Meeting Place
Address:
Recapture Lodge
220 East Main Street (Hwy 191)
Bluff, Utah
6 Days From $1499
View Dates & Prices
Overview
Highlights
- Utah hiking adventure on the majestic San Juan River
- Travel through a majestic geological corridor by raft, inflatable kayak and SUP
- Gentle Class II rapids & easy floating interspersed with numerous hikes
- Abundant Native American cliff dwellings, rock art and other ancient relics
- Pristine beach camps, delicious riverside meals & impressive stargazing
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.
Photos & Videos
Itinerary & Map
Itinerary & Map
- Gather at Recapture Lodge in Bluff, Utah and meet your guides for a scenic drive to Sand Island
- Hike at Butler Wash to view petroglyphs and Moki Stairs carved into the cliffs 800 years ago
- Enjoy the scenery as the rafts carry us to interesting places to hike and explore along the way
- Camp on pristine sand beaches with riverside feasting and a campfire beneath the stars
- Take a short hike to the Anasazi and Navajo petroglyph rock art Desecration Panel covered with various designs & large human-like figures
- Hike to River House, one of the most impressive Native American cliff dwellings found on any river in North America
- Travel over the famous Mormon Trail and cross the Comb Ridge monocline
- Hike to the Mule Ear diatreme before our whitewater descent of Four-Foot Rapid, Eight-Foot and Ledge Rapids
- Enjoy views of Monument Valley, float past Mexican Hat and to take-out before returning to Bluff
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Destination River -
Meeting Parking -
Rapid -
Point of interest -
Camp -
Put-In -
Take Out
Dates & Prices
2023 Prices:
Adult: $1599
Youth: $1499
Hiker + Mindfulness $1929
Premier Pricing: Save $100/person when you are one of the first four to book our April 3, 2023 departure by March 31, 2023 and reference “Premier Pricing” at time of booking. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.
Deposit: $400
Additional Costs:
• $20 per person BLM Special Area Fee
• Sleep Kit $40 | Tent included
2023 Departure Dates:
• April 3
2023 Specialty Departures:
Hiker + Mindfulness: May 7
O.A.R.S. Canyonlands, Inc. operates on the San Juan River as a permitted outfitter of the Bureau of Land Management
Ancestral Lands Acknowledgement
We respect and recognize that many of the river canyons on state and federal lands where we operate are the ancestral homes of indigenous communities. Where we operate on the San Juan River between Sand Island and Mexican Hat, we acknowledge the territories of the Ute, Pueblo, Hopi, and the Navajo Nation.
Reviews
Press & Blog
Press & Blog
Blog Posts
Press & Articles
Before You Go
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