Colorado River Rafting through Cataract Canyon - 4 Days
- Side canyons and seasonal waterfalls
- Legendary rapids, sensational hikes
- Prehistoric ruins, rock art panels and cowboy camps
- Scenic return flight to Moab
$1476 adult / $1378 youth
Price includes a scenic flight over Canyonlands National Park
Deposit $250
Additional Costs:
Prices include an optional $125/person transportation package for a flight from the take-out back to Moab. This charge can be deleted if you prefer another option.
Prices subject to National Park Service Approval
| River Rating | Minimum Age |
|---|---|
| Class III - IV | 7 Yrs (16 during high water) |
Colorado River Rafting in Cataract Canyon - Overview
Utah white water rafting on the Colorado River and Cataract Canyon has it all: stunning scenery, easy floating and paddling through wild, Class III whitewater. Add to that some side hikes into Utah’s dramatic canyon country and ancient rock formations with fascinating geology and you have a whitewater rafting adventure in Utah suitable for the whole gang. Explore Canyonlands National Park made famous by the John Wesley Powell expedition of 1869 and get a taste of the wild wet waters of the Colorado River from the deck of your O.A.R.S. paddle raft.
And if you're feeling more adventurous, crank up your Utah rafting a notch with a trip down the Colorado in late spring. Snowmelt from the Rockies yields big runoff and massive Class IV-V rapids make for some of the country’s most exciting whitewater through Cataract Canyon. Go for it!
Colorado River Rafting in Cataract Canyon - 4 Day Itinerary at a Glance
- Scenic drive from adventure gateway, Moab, Utah to our put-in at Potash
- The first 50 miles of your Cataract Canyon rafting trip, which is motorized, will acquaint your senses with a land of looming sandstone and peaceful rugged beauty first explored by John Wesley Powell in 1869
- Lathrop Ruin and ancient pictographs of solstice calendar
- Float past Pyramid Butte, the mighty Goose Neck and Dead Horse Point (immortalized in the movie Thelma and Louise)
- Meet the confluence of the Green River where Cataract Canyon begins, hinting at the whitewater to come
- Major rapids begin at Spanish Bottom where it is possible to see a fading 1893 inscription from the steamer, Major Powell
- Challenge Brown Betty, Mile Long, Capsize and the legendary Big Drop Rapids
- Enter Lake Powell at Hite and enjoy scenic flight back to Moab and the conclusion of our 4-day Cataract Canyon rafting adventure
Note: Trip prices include an optional $115/person transportation package for a flight from the take-out back to Moab that you may delete if you prefer another option. Please contact our office for details.
O.A.R.S. Canyonlands, Inc. is an authorized concessioner of Canyonlands National Park.
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- Write a Review
“A group of strangers bonded on the river for six days….The time went by too fast. Please slow it down. This trip rates with the two that I took through the Grand Canyon on the dories when Martin Litton owned them. What more can I say.”
Philip Fradkin ~Point Reyes Station, CA
“The knowledge, expertise and professionalism of our guide made our trip perfect; it exceeded our highest hopes. The food was also exceptional. At times, it seemed as if he was practicing sorcery -- we could not believe the meals that appeared before us in the wilderness.”
Mary Sue Fisher ~Maplewood, NJ
“The entire trip was wonderful and I feel a majority of the success of the trip was due to the guides that we had; they were great. Their knowledge and guidance were extraordinary. They made everyone feel secure and comfortable. They were both fun and entertaining while doing their job with the utmost service and guidance. I felt like I was on a trip with friends I had known for quite a while. I doubt I would have felt the same way about the trip if I had had different guides. I can not say enough about both of them, I think they should be nominated (and win) for raft guide of the year!!!!!
Marie Tarpey ~ Bronx, NY
“The river guides were friendly, fun, and entertaining. Group dynamics helped to make this trip enjoyable. The hikes were great. Meals were outstanding.”
Julie Valentino ~ Benicia, CA
“I enjoyed the group interactions, the scenery, weather and river. I hoped that the trip would enable me to relax and unwind and it certainly delivered. Most of all I appreciated the efforts that our three guides/ baggage lady put in to making the trip a great experience for everyone.”
Jacquetta Goy ~ London, England
“I enjoyed the whole experience; the guides were informative and pleasant. The weather and scenery were great. The hikes were a good break from motoring and a way to get in touch with nature. The food was good and well prepared!”
Drew Fruhwirth ~ San Diego, CA
“Everything was great! The awesome scenery. The delicious food. The knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, caring, dedicated, skillful, fun-loving guides. They were beyond compare My fellow passengers. Author Philip Fradkin reading from John Wesley Powell's journals at night as the moon rose over the canyon walls. The blue sky. The echo of the thunder at night. All the stars. Learning, seeing, relaxing, gazing up at God's magnificent creation...it was all unforgettable. It was one of the best weeks of my life. Six days wasn't long enough! I wanted to keep going down the Colorado all the way to Mexico.”
Mary Jane Skala ~ Chagrin Falls, OH
“I thought the landscape was breathtaking, and very well described in your brochure. From the description, I had a sense of the pace, and the type of the scenery, and I thought you captured it very well. The guides were amazing- very competent at all of their jobs- from boatmen/women to naturalist guides to cooks to entertainment leaders. I felt both safe and comfortable, and their enthusiasm for the out of doors was contagious. I am not an outdoors type person as a rule, and I felt they were very patient with us all- laid back without being uninvolved. Kudos to all of them.”
Gwendolyn Parker ~ Norwalk, CT
Cataract Canyon Rafting - 4 Days Trip Planner
Required Forms
Please print, sign and return the required forms (for each person in your party) to our office by email, fax or mail at least 60 days prior to your trip.
Trip Documents
Itineraries
Trip Planners (includes packing list)
Packing List
Travel Insurance
Relevant Links
Local Weather & Current Conditions
Weather in the Moab area
| Average Temperatures | ||
| Month | High | Low |
| April | 73° | 42° |
| May | 84° | 50° |
| June | 95° | 58° |
| July | 100° | 64° |
| August | 98° | 63° |
| September | 90° | 53° |
| Water Temperatures | ||
| Seasonal Average: 68° | ||




























