San Juan River Hiker

ADVENTURE OVERVIEW

The San Juan River Hiker in southeastern Utah offers a one-of-a-kind active vacation that combines easy paddling with ample hiking and fascinating archaeological sites. A rafting trip through the San Juan’s labyrinth of dramatic red rock walls is an otherworldly experience in its own right, but our hiking-focused trip offers curious travelers the opportunity to slow down and truly explore the open-air museum that’s hidden within the canyon. Here, as you twist and turn your way through one of the most beautiful and surreal landscapes in the West, you’ll discover mind-boggling remnants of ancient civilizations—vivid pictographs and petroglyphs, Ancestral Puebloan dwellings that sit nestled in the cliffs, and Moki Steps that were carved into near-vertical sandstone over 800 years ago. Each day, search for riverside treasures, hike along scenic ridges and explore hidden grottos. Once at camp, rest your legs in warm riverside pools, go for a swim, feast on guide-prepared meals and camp under the expansive night sky of the desert.

Although the hikes along the San Juan River are generally easy to moderately challenging, trails can at times be steep, rocky and narrow with exposed sections. The hiking-focused itinerary is therefore not recommended for people who have a fear of heights or children under the age of 12 years.