canyon wren, or paddle your SUP along the shore in search of otters and great blue herons. The Colorado river meanders peacefully in this section. Swim alongside the rafts or lounge under an umbrella; the afternoon may provide the opportunity to hike to thousand-year-old rock structures built by the Fremont Culture. Learn to spot granaries (ancient food storage structures) on the cliff walls as we continue downstream. Another possible hike today is to Indian Creek, where a trickle of water sometimes becomes a raging waterfall. Overnight camping on river (B, L, D)

The Colorado river through Cataract Canyon is considered to be the “King (or in our case Queen) of Utah River Trips.” Its tranquil start lulls paddlers into a peaceful trance before treating them to thrilling white water rapids later on. Today we’ll reach the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers, believed by some cultures to be the center of the universe. Buckle up your personal flotation device to swim through the line where the two rivers meet. Make your way back in the boat and get ready for the rapids ahead! Just below the confluence, enjoy a view of the Doll House, a collection of freestanding, sandstone columns. The Doll House is one of the remotest regions of the Maze District of Canyonlands. Today we may hike a mile in an area called The Loop, where we climb up and over a low point in the canyon wall while the rafts travel a full four river miles to reach the same place. Overnight camping on river (B, L, D)

Conditions permitting, ambitious hikers may start the day with a hike into the Doll House. It’s a strenuous, 800-foot climb out of the canyon and into a world of white and pink striped sandstone pinnacles. See evidence of the Paradox Formation, the salty remnants of an ancient sea that lies under most of eastern Utah. Ascend steeply to the canyon rim in the Maze District to explore the red and white red rock formations and prehistoric artifacts. Once again on the river, we’ll look forward to the rapids of Cataract Canyon. We’ll stop and scout a few of the big ones, giving plenty of time for the suspense to build. Hold on for the Big Drops: Little Niagara and Satan’s Gut. Another possible hike today is to Clearwater Canyon, a relaxing walk in a deep, sandstone side canyon, past small pools and smooth sandstone ledges. Overnight camping on river (B, L, D)

After a few last rapids, the water calms again, and the canyon walls rise, smooth and majestic. We’re now officially in Lake Powell, although depending on the reservoir level, it may still feel like a river for a long distance. We’ll float under the Hite Narrows Bridge and pull over just beyond the mouth of the Dirty Devil River. A two-hour drive brings us back to the river warehouse. Our expected time of arrival back at our headquarters is from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Let’s toast to our incredible journey over the past week over a delicious farewell dinner in town. Overnight at lodging in Moab (B, L, D)

After a final breakfast with our new AGC sisters and friends, we’ll drive together to Grand Junction Airport for our flights home. You can plan to fly out any time after 12 p.m. (B)