Grand Canyon Rafting - Phantom Ranch to Lake Mead
Overview
Your river trip begins near Phantom Ranch after a scenic 9.7 mile hike down the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim. A mile deep in the canyon we launch our rafts and immediately head straight into some of the most celebrated rapids: Horn Creek, Granite, Hermit, and Crystal are all packed into the first two exciting days. We watch the rock layers rise and fall, twist and turn and change from vibrant shades to dark lava hues. Side canyons suddenly appear, begging to be explored. Our hikes take us to oases of tempting pools lined with maidenhair ferns, spectacular plunging waterfalls, Anasazi petroglyphs, and more. Incredible scenery and plenty of other rapids – including Lava Falls, America’s most famous big drop – fill the 192 miles of the lower half of thrills. Below Lava Falls the canyon narrows one last time as we enter the Lower Granite Gorge. A jet boat meets us on our last day to take us the final distance to Lake Mead and our van back to Flagstaff and “civilization.”
O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc. is an authorized concessioner of Grand Canyon National Park.
Itinerary at a Glance
- Beginning at the South Rim, the Bright Angel Trail twists and turns over nine miles to the banks of the Colorado River where you meet your guides
- Almost immediately we reach some of the biggest whitewater in the canyon: Horn Creek, Granite and Hermit rapids
- On one of the biggest whitewater days in the canyon, on a stretch of river known as the “Jewels”, we encounter Crystal, Sapphire, Turquoise and Ruby rapids
- Enjoy a hike to the green haven of clear pools, lush moss and ferns at Elves Chasm
- View an excellent example of the geological phenomenon, the Great Unconformity, at Blacktail Canyon
- Enter the Granite Narrows, the canyon’s narrowest point and visit Deer Creek Falls for a refreshing dip in the clear pool beneath the falls
- Hike the limestone chutes of Matkatamiba and the travertine pools and waterfalls of Havasu Canyon
- We run the notorious Lava Falls as we descend into the Lower Granite Gorge
- Hike side canyons and explore exquisite desert wonderland and geological oddities
- Nearing the end of our journey into the depths of the Grand Canyon, we raft the notorious Lava Falls
- We take out at Lake Mead and board our van for the shuttle ride back to Flagstaff
Have you run the wild ones?
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